Entire district declared disaster area

Municipal Affairs and Housing minister Chris Hodgson on Friday declared the entire Rainy River District a disaster area, making it eligible for funding under the Ontario Disaster Relief Assistance Program.
The declaration covers the 10 municipalities and unorganized areas in the district, including Fort Frances, as well as the Township of Ignace in Kenora District.
“The province is committed to helping the residents of the Rainy River District and Ignace overcome the effects of this disaster,” Hodgson said.
“We will do what’s necessary to help alleviate the hardship that residents in this area are facing.”
ODRAP is a source of financial aid for losses of essential private property, not covered by insurance, suffered by private homeowners, farmers, small businesses, and non-profit organizations.
Guidelines calls for the establishment of a local volunteer disaster relief committee to be appointed by the affected municipalities as soon as possible.
The committee will be responsible for settling eligible claims made by affected residents at up to 90 percent.
The province has decided to waive the requirement of local fundraising in this circumstance.
Special assistance also will be provided to the 11 municipalities to cover up to 100 percent of eligible costs associated with rebuilding infrastructure that was damaged, Hodgson announced.
Besides Fort Frances and Ignace, the 11 also include Alberton, Atikokan, Chapple, Dawson, Emo, La Vallee, Lake of the Woods, Morley, and Rainy River.
In related news, the local Municipal Control Group decided Friday not to declare a state of emergency in Fort Frances.
“We decided we do not have a state of emergency situation,” CAO Bill Naturkach said after the MCG discussed what had happened since the storms early this week and assessed the likelihood of any more trouble in the near future.
He noted town council was expected to pass a resolution officially declaring Fort Frances as a disaster area at a special meeting Monday night.
The committee of the whole already was slated to meet at 5:30 p.m. on Monday to discuss strategic planning so the resolution will be added to a special council session following that.
Naturkach added it’s likely the district-wide disaster relief committee will be reactivated shortly.
Meanwhile, town residents still are being requested to minimize water usage to ease volumes going into the waster treatment plant.
Despite boil water advisories for communities with well systems, the town has had no potable water quality problems.
The Memorial Sports Centre continues to be set up to receive evacuees from neighbouring communities, if necessary.
Police, fire, and ambulance services will continue to monitor service needs in the district.