The City of Peterborough will receive just over $8 million as part of the provincial and federal first round of emergency funding for municipalities to help with economic recovery due to the coronavirus pandemic.
On Wednesday, Premier Doug Ford announced that municipalities will be provided with up to $1.6 billion in the first round of emergency funding, part of the Ontario and federal governments’ Safe Restart Agreement to commit up to $4 billion in emergency assistance for Ontario’s 444 municipalities.
Ford said up to $695 million provided this fall will help with operating pressures related to the pandemic; $660 million to support transit systems. The province is also providing $212 million through the social services relief fund to help vulnerable people find shelter.
For the City of Peterborough, the Phase 1 funding includes $4,423,000 in municipal funding and $3,578,682 in transit funding for a total of $8,002,182.
“Our municipal partners are experiencing financial strain from COVID-19 the same way the average person has,” said Peterborough-Kawartha MPP Dave Smith. “I am pleased to announce that together, the city and county of Peterborough and all our townships will receive almost $12 million in financial relief to support vital services, taxpayers and transit systems.”
The City of Kawartha Lakes will receive $4,943,793, which includes $4,835,000 in municipal support and $108,793 for transit.
“Since the beginning of the pandemic, we have had the backs of our municipalities, which is why we are announcing up to $1.6 billion in critical funding today to help strengthen our communities and safely restart our economy,” Ford stated. “This first round of funding will address the most urgent needs of our communities, ensuring critical services like transit and shelters are there when people need them most.”
Other municipalities in central Ontario receiving funding include:
- Peterborough County: $2,219,037 ($2,203,600 municipal; $15,437 transit)
- Northumberland County: $2,472,900 (all municipal)
- Cobourg: $669,580 ($571,800 municipal; $97,780 transit)
- Municipality of Port Hope: $506,207 ($451,400 municipal; $54,807 transit)
- Alnwick/Haldimand Township: $207,600 (all municipal)
- Asphodel-Norwood Township: $119,000 (all municipal)
- Bancroft: $147,523 ($125,000 municipal; $22,523 transit)
- Municipality of Brighton: $326,600 (all municipal)
- Cavan Monaghan Township: $217,100 (all municipal)
- Cramahe Township: $53,500 (all municipal)
- Douro-Dummer Township: $221,600 (all municipal)
- Dysart et al: $489,693 ($475,000 municipal; $14,293 transit)
- Haliburton County: $1,435,300 (all municipal)
- Hastings Highlands: $236,000 (all municipal)
- Hamilton Township: $300,200 (all municipal)
- Havelock-Belmont-Methuen Township: $264,000 (all municipal)
- Madoc Township: $58,700 (all municipal)
- Marmora and Lake: $182,787 ($165,200 municipal; $17,587 transit)
- Minden Hills Township: $402,200 (all municipal)
- North Kawartha Township: $238,700 (all municipal)
- Otonabee–South Monaghan Township: $194,800 (all municipal)
- Selwyn Township: $527,700 (all municipal)
- Trent Hills: $458,036 ($440,600 municipal; $17,436 transit)
- Trent Lakes: $420,200 (all municipal)
- Tudor and Cashel Townships: $51,700 (all municipal)
Funding will be allocated on a per household basis and would be shared 50/50 between upper- and lower-tier municipalities.
“The success of Ontario’s municipalities is vital to our province’s economic recovery,” said parliamentary assistant Jim McDonell. “We’ve been working in partnership with municipalities from day one to understand the financial impacts of COVID-19, and this historic agreement will ensure they have the funding needed to address their most urgent local priorities.”
Up to $695 million in additional funding will be available through Phase 2 to eligible municipalities after municipalities have provided the province with information on their estimated COVID-19-related financial pressures.
More to come