MPP Norman Miller announced that the 26 municipalities in Parry Sound-Muskoka will receive more than $1.7 million in additional Safe Restart Agreement funding. The discretionary funding will be used to offset operating costs for critical services and help ensure that municipalities do not have to carry an operating deficit into 2021.
“This funding will provide our communities with the support they need to continue delivering critical services that we all rely on everyday,” said Miller. “Today’s announcement will help our municipalities develop a 2021 budget that reflects the reality of COVID-19 and give them the confidence they need to proceed with capital projects that will drive economic growth.”
The Ontario government is allocating an additional $695 million across the province to provide financial relief for municipalities and help ensure they do not carry operating deficits into 2021.This investment builds upon the first phase of the federal-provincial Safe Restart Agreement announced this summer.
“This joint funding will help Ontario’s municipalities recover from the impacts of COVID-19 faster, by helping them to enter into 2021 without operating deficits from this year,” said Steve Clark, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. “By ensuring our municipal partners are in a sound financial position to begin the new year, they can better focus on keeping their capital projects on track while continuing to provide the critical services their residents rely on.”
Of the $695 million announced today, $299 million is being allocated across all 444 municipalities to help provide more financial relief, as 2021 operating budgets are finalized. This funding was allocated based on the number of households with additional funding going to municipalities that are in health units with higher COVID case numbers.
In Parry Sound-Muskoka the following municipalities are receiving the following amounts totaling $1,641,000:
| Armour Township | $20,000 |
| Bracebridge | $111,000 |
| Burk’s Falls | $20,000 |
| Carling | $20,000 |
| Georgian Bay Township | $70,000 |
| Gravenhurst | $105,000 |
| Huntsville | $133,000 |
| Joly Township | $20,000 |
| Kearney | $20,000 |
| Lake of Bays | $60,000 |
| Machar Township | $20,000 |
| Magnetawan | $21,000 |
| McDougall | $20,000 |
| McKellar | $20,000 |
| McMurrich/Monteith | $20,000 |
| Muskoka District | $601,000 |
| Muskoka Lakes | $123,000 |
| Parry Sound | $32,000 |
| Perry | $20,000 |
| Ryerson | $20,000 |
| Seguin | $51,000 |
| South River | $20,000 |
| Strong | $20,000 |
| Sundridge | $20,000 |
| The Archipelago | $34,000 |
| Whitestone | $20,000 |
An additional $396 million is also being allocated to 48 municipalities that applied and demonstrated a need for additional assistance in covering their 2020 operating deficits. South River applied for this additional funding and received $87,000.
This funding is part of the federal-provincial Safe Restart Agreement, a historic partnership that is providing $4 billion in emergency funding for Ontario’s municipalities to help them on the road to a safe recovery. In August, an initial investment of $1.6 billion was provided so every Ontario municipality could address their operating pressures, support transit systems and help vulnerable people.
As well the Ontario government has provided $510 million to municipalities and Indigenous community partners through the Social Services Relief Fund to help protect the health and safety of vulnerable people during COVID-19.
The province has made an additional three-year, $45-billion commitment to help communities recover as part of Ontario’s Action Plan: Protect, Support, Recover. This includes critical investments in health and other initiatives, to ensure Ontario is more resilient in the future.
