August 12, 2020
Mayor Drew DilkensCity of Windsor
350 City Hall Square West P.O. Box 1607
Windsor ON N9A 6S1
Dear Mayor Dilkens:
On July 27, 2020, as part of the federal-provincial Safe Restart Agreement, the Ontario government announced that it had secured up to $4 billion in emergency assistance to provide Ontario’s 444 municipalities with the support they need to respond to COVID-19. I am writing to you today to provide further details on this funding investment.
Municipalities play a key role in delivering critical services that Ontarians rely on and are at the frontlines of a safe reopening of the economy. This investment will provide support to municipalities and public transit operators to help them address financial pressures related to COVID-19, maintain critical services and protect vulnerable people as the province safely and gradually opens. It includes:
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Up to $2 billion to support municipal operating pressures, and
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Up to $2 billion to support municipal transit systems.
The Honourable Caroline Mulroney, Minister of Transportation, will provide more information on the transit stream of this funding.
I would also like to acknowledge the Federal government in their role in this historic agreement. As Premier Ford has indicated, “by working together, we have united the country in the face of the immense challenges brought on by COVID-19 and secured a historic deal with the federal government to ensure a strong recovery for Ontario and for Canada”.
Under the municipal operating stream, $1.39 billion will be available to Ontario’s municipalities to address operating pressures and local needs. This funding will be allocated in two phases: 50% allocated in Phase 1 for all municipalities, and 50% allocated in Phase 2 for municipalities that require additional funding.