Waterloo region municipalities split $18M in provincial COVID-19 relief

The Region of Waterloo, the three cities and the four townships will share $18 million from the province in COVID-19 relief.

Ontario Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Steve Clark made the announcement Thursday morning.

"COVID-19 is continuing to impact the operating budgets of municipalities across Ontario," he said. "Municipalities have made it clear, they have to have more certainty if they're going to continue to deliver the services their constituents rely on each and every day."

Clark added the funding is in addition to restart funding provided last year from both the provincial and federal governments.

"The deal ensured that no municipality entered 2021 with an operating deficit from 2020," Clark said of the restart funding.

Kitchener-Conestoga MPP Mike Harris said in a news release that the new money will help the local municipalities "deliver the critical services we rely on everyday and keep long-term capital projects on track."

Local funding

The following is a breakdown of what local municipalities will receive:

• Region of Waterloo: $7,223,586.
• City of Kitchener: $4,821,933.
• City of Cambridge: $2,491,652.
• City of Waterloo: $2,337,340.
• Township of Woolwich: $446,909.
• Township of Wilmot: $391,615.
• Township of North Dumfries: 180,195.
• Township of Wellesley: 165,734.

In Harris' news release, regional Chair Karen Redman said the region was grateful to the province for the additional support and Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic said people and businesses have relied on municipalities during the pandemic.

"As we continue in our collective fight against COVID-19, it is when all orders of government work together, that we will continue to best support our residents and businesses get through this pandemic," Vrbanovic said.

More help needed from feds: Clark

In announcing the funding, Clark also said his government "will continue to urge the federal government to partner with us to support our municipalities now. The need is real and it is urgent."

"As COVID-19 continues to have a devastating impact on municipal finances in 2021, this is the time for all of us to come together," he said. "We can't do it alone. All levels of government have a responsibility to pitch in."

Federal Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland met with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities' Big City Mayors' Caucus, which included Mayor Vrbanovic, in February to discuss the upcoming federal budget.

In a news release following that meeting, Freeland said she was "grateful that the mayors were able to speak openly about the challenges Canada's cities are facing and provide their thoughts on how our growth plan can help their communities come roaring back from the COVID-19 recession, stronger, healthier, and more resilient than ever before."