Ford government shortchanging municipalities buried by infrastructure repair costs

April 12, 2023

QUEEN'S PARK — Ontario Greens leader and MPP for Guelph Mike Schreiner released the following statement in response to reports that municipalities are struggling to pay for costs to adapt and repair infrastructure as severe weather worsens.

“There’s no doubt that municipalities are the ones bearing the brunt of the Ford government’s climate inaction.

As the climate emergency worsens, wildfires, storms and floods are only becoming more severe, frequent, and costly.

And yet this government has repeatedly refused to provide municipalities with sufficient funding to repair and adapt critical infrastructure, leaving communities across the province out to dry.

The climate emergency is already here. The FAO has shown that this government’s inaction on climate will cost us an extra $26.2 billion this decade for damage to storm and wastewater infrastructure, transportation and buildings alone.

The government needs to get money into the hands of municipalities now so they can carry out much-needed repairs to roads, buildings, and wastewater infrastructure that Ontarians rely on – and prepare for the near future by building green and resilient infrastructure.

Ontario Greens will continue pushing this government to create a $2B/year Climate Adaptation Fund to support municipalities with green and resilient infrastructure to better withstand the impacts of the climate crisis now and in the future.”

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