Ontario Provides Additional Support for Lambton County Municipalities During COVID-19 Financial relief will help ensure the delivery of critical services and keep capital projects on track

NEWS March 05, 2021

Lambton County — The government is providing $3,867,419 to help Lambton County and its 11 municipalities address ongoing COVID-19-related operating costs. The new financial relief will help ensure the delivery of critical services during the pandemic and keep capital projects on track.

“This is another important investment that supports our local municipalities,” said -Lambton MPP Bob Bailey. “Municipalities will have the flexibility to use this funding to address the specific priorities of their communities based on their unique COVID-19 related operating pressures.”

“Our government is continuing to provide financial stability for communities in Lambton County as they plan for the year ahead,” said Monte McNaughton, MPP for Lambton-Kent-Middlesex. “This funding will give towns the confidence to provide critical local services during COVID-19, while planning the projects that will help drive Ontario’s economic recovery.”

2021 PROVINCIAL COVID-19 RECOVERY FUNDING FOR MUNICIPALITIES Lambton County $1,537,251 Municipality of Brooke-Alvinston $44,246 Township of Dawn-Euphemia $38,715 Township of Enniskillen $47,066 Municipality of $293,329 Village of Oil Springs $19,229 Town of Petrolia $96,386 Town of Plympton-Wyoming $139,073 Village of Point Edward $41, 733 City of Sarnia $1,301,071 Township of St. Clair $250,680 Township of Warwick $58,637

Today’s announcement is part of the province’s $500 million investment to help ensure the stability of Ontario’s 444 municipalities as they plan for the year ahead. The funding is being prioritized to help municipalities hardest hit by the pandemic and can be used for things like personal protective equipment, cleaning supplies and by-law enforcement.

“Our government continues to adapt and respond to the COVID-19 pandemic as it evolves, and we know our municipal partners are on the front lines of this effort – providing the critical services people depend on every day,” said Steve Clark, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. “Our

municipalities have been clear that they need ongoing operating funding in 2021, and it is important that we step up and provide that support so our municipal partners can continue to deliver the services Ontarians rely on each and every day.”

This provincial investment builds on the $1.39 billion in operating funding that was provided to municipal partners through the joint federal-provincial Safe Restart Agreement. The second phase of the Safe Restart Agreement was allocated to all Ontario municipalities in December, to ensure that no community entered 2021 facing an operating deficit from 2020.

“Municipalities are important partners in the fight against COVID-19,” said , Minister of Finance and President of the Treasury Board. “We know the global pandemic has created significant financial challenges for communities across the province. That’s why we have been there with support from the very beginning. I encourage our federal partners to step forward with additional investments as all three governments work together to protect people’s health and jobs.”

QUICK FACTS  The government will provide its next update on Ontario's finances and the government's plan to continue the fight against COVID-19 in the 2021 Budget, to be delivered no later than March 31, 2021. The 2021 Budget will build on the $45 billion in support set out in Ontario’s Action Plan: Protect, Support, Recover to continue protecting people’s health and supporting Ontario’s economy through COVID-19 and beyond.  Ontario is also supporting municipalities in finding budget savings and efficiencies through the Audit and Accountability Fund and Municipal Modernization Program.  See how your organization can help fight COVID-19  Visit Ontario’s website to learn more about how the province continues to protect the people of Ontario from COVID-19.

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Bob Bailey, MPP Sarnia-Lambton 519-337-0051