More areas affected by flooding in Ottawa could be added to disaster aid program, province says

The Ontario government says they are working with the City of Ottawa to potentially expand eligibility for the Disaster Recovery Assistance for Ontarians (DRAO), after an initial map issued by the province left several affected communities off the map.

The Ontario government says they are working with the City of Ottawa to potentially expand eligibility for the Disaster Recovery Assistance for Ontarians (DRAO) program, after several affected communities were left off the coverage map issued by the province. Applications for the program, which is intended to cover items not already covered by insurance, such as for emergency expenses, clean up costs, and costs for repair or replacement of essential property, opened on Friday. It is only available for residents in specific geographical areas as defined by the provincial government.

A local provincial official told CTV News on Friday evening that the municipal and provincial governments are working to identify other areas impact by overland flooding that could be eligible to apply for the program. Other areas could be added as soon as next week. The province initially identified the Graham Creek and Stillwater Creek areas as being eligible for the program.

Residents have until Nov. 16 to apply. “On July 1, 2026, more than 150 millimeters of rain fell in parts of the City of Ottawa. Graham Creek and Stillwater Creek overflowed their banks, leading to overland flooding that caused damage to homes in the area,” the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing said in a news release announcing the activation.

The geographical area the province has defined includes areas such as Bayshore, Qualicum, Leslie Park, and Trend-Arlington. It does not include places such as Crystal Beach, Bells Corners, and parts of Nepean and Kanata that also experienced flooding. “Today’s announcement is an important step for eligible Ottawa residents affected by the recent flooding.

I appreciate the province moving forward with opening the Disaster Recovery Assistance for Ontarians program and I want to thank Premier Ford and Minister Flack for working with us after I raised the need to get this support in place as quickly as possible,” Mayor Mark Sutcliffe said in a news release from the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing. Speaking on Newstalk 580 CFRA’s Ottawa Now with Kristy Cameron on Friday afternoon, College Ward Coun. Laine Johnson says some affected areas that have been left out of the coverage area are still being assessed.

“As far as I’m concerned, this conversation is not over,” she said. “I’ve been quiet on this today because I’ve been on the phone with the province of Ontario, with my MPP, with the city manager’s office, with the mayor’s office, with the other affected councillors, and I am saying that this conversation is not over. We need to know that other areas are going to be considered under this relief program.

I won’t be disappointed yet. I’m still fighting.” Johnson said she’s received assurances that assessments for other areas, such as Bells Corners, are still underway.

“Certainly, Graham Creek is one of the clearest impacted areas when it comes to the type of flooding that they’re looking for. But there are many creeks and brooks and other things cutting through many of these neighbourhoods that need to be identified and assessed as well,” she said. “So, yes, I will say there’s still hope because my teeth are in this now, and I have had some good conversations with the province of Ontario that they are still assessing.”

The Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing said in a statement to CTV News Ottawa that it worked with the City of Ottawa to determine the activation area. “The activation area for the Disaster Recovery Assistance for Ontarians (DRAO) program was established using information provided by the City of Ottawa. We will continue working closely with the city and impacted residents,” the statement said.

The City of Ottawa says it has received more than 7,400 service requests related to the storms on Canada Day, with more than 6,300 reports of flooded basements, as of Friday afternoon. More than 3,200 tonnes of garbage have been brought to the Trail Road landfill following multiple collection cycles in the hardest hit wards. The city also says more than 1,100 residents have applied for the $1,000 Compassionate Grant program.

Residents, politicians critical of activation area Bay Ward Coun. Theresa Kavanagh, whose ward includes areas like Crystal Beach, told CTV News Ottawa she is furious that many neighbourhoods were left out of the activation zone. “I am furious that Crystal Beach has been totally ignored.

We are looking at a map that is leaving out highly affected neighbourhoods. Crystal Beach is one of them,” she said. “That’s not the only one.

Woodpark and Queensway Terrace North are also highly affected. It’s not even touching close to the number of people affected.” Tracey Poulton, a resident of Crystal Beach, said the map needs to be reviewed.

“People that have come in to do services for us have been completely shocked at the degree of damage here. We were told by our HVAC services that our basement was the worst that he’s ever seen,” Poulton said. “We have people on the street that have very limited insurance and are going to be very strapped for repairing the damage.”

Tyler Watt, the Liberal MPP for Nepean, released a statement Friday afternoon criticizing to PC government’s map. “Doug Ford has drawn an arbitrary line on a map that bears no resemblance to the devastation on the ground. Families are still gutting basements, replacing furnaces, navigating insurance claims, and facing repair bills worth tens of thousands of dollars.

They are dealing with the same emotional, financial, and physical toll as their neighbors; yet because they happen to live on the opposite side of Greenbank Road or down Hunt Club Road, they are ineligible for provincial assistance,” he said. “While I appreciate the province’s decision to activate the Disaster Recovery Assistance for Ontarians (DRAO) program, the current eligibility boundaries leave many equally affected residents in Bells Corners, Craig Henry, and other parts of Nepean and Ottawa without access to support.” Watt is calling on the province to expand DRAO to all Ottawa communities that experienced flooding and ensure all affected households have the opportunity to apply for funding.

He is also calling for additional provincial resources to be deployed to work alongside the Canadian Red Cross and the City of Ottawa and to improve communication with residents. “This should not be a partisan issue. Ontarians have stood with each other, and now they deserve to know that their provincial government is standing with them,” he said.

Johnson also said she’s disappointed with how this program has been communicated to residents. “This rollout for this map was very distressing for many people who are desperate for good information. I’ve been fighting for that good information since July 1,” she said.

“I want to see better communication from the province of Ontario as to why those areas were excluded. People deserve that as well. A direct communication with the people of Ontario who have been affected by this, as to why their particular areas were not assessed.”

What is DRAO? According to the province, examples of natural disasters for which DRAO could be activated include floods, tornadoes, landslides and earthquakes, but does not apply to what the province calls “non-natural disasters such as human-caused events, or to events that occur over an extended period of time such as droughts.” Damage caused by sewer backup is also generally not included, though provisions exist for low-income households.

Basement and crawl space damage is eligible only to the extent necessary to restore these areas to a safe, basic condition and basement finishes and furnishings are not eligible, the province says. “DRAO does not replace insurance. Applicants must proceed with a claim through private insurance providers before submitting an application,” the province says.

Homeowners, tenants, small businesses, and non-profit organizations can apply for the funding. Affected residents may only submit a single type of application. Affected residents are encouraged to document all damage and retain photos, receipts, and records of clean-up and repair costs.

They should also contact their insurance company to determine coverage. Details about how to apply are available on the province’s website. With files from CTV News Ottawa’s Natalie van Rooy and Hannah Berge.