Province activates disaster relief program for Canada Day floods in select parts of Ottawa

The Ontario government has activated the Disaster Recovery Assistance for Ontarians (DRAO) program in response to the Canada Day flooding, but only for select areas.

The Ontario government has activated the Disaster Recovery Assistance for Ontarians (DRAO) program in response to the Canada Day flooding, but only for select areas. Applications for the program, which is intended to cover items not already covered by insurance, such as for emergency expenses and costs for repair or replacement of essential property. It is only available for residents in specific geographical areas as defined by the provincial government.

The province 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 on Friday. The geographical area the province has defined includes areas such as Bayshore, Qualicum, Leslie Park, and Trend Village. It does not include places such as Crystal Beach, Bells Corners, Centrepointe, or Kanata, where numerous homeowners were flooded.

CTV News Ottawa has reached out to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing for comment. 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. The City of Ottawa says it has received more than 7,300 service requests related to the storms on Canada, with more than 6,200 reports of flooded basements.

Three thousand 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 1,000 residents have applied for the $1,000 Compassionate Grant program. “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.