01.10.2014 11:43 AM

Chow calls on Feds for ice storm dollars – not Toronto taxpayers

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20 Comments

  1. Paul Brennan says:

    Shouldnt large cities plan for these things and accumulate reserves…

    • Matt says:

      Big cities should also not be passing by laws to “protect the tree canopy” which made it damn near impossibl for homeowners to trim or cut down trees on THEIR OWN property.

      Seriously. You need to seek permission and a permit from the City of Toronto to even cut a branch off a tree on your property.

      What caused the problems during the power outages? Trees taking out power lines.

      Thank you David Miller.

  2. Matt says:

    Gee, thanks for coming out Olivia.

    Where were you the last three weeks?

    Ford announced two weeks ago he’d be seeking fed and provincial financial assistance. Yet she waits until it’s being debated at city hall to chime in?

    • VC says:

      Maybe she took the same perspective that Harper did:

      “The federal government always stands ready to help communities in the event of a state of emergency. In this case the response to the storm that hit Toronto over Christmas was ably led by the city with the support of the province,” Mr. Harper’s spokesman, Jason MacDonald, said Monday.

      That is, until it came time to actually formally debate the appropriate course of action (best not to leave it in the hands of a crackhead that hangs out with gang-bangers in drunken stupors). My understanding is that it is only today, in fact, where city council is holding a special meeting to discuss its response. From my view, Chow’s input is entirely timely.

    • PP says:

      I was aware that Ford had suggested Provincial help be requested. But I was not aware he had also suggested Federal — do you have a link that shows this? I was also aware that it was the “other” Mayor that had proposed an emergency be declared, which, I assume, would have involved Federal help. But Ford had opposed this, and I had assumed, any involvement of Federal help. So what you are suggesting does surprise me.

      Why should Torontonians not expect Federal help when it was enthusiastically given to Calgary for the flooding? OC, belated or otherwise, has done the correct thing in asking for Federal dollars, so why ding her for it?

      • Matt says:

        1) I didn’t ding Chow for it. I said she is late to the party, and only made her tweet the day Ford’s request was being debated at city hall

        2) The provincial government reps, from day one, told City staff including the City manager the declaration of a State of Emergency was NOT necessary to receive assistance from the province. Kelly wanted the SOE declared because HE would then have been in charge after council stripped Ford of his powers.

        3) The legislation clearly states 2 people could have called a SoE. One was Ford, the other was WYNNE.

        4) The only links re Ford seeking Fed funding are from the last three days. He is seeking 1/3 from Toronto, Ontario, and Ottawa. He did say at a conference when the estimated cost was $75 million he would to the feds for assistance. That was 7 to 10 days ago but I can’t find the story online.

        • PP says:

          1) OK, a SOE declaration was not necessary for Prov. help, but my comment was in regard to Fed. help. I had assumed, perhaps mistakenly, that a SOE declaration would have facilitated a request for Fed. help (and vice versa if one opposes an SOE declaration). You did not address the fed. issue.

          2) I do not know how you know about Kelly’s real motivation for declaring the SOE. Ford would likely agree with you, but that is another matter.

          3) I will accept your statement that Ford only sought 1/3 federal funding 3 days ago (you still did not include the link). If true, and this matter is only being debated today, OC is not that late, is she? She hasn’t even said she would be running for office and I had assumed that she was only opining this in her capacity as MP for her Toronto riding. In which case, today would be the day to get Council’s attention. Why does it have to be a Ford early vs OC late issue rather than what is best for Toronto and Torontonians?

          4) I accept that, according to you, Ford had said he would ask for Fed. help at $75 million, but again, that was unreported (or I had missed it) and I do not see a link attesting to this.

  3. John says:

    I wonder if the Harperites will be as generous to that bastion of Liberalness called Toronto as they were to the heartland of Alberta?
    http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/alberta-flood-relief-to-get-2-8b-from-federal-government-1.2424273

    • Matt says:

      You are comparing the floods in Alberta, that saw dozens of cities and towns under water with what happened in Toronto?

      And if you want to play that game, how about Wynne, while Municipal Affairs Minister promising $3.2 million to Thunder Bay in 2012 for flood relief, then only delivering $300,000 to the non Liberal held area.

      • John says:

        No game and no comparison insofar as scale is concerned, my black-helicopter-seeking friend, just saying that Toronto and Alberta’s claim for financial assistance should receive the same level of support as Alberta’s.
        And I doubt that will happen.

  4. smelter rat says:

    If only that gravy train hadn’t left the station.

  5. Al in Cranbrook says:

    Well, she’s calling Canadian taxpayers instead.

    Not that this is wrong, given the circumstances of a disaster of sorts.

  6. dave says:

    About 8 years ago an ice storm hit our city of about 20 thou, our community of about 35 or 40 thou. Stopped everything in our usually very busy area… huge amount of damage done, power outages. City and rural municipality worked at it, and local oil industry companies diverted their employees to help clean up. I don’t remember any provincial or federal compensation.
    Safe seat provincially and federally, small population, not sure anyone outside our area heard about the storm and damage.

    It’s the kind of thing that leaves us in the boonies feeling a bit detached from the rest of you.

  7. david ray says:

    A recent example of just how little any of these people give a rats ass about you. I had to take an elderly person to a government office located in a strip mall. There were only eight parking spots at the front. Anything else was a block away. Every spot was marked “staff only. strictly enforced.” Fuck em all.

  8. To me the point about Ms Chow’s statement is that the well-known, long term problem has been raised, namely the tax structure is out of whack when it comes to municipalities. That issue along with a politician who understands how to construct a budget and work with different levels of government turn out to be as important as the short term problems from the ice-storm.

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