For Release: September 22, 2005
Ontario Government Supports Rural Infrastructure
Finalizes New Municipal Drainage Funding Program
LISTOWEL - The Ontario government is building prosperity in rural
Ontario through a new infrastructure program, Minister of Agriculture,
Food and Rural Affairs Leona Dombrowsky announced today.
"Our government understands that a strong rural Ontario is vital
to our province's economic prosperity," said Dombrowsky. "That
is why we have listened to rural Ontario and developed a new program that
will help agricultural landowners and rural municipalities. Our program
will strengthen their communities by contributing to the costs of drainage
infrastructure."
The minister unveiled details of the new $6 million Agricultural Drainage
Infrastructure Program (ADIP) at the 2005 International Plowing Match
and Rural Exposition. The new program includes better defined funding
criteria which will maximize the use of taxpayers' dollars by:
- Providing grants to agricultural landowners for up to one third of
the costs for new drain construction or improvement projects
- Covering up to two-thirds of the costs for this work in Northern Ontario
- Providing grants to municipalities to cover one half of the cost of
employing a drainage superintendent
- Clarifying what parts of a drainage project are eligible for grants.
"Drainage infrastructure is extremely important in rural areas to
help reduce flooding, crop and property damage, and improve safety,"
said Bill Vrebosch, Chair of the Rural Ontario Municipal Association.
"We are pleased that the province listened to our concerns, and is
investing in our communities."
The ministry consulted extensively with stakeholders to ensure the new
program meets their needs and will be sending municipalities more information
on program details and application deadlines for this fiscal year. During
the fall, ministry staff will be hosting several meetings across the province
with municipalities and representatives of the drainage industry to provide
details of the ADIP, answer questions and distribute application forms.
The ministry typically pays grants on approximately 250 drain construction/improvement
projects and approximately 1500 maintenance projects annually, involving
thousands of agricultural properties.
"We have worked with farmers and rural municipalities to provide
new solutions for enhancing rural infrastructure," said Dombrowsky.
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Contact:
Kelly Synnott
Minister's Office
(416) 326-6439
BACKGROUNDER
AGRICULTURAL DRAINAGE INFRASTRUCTURE PROGRAM
The Drainage Act
The Drainage Act provides for the construction and management of many
of the communal drainage systems in rural Ontario. The local municipality
is responsible for the design, construction, and maintenance of drainage
systems located within their boundaries and the cost of work is assessed
to the landowners in the watershed of the drain.
Because Ontario typically receives more rainfall than needed for crop
growth, municipal drainage systems are vital to the overall competitiveness
of the agriculture sector in the province. They reduce flooding, crop
and property damage, and improve safety. They are as important to rural
Ontario as storm sewers are to urban areas.
To assist with drainage systems, the ministry typically pays grants on
approximately 250 drain construction/improvement projects and approximately
1,500 maintenance projects annually, involving thousands of agricultural
properties.
Agricultural Drainage Infrastructure Program
The government has finalized the $6 million Agricultural Drainage Infrastructure
Program (ADIP) under the Drainage Act to encourage the development of
agricultural land in an environmentally responsible manner. The program
provides grants to agricultural landowners for up to one third of the
costs for new drain construction or improvement projects, covering up
to two-thirds of the costs for this same work in Northern Ontario. ADIP
also provides grants to municipalities to cover one half of the cost of
employing a drainage superintendent.
New Administrative Policies
Sections 85 to 90 of the Drainage Act allow the Minister of Agriculture,
Food and Rural Affairs to provide grants for various activities conducted
under the act. These sections provide general direction on grant eligibility
based on type of work, land use and cost components. They also detail
the grant rates and provide direction on the collection and distribution
of grants. Sections 85 and 87 state that the provision of grants is not
an obligation, but grants are provided at the discretion of the minister.
The new ADIP policies are intended to ensure that public funds are being
used effectively, and to supplement the requirements already specified
in the Drainage Act. The policies are intended to provide agricultural
landowners, municipalities and drainage practitioners with more specific
direction on grant eligibility by:
- Clarifying the agricultural lands that will be eligible for grant
- Clarifying the components of a drainage project that are eligible
for grant
- Identifying the types of allowances that will be eligible for grants
- Specifying the content of an "engineering report"
- Identifying the components of preliminary engineering report that
are eligible for grant
- Specifying how the ministry will allocate grant funding for municipal
drain maintenance
- Identifying the eligible grant costs for work by a municipal drainage
superintendent.
The ministry will use these policies as the basis for making decisions
on the payment of grants under the Drainage Act.
Prior to finalizing the details of the program, the ministry conducted
numerous consultations with stakeholders, including posting the proposed
protocols on the Environmental Bill of Rights registry. All comments received
during consultations were carefully considered during final development
of the ADIP.
The new policies are posted on the ministry website at www.omafra.gov.on.ca.
Program Administration
The Drainage Act provides a process for landowners to address drainage
problems. Sections 85 to 90 of the act allow the Minister of Agriculture,
Food and Rural Affairs to provide grants for various activities under
the act, at her discretion. The act provides general direction on grant
eligibility based on the type of drainage work being undertaken, the type
of land use, and components of the project.
Information Meetings
A series of information meetings will be held to provide details of
the ADIP to municipalities and representatives of the drainage industry.
Meetings will be held at:
| Location |
Date |
| Brantford |
September 27, 2005 |
| Wingham |
September 28, 2005 |
| Lindsay |
September 29, 2005 |
| Kemptville |
September 30, 2005 |
| Casselman (Bilingual) |
September 30, 2005 |
| Chatham |
October 03, 2005 |
| New Liskeard |
October 12, 2005 |
| Sudbury (Bilingual) |
October 13, 2005 |
| Fort Frances |
October 18, 2005 |
| Guelph |
October 19, 2005 |
Contact:
Sid Vander Veen
Drainage Coordinator
519-826-3552
sid.vanderveen@omaf.gov.on.ca
