On July 18, the community association politely asked Mayor Sutcliffe and Premier Ford why a mistake had been made, leaving Crystal Beach out of the Province’s Disaster Recovery Assistance for Ontarians (DRAO) program.
The Province has replied as follows:
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Sent: Wednesday, August 26th, 2026, 11:37 AM
Subject: Re: DRAO mapping error leaves out Crystal Beach
Hello Kate,
Your email to Premier Ford was forwarded to the Disaster Recovery Assistance for Ontarians (DRAO) program at the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing.
Thank you for your email. The following provides additional context regarding the activation area established for the Ottawa flood event.
The activation area for the July 1 flood in Ottawa reflects the intent of the Disaster Recovery Assistance for Ontarians (DRAO) program to help fill gaps where insurance is unavailable for essential disaster-related costs. Consistent with similar disaster assistance programs across Canada, availability of insurance is a key factor in determining where to activate to the program. As a result, the program is most commonly activated in areas affected by flooding from rivers, creeks, and lakes, where insurance coverage is generally unavailable. Based on the province’s assessment, the program has been activated for an area that was impacted by flooding resulting from the overflow of Graham Creek and Stillwater Creek, where there may be uninsured damage that is eligible under the program.
The province’s assessment considered impacts throughout the city and was informed by information provided by the city, the local conservation authority, and residents who contacted the province regarding storm-related damages. While flooding was reported in a number of neighbourhoods, our assessment indicated that much of this damage resulted from sewer backup rather than the overflow of creeks. Since sewer backup coverage, where water enters a home through connections to the sewer system, is commonly available for purchase through homeowners’ insurance policies, damage caused by sewer backup is generally not eligible under the DRAO program. As a result, these areas were not included in the activation area.
Residents who experienced storm-related damage are encouraged to contact their insurance provider to determine what coverage may be available to them, as insurance is generally the primary source of financial assistance following a disaster.
Thank you for reaching out to the DRAO program. We hope this information helps clarify the program’s eligibility and coverage.
Regards,
Disaster Recovery Assistance for Ontarians
Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing
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The response is not detailed, and really just repeats generic info from the DRAO website. It doesn’t explain how the decision was made. How, for example, is Crystal Beach different from Lakeview or Qualicum which are included? From what we hear in the media, the Province and the City seem to be pointing at each other. The City says it’s a Provincial decision. The Province says they got the information from the City.
We will be responding, still questioning, still trying to understand why Crystal Beach was left out. We encourage you to question the Province and the City yourself.
Note that both Theresa Kavanagh and Chandra Pasma are trying to get this oversight corrected. Consider completing Chandra Pasma’s petition.
You can find more information about DRAO at https://www.ontario.ca/page/apply-disaster-recovery-assistance
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