Speaker, through to you the member: The city of Ottawa staff contacted our municipal service office yesterday regarding the spring flooding and requested that a Provincial Disaster Assessment Team be deployed to assess the impact. City staff noted to our ministry that the damage is localized, but it’s significant in some of the neighbourhoods around the Ottawa River. According to municipal staff, they’ve requested that the PDAT team come up. A meeting is scheduled with the city tomorrow.

As all members know, in the spring, there are going to be situations like we’re experiencing in Whitewater, in the member for Renfrew–Nipissing–Pembroke’s riding. My ministry office is available in all regions of the province to reach out when a provincial disaster team is required.

My question is for the Premier.

Climate change is beginning to have a real and measurable impact on how we live our lives.

In 2017, the city of Ottawa and communities along the Ottawa River were hit with flooding events that had not been seen in 50 years. Hundreds of residents were impacted, including in east Ottawa. Many lost their homes. In 2019, record levels of water returned, and this time only worse. Thousands of residents across the region were affected. The city declared a state of emergency, and the army had to be called in to protect critical infrastructure like water treatment facilities, and neighbourhoods.

After a few years of reprieve, generational flooding has returned to Ottawa. If not for the most recent events, this year would also be the worst flooding in 50 years.

Three generational floods in seven years—homeowners are tired, volunteers are burnt out, and this can’t keep on happening.

What actions is this government going to take to understand exactly what is happening, and, more importantly, what are they going to do to stop it and protect residents from its impacts?

In 2017, after the flooding, affected homeowners were able to apply for disaster recovery assistance for Ontarians to cover the cost of the cleanup, repair essential property and their basic expenses. After the flooding in 2019, residents were also afforded that opportunity, and I know it was greatly appreciated.

Unfortunately, after the devastating derecho in 2022 that blew down church steeples, ripped off barn roofs and damaged homes, this government did not offer Ottawa residents that same level of assistance. Many farmers are still reeling from that abandonment.

Now that the flood waters are slowly but surely starting to recede and, apparently, the disaster team from the province is in Ottawa, will this government ensure that affected homeowners in the national capital can apply for disaster assistance relief this time?