Several Ottawa city councilors and MPs have signed an open letter calling on the province to provide disaster relief funding to residents facing financial burdens following last week’s storm.
On Canada Day, heavy rain in Ottawa forced groups across the city to cancel events as highways flooded and trees fell along roads.
According to Ottawa authorities, more than 3,200 basements were flooded due to the storm, and Jennifer Johnston’s home was one of them.
“(The water) started flowing so hard that we couldn’t stop it,” said Johnston, who lives in Crystal Beach.
“It was like high tide in the Bay of Fundy,” she said.
Johnston said that although her furnace, water heater and air conditioner needed to be replaced, her insurance company denied her claim because she did not have additional flood insurance.
Johnston’s home is experiencing flooding after last week’s storm. She said her family didn’t include flood insurance in their plan because her home had flooded in the past and they were facing “astronomical” premiums. (Submitted by Jillian Maloney)
The Earl of Knoxdale-Merivale said such sudden expenses were not easy to cope with. Sean Devine, whose ward was among the hardest hit by the hurricane.
Devine was one of four city councilors and five local MPs who signed an open letter calling on the Ontario government to activate the Disaster Recovery Assistance to Ontarians (DRAO) program.
The DRAO program is designed to help uninsured or underinsured people recover costs associated with natural disasters.
“Astronomical” awards
Devine said people in his ward have had a “full range” of experiences with their insurance companies: Some have been able to contact insurance companies, others are still waiting to hear back, and others have been told they won’t be covered.
Johnston said her family didn’t include flood insurance in their plan because her home had flooded in the past, prompting one insurance company to drop it.
Other companies wanted an “astronomical” premium—about $800 a month, she recalled—to provide additional flood insurance on top of what she was already paying for home insurance.
“The insurance industry is not your friend,” she said, adding that they plan to appeal the claim denial.
Johnston said many of her neighbors are also struggling. Some have insurance, but it’s not enough to cover all the damage and they can’t afford to pay the rest, she said.
“Most of us in this area are struggling,” she said.
A man airs bed linen that was soaked during heavy rain that flooded thousands of homes on July 1. (Frédéric Pepin/Radio-Canada)
City should be eligible, councilor says
Devine said the city is working to qualify for the DRAO, but before anyone can apply, it needs to demonstrate the Canada Day storm was a sudden and widespread natural disaster.
He added that this could take time as the city would have to gather the necessary information and send it to the province and then wait for a final decision.
“From my understanding of the program, it looks like what we went through definitely met the criteria,” Devine said.
According to the DRAO program website, financial assistance is limited to $250,000 per application.
CBC has reached out to Ontario’s Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing for comment.
While it appears last week’s storm will be eligible for coverage under the DRAO, it may take some time to confirm this, Coun Knoxdale-Merivale said. Sean Devine. (Jean Delisle/CBC)
“We didn’t actually hear a sound.”
Tyler Watt, Liberal MP for Nepean, signed and delivered the letter to the province. He told CBC that “unfortunately, we haven’t heard a peep from the provincial government yet.”
Watt praised workers for “working overtime” to restore power after the storm and make the city safe.
“They won’t have to fight alone, right?” – he said. “They won’t have to fight for Queen’s Park to help.”
The landfill fee will be taken away
In an update on Sunday, Mayor Mark Sutcliffe said people whose basements were flooded will be able to dispose of their waste for free at the Trail Road landfill.
Residents will need to bring details of their request for basement flooding services to the facility, as well as proof of identification showing their address, Sutcliffe wrote in a social media post.
Anyone who has already disposed of flood-related trash will be able to claim a refund, the mayor said.
Earlier in the weekend, city officials said they would increase curbside trash collection starting Monday, allowing people throwing out storm-related trash to exceed the normal three-item limit.
City officials also said Sunday that residents who encounter an overabundance of organic waste can place it in trash bags and it will be picked up.
Each bag must be clearly marked as a “green bin,” the city said.
City officials also posted on social media Sunday that the Ben Franklin Place service center remains closed until further notice due to “significant water intrusion and flooding.”
Meanwhile, the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) said it has launched a helpline for Ottawa residents.
Maximilian Roy, IBC vice-president of strategy, told Radio-Canada that people should take as many photos as possible, keep records of what happened and keep receipts for flood-damaged items and expenses such as hotels.
Police tape marks a downed tree in Ottawa’s Vanier neighborhood on July 1, 2026. Powerful storms swept through the city on Canada Day, causing widespread power outages and flooding thousands of basements. (Mateo Garcia-Tremblay/Radio-Canada)