By Pepper Parr
August 30, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON
Burlington slides to the end of the month of August wondering if we really had a summer and asking questions about the challenges some of our neighbours face.
For the more than 1000 households impacted by the flood the month of August was somewhere between “another damn flood” to horrific – that may have wiped some people out.
Catherine Brady talks to a volunteer about providing tax receipts for those who choose to donate real paper money.
It has taken the organized part of the community almost a month to prepare a response and to get a major fund raising drive underway along with the processes that will put aid in the hands of the people who desperately need it.
The community itself has raised just over $150,000 to date. The target has unofficially been set at $2 million.
The Burlington Community Foundation was asked to take on the task of putting together a community based Disaster Relief organization required by the province if there is to be any provincial funding added to what the community comes up with.
The Ontario Disaster Relief Assistance Program (ODRAP) allows the province to match what the city raises on a two for one basis. The funds dispersed by the Disaster Relief Community have to adhere to pretty strict provincial policies and procedures.
The Disaster Relief committee, chaired by Ron Foxcroft will have two components: fund raising and the dispersement of funds raised by the community and those funds provided by the province on a two-for-one basis.
The province has yet to say that they are actually going to give Burlington any money. They didn`t give Toronto any money when it had the huge flood nor did Mississauga get funding. The number of homes seriously damaged in Burlington is much higher than it was in those other communities.
The deciding factor for the province will be the need but most importantly – how well the community comes through for those who need the help. Premier Kathleen Wynne has been to Burlington a number of time and she personally asked Eleanor McMahon to stand as the Liberal candidate for the constituency – and of course she won. But that provincial cheque is not in the mail yet.
Former Burlington city manager Tim Dobbie will be handling the dispersement of funds part of the Disaster Committee. There will be a public Roll Out Event on Wednesday September 3rd at the Central Park Arena at 10:00 where details will be provided.
Frank , a Rotarian steadies the stack of buckets that will be used at all the entrances to Spencer Smith Park during Rib Fest.
This weekend at Ribfest, the Lakeshore Rotary Club will host the annual event that brings more than 175,000 people to Spencer Smith Park, where they take in concert events and chow down on those ribs.
This year the event involves all four Burlington Rotary clubs whose volunteers will be at the entrance gates and walking around the park with white plastic buckets that they want to see filled with loose change – preferably twoonies.
Enjoy the ribs, take in some of the music – just don’t leave the park with any loose change in your pocket. Those buckets will take paper money as well.
