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?

Climate change is wreaking havoc around the globe: fires, windstorms, floods all happening with a ferocity and a frequency that we haven’t seen before. Ottawa has seen two floods and three major windstorms in the last five years. That’s once-in-a-generation storms happening every single year, Mr. Speaker. But Ontario has failed to invest in infrastructure adaptation or the modernization of disaster relief programs to address the new reality.

In May, the derecho, with winds up to 190 kilometres an hour, swept across the city. There were 180,000 residents without power, some for days, many for weeks. Residents were isolated at the upper levels of apartment buildings without fresh water. The emergency response to the storm has cost the city and Hydro Ottawa up to $50 million. Three months later, despite promises from the Premier, there has still been no provincial support to the city or Hydro Ottawa.

When will the government step up, fulfill its commitments to the residents of Ottawa and compensate the city and Hydro Ottawa for the cost of this storm?

These families have worked for generations, not only producing food but giving back to the community. Whether it’s leading the Navan Fair, which is vital to the village; whether it’s volunteer firefighting; whether it’s Hay West, these families have been contributing to their community, helping all of us for years.

During one of their darkest hours of need, when will this government step up and provide disaster relief to these families? When will their government be there for them?