Ontario appoints special advisor on flooding

Ontario has appointed a special adviser on flooding to identify ways the province can reduce the impacts of flooding on local communities.

Doug McNeil has been named Ontario’s Special Advisor on flooding. McNeil is a former Manitoba deputy minister of infrastructure and transportation and held senior positions at the Manitoba Floodway Authority.

The province held Flooding Engagement Sessions earlier this year in Muskoka, Pembroke, and Ottawa to hear from municipalities and industry leaders on how to better prepare for and respond to floods.

“We heard from people across the province and saw first-hand the damage caused by flooding in so many communities,” said Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry John Yakabuski in a news release. “We want to help Ontarians protect what matters most, and the Special Advisor will help better prepare our province for flooding in the future.”

According to The Canadian Press, McNeil will be paid up to $60,000 and will be expected to deliver a report and recommendations in the fall.

The Ontario government cut conservation authorities’ funding for flood management in half earlier this year.