Peter Tabuns
Ontario New Democratic Party
Ontario NDP critic for emergency preparedness and response.
Connected Scandals
Storms from July 21 to Aug. 2, 2026 dropped more than 300 mm of rain on St. Catharines and Lincoln, and the mayor of St. Catharines estimates 10,000 homes were damaged. Local MPP Jennie Stevens and the Town of Lincoln asked the province to activate Disaster Recovery Assistance for Ontarians (DRAO). As of Sept. 5, CBC and the Town of Lincoln said it had not been activated for Lincoln, and as of Sept. 21, 2026 no activation for either community appears on ontario.ca or in the Ontario Newsroom. The province says it is still assessing eligibility, and DRAO generally does not cover sewer backups.
The NDP critic for emergency preparedness and response said of the Niagara flooding: "The idea that the province did not immediately get in touch with the municipalities … was very shocking to me."