As the clean-up continues after Thursday?s tornado in Vaughan, the amount of property damage and the cost of responding to the emergency have yet to be calculated. At a news conference today, Mayor Linda Jackson announced that the City will be submitting an application for relief funds to the Province of Ontario.

?First and foremost, the priority is to re-establish the safety of our communities and get life back to normal,? said Mayor Jackson. ?There is a lot of work to be done, but with the tremendous support and assistance of our residents, local businesses, other levels of government and associated agencies, we are making progress.?
 
Road barricades remain in place in the affected areas to restrict outside traffic and provide some privacy to homeowners directly impacted by the tornado. The number of severely damaged homes has been downgraded from 44 to 38.

A needs assessment service is being provided by York Region Community Services and the Canadian Red Cross at the Father Ermanno Bulfon Community Centre at 8141 Martingrove Road and the Maple Community Centre at 10190 Keele Street. The Red Cross also has established a donations line at 1-800-418-1111 and on their website at www.redcross.ca.

?Vaughan is thankful for the support from the Red Cross, York Region, neighbouring municipalities, and the provincial and federal governments,? said Mayor Jackson. ?I want to extend a special thank you to all City staff for their tremendous effort and quick action in responding to the emergency.?

RELATED INFORMATION
For general information please contact Access Vaughan at 905-832-2281.

York Region is extending the hours of the McCleary Court Community Environmental Centre and Asian Longhorned Beetle Yard Waste Drop-off facility in Vaughan to assist residents with clean-up efforts. Information is available at www.york.ca.

The City of Vaughan will lift the item limit on waste disposal for the areas affected by the storm. Residents will be allowed up to six items without the requirement for additional paid tags for two weeks, ending September 4.