Hazards in Manitoba

Local Authorities

The Disaster Financial Assistance (DFA) program assists local authorities by providing financial support after a disaster.

Local authorities include councils of a municipality, an incorporated city, town or village, a community as defined in the Northern Affairs Act, a local government district (LGD), a conservation district, or any other local authority as defined in The Emergency Measures Act.


  • Always check your insurance first - expenses must not be recoverable through insurance, legal actions and financial assistance received from other sources.
  • Expenses must be required to respond to the disaster, to restore essential services and to repair damaged infrastructure to the immediate pre-disaster condition.
  • Expenses must be over and above what the local authority typically spends as part of its regular operating and maintenance budget.
  • Uninsured deductibles may be considered for DFA eligibility — a copy of the insurance proof of loss and supporting paid invoices must be included with the submission.

To process your DFA claim, Manitoba EMO requires the following mandatory documents:

  • Manitoba EMO requests communities complete the Community Impact Assessment (CIA) as soon as possible after the event. Whoever has the best knowledge of the damages can complete the CIA. This will typically be Public Works staff, the Municipal Emergency Coordinator (MEC), or other local authority staff.
  • A CIA is critical to determining if a DFA program will be established and should be prepared accurately and submitted as soon as possible; the CIA helps Manitoba EMO to determine the scale and scope of the disaster event.
  • Flood-related expenses should be kept in a separate flood ledger. This will help ensure the local authority receives the maximum amount of DFA they are entitled to.
  • The information communities provide in their CIA can be updated if the municipality has better estimates at a later stage.
  • It takes Manitoba EMO time to understand the full impact of the disaster. Your local authority will be notified in writing once a decision has been made. When a DFA program is approved, Manitoba EMO will assign a recovery advisor to:
    • Answer your questions regarding eligibility and procedures,
    • Contact you if additional information is required,
    • Be available to answer questions, and
    • Process your claim.
  • Manitoba EMO understands that temporary and emergency repairs may be necessary to maintain a safe community. It is up to the local authority to decide if temporary repairs are necessary.
  • Ensure the damages are photographed prior to repairs and track machine hours, materials used, etc.; this documentation will be reviewed during the inspection.
  • Manitoba EMO will arrange for a contracted engineering consultant to inspect and document your damages after you receive written confirmation that your local authority has been accepted into the DFA program.
  • You can ensure the process goes smoothly by preparing for the inspection in advance. The Inspecting Damaged Sites after a Disaster Fact Sheet provides additional information about the local authority inspection. Be sure to:
    • Identify the damaged sites in a document.
    • Prepare a map of your local authority locating all damaged sites and number the damaged sites consecutively.
    • Take photos of all damaged sites.
    • Identify sites where pre-emptive action was taken or where emergency repairs were done.
    • Identify a municipal employee to accompany the consultant during inspection.
  • Once the inspection and site report are complete and approved, you can proceed with restorations. The Repairing and Restoring Public Infrastructure Fact Sheet provides additional information. Upgrades are not eligible for DFA.
    • Contact Manitoba EMO immediately if you find a site requires more work than previously noted during inspection or additional equipment time is needed. Failure to notify Manitoba EMO of any changes may result in that portion of the claim being denied.
    • It is the responsibility of the local authority to ensure they have received approval for work beyond that noted in the inspection report.
    • Track expenses separately from regular operating costs.
  • Claim submission(s) must be prepared in accordance with DFA policies and guidelines. Best practice is to submit one or several completed sites per submission.
  • Local authorities can upload files related to their DFA claims through Manitoba Municipalities Online (MMO) - Userguide
  • When Manitoba EMO receives a submission, it:
    • evaluates the submission(s) in accordance with DFA policies and guidelines,
    • issues payment and prepares a reconciliation statement identifying eligible, ineligible, and deferred items,
    • advises about deferred items and requests additional supporting documentation to determine eligibility or ineligibility, and
    • supplies a full reconciliation statement with the final payment identifying eligible and ineligible items.
  • Solid record keeping ensures that your local authority recovers eligible costs after the disaster and is key to the smooth processing of your claim. Review the Record-Keeping Fact Sheet for more information.
  • Claim Forms Procedures - Updated August 2023
  • Advance payments and progress payments can be considered under the DFA program; review the DFA Payments to Municipalities Fact Sheet for more information.
  • DFA is only paid out for costs that are incurred by the local authority. You must provide invoices and proof of payments for items to receive DFA. All required documents must be submitted to Manitoba EMO before payment will be issued.
  • DFA payments to local authorities are subject to a deduction based on the Provincial/Municipal DFA cost sharing formula. The formula increases annually to align with the Consumer Price Index. Use the Public Sector Cost Sharing Calculator found below the cost-sharing table to determine the local authority's share of expenses.
  • Eligible local authorities may have the option of investing an amount equal to the DFA deductible into a disaster and mitigation preparedness project with the Mitigation and Preparedness Program (MPP). You will be notified in the program acceptance letter if an MPP program has been established.
  • DFA programs are open for one year.
  • All repairs must be completed, and all required documents must be submitted by the program closure date.
  • Extensions may be granted in exceptional circumstances. Formal extension requests must be submitted in writing before the program closure date. Contact Manitoba EMO for more information on extensions.
  • If you feel you have not received all the assistance you are entitled to, you can appeal the decision. You can base your appeal on two grounds: that your application was deemed ineligible under an approved DFA program, or you feel your claim amount is less than what you are entitled to.
  • You cannot appeal the decision not to establish a DFA program.
  • Information on submitting an appeal is provided once your claim is closed. A request for an appeal must be in writing and must clearly state the reason for the appeal.
    • Step 1 - Internal Review. This step involves an internal review of your claim decision by the Director of Recovery and Mitigation of Manitoba EMO. The appeal must be submitted within 30 days of receiving Manitoba EMO's written decision regarding your application or receiving your final payment. The Director of Recovery and Mitigation will conduct the internal review and then confirm, set aside, or change the original decision.
    • Step 2 - Appeal to the Manitoba Disaster Assistance Appeal Board. If you are not satisfied with the internal review, a second-stage appeal can be submitted, in writing, to the Manitoba Disaster Assistance Appeal Board. All decisions made by the Board are final and binding. To appeal, you must include:

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