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Winter Preparedness – Be ready for anything!
Winter in Ontario can be unpredictable. Here are some tips to help ensure you are ready for anything – from winter storms to icy roads to power outages:
• Keep an emergency preparedness kit.
• Weather-proof your home.
• Get ready for winter driving with a vehicle winter kit.
To learn more, visit: www.lanarkcounty.ca/government/emergency-service/emergency-planning/ ... See MoreSee Less
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Is the Better Homes Lanark program right for your home? Learn more on our website: www.lanarkcounty.ca/betterhomeslanark ... See MoreSee Less
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Lanark County Council meets tomorrow (Dec. 3)! The meetings may be attended by the public in person or via livestream through Lanark County’s YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/@LanarkCounty/streams. Once the livestream is available, it will show under the “Live” tab on the channel.
The regular council session begins at 5 p.m. Things kick off with a delegation by Elle Halladay, Manager of Cornerstone Landing Youth Services, followed by the economic development committee report. Next is a by-law to adopt the estimates for the sums required for the 2026 budget.
There are no scheduled committee meetings this week.
Agendas can be found under “Government” then “Council and Committees” at www.lanarkcounty.ca. Hope to see you there! ... See MoreSee Less
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📣 Join Us for Informal English Conversation Circles!
Starting tomorrow, December 2nd, at CCA Employment Centre, 92 Bridge St, Carleton Place.
🕒 Time: 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM (weekly)
✅ Free to attend
✅ Open to newcomers of all language levels
✅ Friendly and supportive environment
Hosted by Lanark & Renfrew Immigrant Settlement Services (LRISS) in partnership with Canadian Career Academy.
For more info: settlement@lanarkcounty.ca | 1-866-467-2439 ... See MoreSee Less
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Lanark County Council has approved several recommendations as part of follow-up to the “Ten-Year Paramedic Human Resources and Facilities Master Plan” that was presented in October by Operational Research in Health (ORH).
At the corporate services committee meeting earlier this month, CAO Kurt Greaves noted the population growth and aging population call volume is estimated to increase 4 per cent per year. Greaves said the first nine months of data with the new Medical Priority Dispatch System (MPDS), which began locally in February, shows a substantial impact on the acuity assigned to calls, with decreases seen in the number of calls deemed to have the highest urgency. As well, 34 per cent of calls were for interfacility transfers and, of those, 52 per cent were low acuity.
Greaves said as the population increases and ages, calls will continue to increase if the status quo continues, and what is necessary is to find ways to reduce low acuity calls. This can include clinicians at dispatch using a “hear and treat” model, using a “see and treat” model for paramedics that avoids hospital, finding more alternatives for treatment (e.g., walk-in clinics, virtual triage and increased pharmacist capacity) and finding patient transfer solutions that don’t tie up ambulances.
Council approved:
• Adding an additional shift Monday to Sunday from 9 p.m. to 9 a.m. in Carleton Place next year pending 2026 budget approval
• Adding an additional ambulance and supervisor in 2026 pending budget approval
• Having staff explore operations, working with the province and other agencies, to reduce the number of low acuity calls and transfers through various potential programs
• Reviewing other report recommendations in 2026 based on updated data and analysis. ... See MoreSee Less
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Lanark County Council received a report providing background on the use of county reserves as a fiscal management tool. At the corporate services committee meeting earlier this month, CAO Kurt Greaves explained there is no fixed amount of money Ontario municipalities are legally required to hold in reserves under the Municipal Act, but maintaining sufficient reserves supports long-term financial sustainability to help manage growth, infrastructure renewal and replacement, risk management and contingency planning, and stable tax rates and service delivery.
Greaves said strong growth in the county over the last 10 years has helped to increase the reserve balance and annual surpluses are attributable to real assessment growth from new construction and additions. “It is important to note that growth has a real cost that is often a future cost. As the population increases, more traffic lanes are needed and more requirements for emergency services, affordable housing, child care, etc. will eventually be needed to accommodate growth.”
Greaves explained reserves can replace current assets and be drawn from to pay for future infrastructure investments to accommodate growth. Investment income from strong reserves can be used as a revenue source to help to offset the annual levy. Reserves can be used to pay for unforeseen expenditures or cover potential deficits.
Transfers to reserves recognize the need to put funds aside for future capital replacement or to fund one-off or large capital projects. “This is an important tool for keeping the levy increases on a smooth trajectory,” Greaves said. Adding interest income to the reserve balance helps to ensure the reserves keep up with inflation as costs of replacing capital assets increase. He noted the current replacement cost for county assets is $517 million, which includes roads, bridges and culverts; buildings and facilities; fleet and equipment; stormwater systems and other assets. This requires an overall annual investment of $14 million in replacement or rehabilitation.
Compared to other Eastern Ontario upper-tier municipalities, total reserves for Lanark are 25 per cent higher than average, the total debt is below average and the residential tax rate is the median.
Greaves added that with anticipated future growth, having adequate reserves and development charges can help manage challenges of dealing with growth rather than relying on tax increases. “In order to be prudent, reserve balances should be allowed to grow as long as the tax rate is not excessive,” he said. ... See MoreSee Less
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You'll soon notice a colourful change to the weather alerts issued by Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC). They are introducing a new colour-coded, tiered weather alert system.
The colours tell you what risk the weather is to you. Every type of weather alert - Warnings, Advisories, and Watches - now has a colour when it is issued. The weather alert colours move from yellow, to orange, to red, as the potential risk increases.
Learn more at www.canada.ca/en/services/environment/weather/severeweather/weather-alerts/colour-coded-alerts.html ... See MoreSee Less
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