Here are the highlights from the Lanark County Council meeting held May 27, 2026.
Pilot Project Approved for Patient Transfers: In an effort to free up paramedics for high-priority calls, Lanark County Council has approved a one-year pilot project with Lanark Transportation Association to transport low-acuity (not critically ill) patients.
Council passed a motion in November related to the 10-Year Paramedic Services Report to work with the province and other agencies to explore ways to reduce the number of low-acuity calls and transfers managed by the paramedic service. At the corporate services committee meeting earlier this month, CAO Kurt Greaves explained the Lanark County Paramedic Service (LCPS) had 13,219 patient-carrying calls in 2025 and 36 per cent of those were transfers between facilities. With four hospital sites in Lanark County, transfers are often done for diagnostic purposes, and under the new Medical Priority Dispatch System (MPDS), LCPS can only do these non-urgent calls when there are more than two available ambulances to ensure response to critical, life-threatening calls. Interfacility transfers are currently completed with an ambulance and two paramedics. The pilot model proposes using one driver and an accessible van.
Under the pilot program, the hospital would determine whether an ambulance is needed. If not, they would call Lanark Transportation to schedule a transfer. Further details of the new protocol will be worked out with the LCPS Chief, Lanark Transportation Association and the CEOs of the local hospitals. An interim report would be brought to council at the six-month mark.
Greaves indicated the estimated cost of the program is about $300 per day or $75,000 per year, which would be an eligible expense for 50 per cent provincial funding. The current cost for a
patient-carrying paramedic call is just over $1,000 per call. “With the continued growth of patient carrying calls, mitigation strategies to reduce the increase in low-acuity paramedic call volumes are an important consideration,” Greaves said. “Reducing non-urgent transport frees our critical paramedic resources for true medical emergencies.” For more information, contact Kurt Greaves,
CAO, at 1-888-9-LANARK, ext. 1101.
Development Charges By-law Amended: Lanark County Council has adopted the Development Charges Amending By-law, which removes the current by-law’s expiry date of Jan. 1, 2027 to ensure the county has sufficient time to complete its Transportation Master Plan.
At the corporate services committee meeting earlier this month, Treasurer Kevin Wills explained the county is currently undertaking a transportation master plan, which will provide input into the development charges study to support the adoption of a new by-law. Provincial legislation permits removing the expiry date in the current by-law, which will allow the county to finish the plan and undertake a comprehensive development charges study process prior to adopting its next by-law. Wills said when the original by-law was enacted, they had a five-year term, but the province has
amended the legislation to extend the term to a maximum of 10 years. For more information, contact Kevin Wills, Treasurer, at 1-888-9-LANARK, ext. 1323.
Child-Care Growth Plan Updated: Lanark County Council has approved the revised Directed Growth Plan for the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) system expansion that
will see new funded spaces for Lanark County.
At the community services committee meeting earlier this month, Children’s Services Manager Katie Mitchell explained the province recently increased the total CWELCC space allocation after the county identified ongoing pressures for CWELCC expansion as a result of space target constraints. A space recalibration exercise in March resulted in 106 additional CWELCC spaces –
increasing from 1,624 to 1,730 by the end of this year.
Mitchell said the county received a strong response to an expression of interest issued to current licensed child-care providers that were seeking to expand or enrol in CWELCC and is well positioned to meet the space target. The directed growth plan has been updated to align with provider capacity and readiness to create additional spaces within the required timeline. Both centre-based and home child-care spaces are included in the overall space count. Mitchell outlined plans to monitor underutilized space and reallocations as needed.
“The plan provides a structured and responsive framework to support provincial objectives while addressing local child-care needs,” Mitchell said. For more information, contact Katie Mitchell,
Children’s Services Manager, at 1-888-9-LANARK, ext. 2301.
Homelessness Update Received: Lanark County Council received a homelessness update that highlights increasing need in local communities.
At the community services committee meeting earlier this month, Social Services Director Emily Hollington said homelessness in Lanark County increased by 37 per cent from 2024 to 2025, compared to 7.8 per cent province wide and consistent with a 30-per cent increase for rural Ontario. The number of households experiencing homelessness rose from 57 in January 2025 to 112 in January 2026.
Hollington indicated the highest number of actively homeless people are in urban areas, with Smiths Falls at 49 per cent (where individuals may be part of programs at the Bridge House or HART Hub). Homelessness is highest in the 20 to 49 age range. Couch surfing is the most common sleeping arrangement, followed by transitional housing and unsheltered.
The county is part of the Build for Zero Canada Chronic Cohort, and BFZ-Canada reviewed data indicating the county has potential to achieve significant reductions in chronic homelessness. Hollington said the county will apply for the Homelessness Reduction Fund. She outlined how homelessness can affect people – even after finding housing – including increased health risks, the impact of being in survival mode and on future feelings of safety, difficulty keeping appointments, stigma, trauma and changing how a person sees the world. For communities it means increased
use of emergency services, changes to how public spaces are used and the resulting tension, us versus-them attitudes, and economic and tourism effects.
“OrgCode Consulting is finalizing Lanark County’s 10-year Housing and Homelessness Plan and we are anticipating high-level outcomes and goals,” Hollington said. She encouraged municipalities to continue informing the social services team about people experiencing homelessness to enable supports. “All lower-tier municipal staff have been very cooperative and patient, particularly Carleton Place, Perth and Smiths Falls, which have approximately 85 per cent of the county’s homeless population.” For more information, contact Emily Hollington, Director of Social Services, at 1-888-9-LANARK, ext. 2101.
Community Housing Renewal Strategy Set for 2026-2027: Lanark County Council has approved the 2026-2027 Community Housing Renewal Strategy Investment Plan and authorized its submission to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing.
Council also authorized staff to issue a request for proposals (RFP) for one-time Canada-Ontario Community Housing Initiative (COCHI) funding of almost $900,000 to build, own and operate affordable housing units within the county or Smiths Falls. It further approved allocating Ontario Priorities Housing Initiative (OPHI) funding to the non-profit housing providers on a per-unit basis and for any remaining funds be reallocated within the providers or Lanark County Housing Corporation.
At the community services committee meeting earlier this month, Housing Services Manager Kaitlyn Murray explained the COCHI and OPHI funds are part of the federal-provincial Community Housing Renewal Strategy, which is a multi-year plan up to 2028 to help stabilize and enhance the existing community housing sector and support expansion of affordable housing within communities. The county’s 2026/2027 allocation has been finalized.
For the proposed new build with the COCHI funding, rents would be set at or below affordable housing rates and may only increase according to the annual Residential Tenancies Act guideline. “Preference will be given to non-profit proposals that demonstrate a comprehensive and intentional approach to supporting long-term housing stability in Lanark County or the Town of Smiths Falls,” Murray said.
The OPHI funds will be used towards rental assistance programs and community rental housing repair (under Ontario Renovates). “Given the limited amount of funding available…approved projects will be limited to repairs that, if not addressed, would jeopardize the condition of the building or significantly shorten its useful life,” Murray said. It will be offered to eligible non-profit housing providers on a per-unit basis.
Murray added the proposed investments focus local spending on the strategy’s primary goal of stabilizing and growing the community housing sector. For more information, contact Kaitlyn Murray, Housing Services Manager, at 1-888-9-LANARK, ext. 2401.
