Here are highlights from the Lanark County Council meeting held Oct. 14, 2026.
Business Retention and Expansion Program Update Received: Lanark County Council received a progress update on the Business Retention and Expansion (BR+E) program, a proactive program designed to support local businesses and strengthen the region’s economic vitality.
Lanark County BR+E Coordinator Tim Woods said survey questions were completed and five volunteer training sessions have been held, resulting in 45 trained volunteers to conduct structured business interviews. They have reached out to more than 300 businesses and have completed 80 interviews so far, with a goal of 200. This will lead to working with community leaders to build action plans to address the results, followed by implementation and monitoring. There are six focus sectors: retail, tourism, agriculture, skilled trades and construction, manufacturing, and natural resources.
“Information gathered through this initiative will be used to develop a targeted action plan, and input from businesses is critical in order to identify key priorities and inform decision-making,” Woods said. Businesses can sign up at www.lanarkcounty.ca/grow. For more information, contact Tim Woods, Business Retention and Expansion Coordinator, at 343-402-8818.
Child Care Waitlist Priority Placement Policy Adopted: Lanark County Council has adopted a by-law for the Child Care Waitlist Priority Placement Policy. The new policy comes into effect April 1, 2027 for centres that are part of the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) program, which is locally administered by Lanark County as the service manager.
Director of Social Services Emily Hollington explained the policy ensures families are served fairly and consistently and establishes a standardized approach for filling child care space vacancies for CWELCC-enrolled licensed child care centres in the county. “By implementing clear procedures and prioritization guidelines, licensees can uphold public trust, promote inclusive access and allocate child care spaces in a manner that reflects community needs and policy objectives.”
Hollington explained competition for affordable child care space has drastically increased with CWELCC, and county staff have been working with child care providers about equitable selection and providing fair and transparent waitlist management. A centralized approach was undertaken due to the county’s responsibility associated with access.
When a vacancy results from a child transitioning to the next age group, priority will be given to currently enrolled children who are eligible to advance. Following internal transitions, remaining vacancies will be offered to applicants on the wait list in the following order:
1. Siblings of currently enrolled children. This is a common practice to allow siblings to attend the same centre.
2. Children eligible for fee subsidy. Licensees must maintain a formula-based minimum percentage of capacity for children eligible for fee subsidy.
3. Children of Registered Early Childhood Educators (RECEs), Educational Assistants, Inclusion Support Educators, and Kitchen Staff that are employed at any CWELCC-enrolled licensed child care centre in Lanark County. This helps to address sector challenges related to an ongoing RECE workforce shortage.
4. Special requests approved by the Service Manager. This is expected to be limited and would be considered on a case-by-case basis to ensure transparency and fairness while addressing unique circumstances.
5. All other children in chronological order based on the date the application was received.
“This policy reinforces the county’s commitment to ensuring families have equitable access to licensed child care,” Hollington said. For more information, contact Emily Hollington, Director of Social Services, at 1-888-9-LANARK, ext. 2101.
Cell Gap Project Update Provided: Lanark County Council received an update on the Eastern Ontario Regional Network’s (EORN) Cell Gap Project, which is a public-private partnership.
EORN CEO Jason St. Pierre said more than $300 million has been invested in eastern Ontario, not including in-kind contributions and community benefits. The federal and provincial governments have each contributed about $71 million, with Rogers providing at least $150 million and eastern Ontario municipalities contributing $10 million. Lanark County has invested almost $582,000 for new and upgraded infrastructure, including 17 new towers, 10 uplifts and five shared towers.
Where people “live, work and travel on major roadways in eastern Ontario,” the project goals were to achieve 99% cell coverage to make and receive phone calls; 95% coverage to support email, web browsing and social media services; and 85% coverage for video conferencing, movie streaming and more data-intensive applications. St. Pierre said those objectives have been met and exceeded, with most of the work now completed.
Responding to questions about gaps in service and capacity, St. Pierre said about 1 per cent of areas in the region still may see gaps, and EORN will work with county staff to identify those areas and with Rogers to assess practical options to address them. Rogers customers see the most benefit from the project. “Ongoing upgrades by other carriers give residents and businesses added connectivity choice,” he said.
St. Pierre said five local internet service providers participated in a program in Lanark that targeted locations that fall outside of the scope of the province’s Accelerated High-Speed Internet Program. The project used a combination of fibre and new fixed wireless technology to bring high-speed internet to rural and hard-to-reach areas. Through it, Storm Internet provides high-speed access to gaps in a number of areas within the county, providing connectivity to 697 unserved premises.
EORN will be developing a detailed return-on-investment for the cell project and will provide a final update to councils. For more information, contact Kurt Greaves, CAO, at 1-888-9-LANARK, ext. 1101.
Council Supports Environmental Initiatives: Lanark County Council has expressed support for the Municipal Renewable Energy Advocacy Initiative and the Let’s Get the Lead Out Initiative.
The Municipal Renewable Energy Advocacy Initiative was brought forward by local citizens and encourages the county to ask the provincial and federal governments to better support municipalities in reducing long-term energy costs and advancing local renewable energy initiatives. It also helps highlight the need for practical policy changes, including expanded municipal renewable energy opportunities and greater long-term regulatory certainty.
The Let’s Get the Lead Out Initiative comes from the Wolfe Lake Association and is an environmental program seeking to restrict the use of specific lead-based fishing tackle within Ontario. Proponents indicate this better aligns provincial regulations with existing Parks Canada regulations, which already prohibits lead fishing tackle in national parks, stating lead is a toxic substance that endangers life, persists indefinitely when lost or discarded in lakebeds, and is the number one killer of the Common loon.
For more information, contact Elizabeth Boldt, Climate and Environmental Coordinator, at 1-888-9-LANARK, ext. 3105.
Warden Proclaims World Homeless and World Mental Health Days: Warden Richard Kidd (Beckwith Reeve) has retroactively declared Oct. 10, 2026 as World Homeless Day and World Mental Health Day, which are dedicated to raising awareness and promoting action to address the interconnected challenges of homelessness and mental health in Lanark County and beyond.
The proclamation notes the increased visibility and complexity of homelessness and the urgent need for safe, secure, and affordable housing. “Lanark County recognizes the vital work of local organizations, staff and clients who navigate these challenges daily,” Kidd stated, adding “access to safe and stable housing is essential for recovery from mental illness and substance use disorder, and models like Housing First — offering permanent housing without preconditions and with ongoing support — help individuals achieve stability.”
The proclamation calls for implementing comprehensive strategies that include prevention, emergency response and long-term solutions to end homelessness and support mental health so individuals have access and can thrive. Residents, businesses and community organizations are encouraged to continue to work together to end homelessness and support mental health in Lanark County and across Ontario, in collaboration with provincial and federal partners, to create a future where housing and mental health supports are accessible to all. For more information, contact Jasmin Ralph, Clerk, at 1-888-9-LANARK, ext. 1502.