Statistics Canada is hiring in your community for the 2026 Census

Join the 2026 Census team for meaningful work and community impact.

Important to Know:

• There are approximately 32,000 census jobs available across Canada.
• Pay is $25.87 per hour for non-supervisory positions and $31.32 per hour for supervisory positions, plus authorized expenses.
• The time frame for census jobs is between March and July 2026, depending on the position and location.
• You must be available to work flexible hours including days, evenings, and weekends.

Apply now and tell a friend

census.gc.ca/jobs

For assistance, please call 1-833-830-3106
Teletypewriter (TTY): 1-833-830-3109

Statistics Canada

Your school support designation determines the school board you vote for in the upcoming 2026 Municipal and School Board Election – Make sure it’s right before the June 1 deadline.

To ensure your correct school support designation is provided to Elections Ontario in time for the next municipal and school board elections on October 26, 2026, it should be reviewed and, if needed, updated by June 1, 2026. 

While Elections Ontario maintains the Permanent Register of Electors in Ontario for provincial, municipal, and school board elections, MPAC (Municipal Property Assessment Corporation) is legislatively responsible for collecting school support designation information.  

What is school support? 
Whether you own or rent your home, your property is linked to a school board – even if you don’t have children or your children aren’t currently attending school. While you’re not required to make a designation, you do have the option to choose which school board you support. If you don’t make a choice, your support will default to the English-Public school board.    

How to update school support designations
Property owners can change their school support designation online using To learn more about school support and update your designation, visit mpac.ca/schoolsupport. 

Proposed Alto High Speed Rail Project

At its Council meeting on March 10^th, 2026, the Council of the Corporation of the Township of Drummond/North Elmsley adopted the following motion:

WHEREAS, the proposed Alto High Speed Train route would pass directly through rural areas, active farms, and environmentally sensitive areas within the Township; and

WHEREAS, Council is deeply concerned about the long-term economic consequences for local residents including reduced property values, constraints on future land use, impacts on agricultural viability, and the lack of local benefit; and

WHEREAS, Council supports Member of Parliament Scott Reid’s opposition to the current Alto high‑speed rail concept and to the expropriation‑related measures contained in Bill C‑15.  Council further supports his advocacy in the House of Commons to discontinue advancement of the Alto high‑speed rail proposal and refocus federal resources on strengthening the rail network already in operation;

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT, the Council of the Township of Drummond/North Elmsley formally opposes the proposed Alto High Speed Train project.

To learn more about the Perth Solar Project, a proposed 9.9 MW solar energy generation development project at 908 Churchill Road in the Township of Drummond/North Elmsley, Lanark County. This project is to be developed on 86 acres of privately owned land.

Please join Sitka Power for an overview of this project, share the results of technical assessments undertaken, and, most importantly, answer any questions you may have.

Date: April 1, 2026 between 6:00pm and 8:00pm
Location: Perth Legion, 26 Beckwith Street East

Food and refreshments will be provided.

For more information and an overview of the proposed development, please visit the Project’s website:

https://sitka-power.ca/perth-solar

On Monday March 9^th the Town of Perth will move forward with a new online recreation and facility booking platform called Amilia SmartRec. This new platform will make it easier to register for the Town’s recreation programs, book facilities, and manage your recreation account with them.

Please visit their website for more information:

https://www.perth.ca/recreation-culture/new-recreation-facility-booking-platform/

Lanark County is undertaking a comprehensive process for its new 10-Year Housing and Homelessness Plan, including two public engagement sessions.
The public sessions are in-person and open to anyone interested in helping to shape housing and homelessness objectives for the next 10 years. They are scheduled as follows:

• Tuesday, March 10, 5 to 7 p.m. – Carleton Place Arena

• Thursday, March 12, 1 to 3 p.m. – Smiths Falls Youth Arena

“We are hoping for strong attendance at these sessions,” said Director of Social Services Emily Hollington. “Feedback and lived experience from community members contributes to our understanding of the needs, challenges, ideas and concerns of our residents when it comes to housing in Lanark County.”

As a service manager, Lanark County is required by the province to develop and update its 10-Year Housing and Homelessness Plan, which is important for supporting poverty reduction, increasing multi-sector collaboration and for focusing on client-centred service access. The plan must assess current and future housing needs in Lanark County, propose measures to meet objectives and targets, and describe how progress will be measured.
The previous plan focused on seven priorities, including increased access to housing, ending homelessness, non-profit housing corporations and cooperatives, private market, coordination with community services, meeting a broad range of community needs and environmental sustainability.

“Over the past 10 years, Lanark County has made progress in providing safe and affordable housing,” said Warden Richard Kidd (Beckwith Reeve). “This new plan will help us to build on that foundation and make even greater strides for our community.”

Residents can also provide input through a survey, which can be found at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LanarkCounty

Request for Applications

To the Joint Lanark County
2026 Election Compliance Audit Committee

The municipalities of Beckwith, Carleton Place, Drummond/North Elmsley, Lanark Highlands, Mississippi Mills, Montague, Perth, Smiths Falls, and Tay Valley are currently seeking interested applicants with accounting, auditing and legal experience, from professionals who are required to adhere to codes or standards of their profession and from individuals with in-depth knowledge of the campaign financing rules for candidates and registered third parties of the Municipal Elections Act, 1996, for appointment to the Joint Lanark County 2026 Election Compliance Audit Committee.

The purpose of the Compliance Audit Committee is to:

• consider compliance audit applications made by electors and decide whether they should be granted or rejected;

• appoint an auditor if the compliance audit application is granted;
• receive and consider the auditor’s report;
• decide whether to commence legal proceedings, if there is a contravention; and

• consider compliance audit reports prepared by the Clerk and decide whether to commence a legal proceeding against the contributor.

DEADLINE is Monday, March 30^th, 2026 at 12:00 p.m.

For further information or if you wish to be considered for an appointment, a copy of the Terms of Reference and Application Form are available by visiting https://election.dnetownship.ca/compliance-audit-committee

 Alto High-Speed Rail – Information and Public Engagement Open House!

Please join them March 4^th from 11am to 3pm or 5pm to 9pm at the Perth Lions Club, 50 Arthur Street Perth, ON

The Alto High-Speed Rail project will be one of Canada’s largest infrastructure investments in decades. Building the first high-speed rail network in Canada will turbocharge our economy, create well-paying jobs, support Canadian businesses and industry while delivering to Canadians the transportation system deserving of a major economy.

The first segment of the High-Speed Rail network will run between Ottawa and Montreal. Confirming this segment as the first to move forward is a recognition of its potential to deliver early benefits to travellers, communities and the economy. Spanning two provinces, this first segment proposes a shorter route, approximately 200 km. This plan lets teams in both provinces start working at the same time, which means local communities can see benefits sooner, and workers can build the skills needed to expand the network more quickly toward both Toronto and Québec City. Construction of the Ottawa-Montreal segment is expected to begin in 2029.

Beginning in January 2026, Alto will begin a comprehensive three-month consultation process. Through open houses, virtual sessions, and an online platform, Canadians will have multiple opportunities to share their views on the corridor under study. This process is just the start of a continuing conversation that will go on after the first consultation phase. It will inform the selection of the preferred alignment and station locations, and guide efforts to minimize impacts, and strengthen local benefits.

Alto will continue to engage Indigenous communities, municipalities, and public institutions regarding the project’s development, including design, environmental studies, construction and long-term operations. Each step of Alto’s development will be guided by a commitment to reconciliation and sustainability, while creating real opportunities for Canadians. Full details on consultation dates, formats, and participation options are now available on Alto’s website.

Please join them March 4^th from 11am to 3pm or 5pm to 9pm at the Perth Lions Club, 50 Arthur Street Perth, ON

Please feel free to share the open house information and invite members of your community.

The goal is to involve Canadians throughout the development of the project and to offer multiple opportunities for the public to share feedback on project plans and community priorities.

For immediate release

February 24, 2026

Southeast Public Health is investigating exposures to a confirmed measles case 

Southeast Public Health (SEPH) is advising residents of potential measles exposure at locations in Kingston related to a new single positive case of measles. 

If you attended the following locations at these dates and times, you may have been exposed to measles: 

If you were at any of the above locations during the exposure times: 

Check vaccination records to ensure protection from measles. 

• Immunity requires two doses of a measles vaccine or proof of immunity through a laboratory test. If you are unsure of your vaccination status:  
  • Check your record online (please note that public health may not have records for anyone born in 1985 or earlier):  
    • City of Kingston, as well as Frontenac and Lennox & Addington Counties 
    • Hastings and Prince Edward Counties 
    • Leeds, Grenville and Lanark Counties 
  • Call your health-care provider. 
  • Call Southeast Public Health’s Kingston office at 613-549-1232. 
• Most individuals born before 1970 are generally presumed to have acquired immunity due to infection in their childhood, as high levels of measles were circulating before 1970. 
• If you are not vaccinated or have had only one dose of measles vaccine you should monitor for symptoms, isolate at home for 21 days following your exposure and call Southeast Public Health for further direction. 

Monitor for symptoms until 21 DAYS following your exposure date (even if you are vaccinated). Symptoms of measles start seven to 21 days after exposure and may include: 

• high fever, cough, runny nose 
• red, watery eyes (pink eye or conjunctivitis) 
• red blotchy rash 

If you develop symptoms, stay home and do not go to work, school, daycare or any other public settings. Call before visiting a health-care provider or health-care facility to let them know you may have measles and need special precautions. You may also call Southeast Public Health’s Kingston office at 613 549-1232, Monday to Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. 

Measles is a highly contagious virus that spreads through the air and can survive on surfaces for up to two hours. Infants, pregnant individuals and those who have a weakened immune system are at higher risk of severe complications, including brain inflammation and even death. 

Visit our website for more information on measles.