FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 19, 2025

As we come to the peak of the local growing season and with the ‘buy Canadian’ movement continuing to be top of mind, now is a great time to search out local farms for fresh, delicious, and nutritious foods. Supporting local producers puts consumer spending power to work building a more dynamic and resilient local food system. It also keeps funds circulating through local economies. To help residents and visitors improve their access to local foods, FoodCore Leeds-Grenville-Lanark (FoodCore LGL) is excited to launch a newly expanded and updated listing of local producers and farmer’s markets: Local Flavours Leeds-Grenville-Lanark.

The Local Flavours Project includes an online map and printed brochure with information on 10 weekly markets and 38 farms, apiaries and sugar bushes. The online map can be found at FoodCoreLGL.ca and copies of the printed brochures have been distributed to farmers markets, municipal offices, food businesses and tourism offices across the region. The project was inspired by Lanark Local Flavour, a map and listing first created by EcoPerth which needed an update.

“It’s the perfect time of year to get out and experience what our amazing local farms have to offer. Purchasing local fresh and delicious produce is a great thing for your health, your taste buds and our local economies. It’s a triple win,” says Elaine Murkin, a FoodCore LGL member and Manager of Population Health with the South East Health Unit.

Sarah Mackenzie and her husband Eric Stewart have a small mixed farm called Hollyhock Grange. As long time members of the Perth Farmers Market, Sarah helps run the market as President of the board. Sarah notes: “Farmers in this area grow some of the best tasting and unique foods that you won’t necessarily find at your big grocery store. While they are working long hours planting for our relatively short season, they don’t have a lot of time to also market themselves and get the word out about their business. FoodCore LGL’s revamp of the Local Flavour website, where the public can find their closest farmer and market, will make shopping for seasonal food easier for everyone.”

Addresses are provided for most of the producers, but unless a farm listing states it has farm gate sales, it’s never a good idea to show up unannounced. It is very important to contact farms ahead of time to make arrangements to purchase products or, where offered, visit the farm. 

FoodCore LGL acknowledges there are many more farms than are listed in Local Flavours and would be happy to hear from any of them that would like to be included in 2026. To contact the Local Flavours team, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The Local Flavours project was possible thanks to a community grant provided by Lanark County and administrative support from the Table Community Food Centre.

FoodCore LGL is a coalition of food activists and organizations who take practical steps to realize the vision of the Leeds-Grenville-Lanark Food Charter. The Charter describes an aspirational vision of the region’s food system where food producers, eaters, community organizations, businesses, institutions, and local governments work together to create a future where: the right to food is realized in our communities; our farmers, growers, producers, processors and retailers are thriving; our communities have high food literacy; our natural environment is thriving; our communities are resilient; and food and farming are celebrated. For more information, please visit FoodcoreLGL.ca.

At the Township Council meeting on June 10^th, Reeve Steve Fournier presented the 2025 Senior of the Year Award to Grant McFarlane. The award is granted by the Ministry of Citizenship and Multiculturalism and gives municipalities the opportunity to honour one of their local seniors, who have made outstanding contributions to enrich the social, cultural, and civic life of their community.

Grant’s contributions to the community include years of dedication to the Ferguson’s Falls Hall Music Social, 30 years of service at the Prestonvale Cemetery, 15 years with Archives Lanark, and involvement with the fiddle and keyboard bands that bring joy to local nursing homes. For the past 20 years Grant has also volunteered and dedicated his time organizing a Fiddle Service at St. Andrew’s United Church.

Your commitment has enriched countless lives, and this recognition is a testament to the lasting impact you have made, said Reeve Fournier.

Grant isn't the only one making a difference, his wife Gail is equally dedicated, volunteering both independently and alongside Grant. 

Council members gave both Grant and Gail a heartfelt thank you for their unwavering commitment to volunteering and making a meaningful difference in the community.

Drummond/North Elmsley Reeve Steve Fournier presents the 2025 Senior of the Year Award to recipient, Grant McFarlane.

Community Safety and Well-being Plan update completed

The Community Safety and Well-being (CSWB) Advisory Committee for Lanark County and the Town of Smiths Falls has released its updated plan for 2025 to 2029.

CSWB plans are provincially mandated for municipalities to complete. The first plan for Lanark County and Smiths Falls was approved in 2019, prior to being mandated. The update was adopted this spring by all Lanark County municipalities and the Town of Smiths Falls, and was endorsed by Lanark County Council as well.

“We are excited to proceed with the implementation of this plan, which reflects the community’s assets, risk areas and short- and long-term goals to support safety and well-being,” said Committee Co-Chair Jodi Empey, Smiths Falls Police Chief. “We have a strong record of community collaboration here along with a wealth of existing assets we can build on as we tackle identified issues.”

The CSWB advisory committee consists of more than 20 members representing a range of sectors: justice, youth, community organizations, health care, social services and housing, victim services, education, culture and diversity, climate and environment, and local government. The committee began the work of updating the plan in 2023. It used the original plan as a foundation and identified key themes, conducted surveys, interviews and focus groups and reviewed local data and reports. This led to the identification of assets, gaps, outcome statements and development of goals, measures and strategies.

The new plan includes six outcome statements as a vision for the community, along with four theme areas (affordability and quality of life, health, violence against persons, and priority populations and diversity). Within each theme are several pillars that include information about assets, risks/issues and relevant data, followed by goals, measures and strategies to show how the work will be done.

“Very early in the process it was clear housing, food security and income were big concerns in our community,” said co-chair Deanna Theander, who is United Way East Ontario’s regional director for Lanark County. “Evidence shows enhancing access to these basic needs can mitigate risks in other areas, such as health and mental health.”

The advisory committee will be working on an implementation plan with more detailed steps and measures over the coming months. “We learned during the pandemic that CSWB plans are living documents, and the implementation plan will reflect this as we adapt to changing circumstances or new information,” said Stephanie Gray, CSWB Plan coordinator. “Annual progress updates will be developed for councils, stakeholders and the public as we go.”

Download/view the 2025-2029 Community Plan for Safety and Well-Being

For immediate release
June 5, 2025

Special Air Quality Statement

Environment Canada has issued Special Air Quality Statements for various areas within the South East Health Unit (SEHU) region. Smoke is causing or expected to cause poor air quality and reduced visibility. Wildfire smoke is expected over the area today. The potential for ground level smoke may continue tonight into Friday for some areas.

Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) is a scale designed to help people make decisions to protect their health by limiting exposure to air pollution.

If you are experiencing symptoms such as increased coughing, throat irritation, headaches or shortness of breath, Public Health recommends you reduce or reschedule strenuous outdoor activity until Environment Canada lifts the special air quality statement.

During a special air quality statement, everyone is at risk; however, the health risks are highest for:

• People with lung disease, such as asthma
• People with heart disease, such as congestive heart failure
• Children and seniors
• People with diabetes
• People participating in sports or strenuous work outdoors

Follow your health-care provider’s advice about exercising and managing an existing medical condition. Be air aware! Check your local weather forecasts and alerts so you know when to take extra care.

As smoke levels rise, so do health risks. Please follow these protective measures to reduce your exposure:

• Limit time outdoors. Consider reducing or rescheduling outdoor sports, activities and events.
• When indoors, keep windows and doors closed as much as possible. When there is an extreme heat event occurring with poor air quality, prioritize keeping cool.
• Protect your indoor air from wildfire smoke. Precautions can include using a clean, high-quality air filter in your ventilation system and/or a certified portable air cleaner that can filter fine particles.
• If you must spend time outdoors, a well-fitting NIOSH-certified N95 respirator or equivalent can help reduce your exposure to harmful fine particles. Even though exposure may be reduced, there can still be risks to health.
• Check in on others who may be more vulnerable to poor air quality, such as older adults, young children and people with existing health conditions.

Please continue to monitor alerts and forecasts issued by Environment Canada. Details on these Air Quality Statements are available on Environment Canada’s website. Additional information on air quality is available on the Government of Canada’s website.

Media contact:

Maureen Hyland, Communications Specialist

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The Ontario Ministry of Transportation (MTO) has retained the services of Egis and LEA Consulting Ltd. Joint Venture (Egis-LEA Joint Venture) to carry out the Detail Design and Environmental Assessment for the reconstruction of Highway 7 in the Town of Perth from approximately 1.3 km west of County Road 511 easterly to Wayside Drive West, approximately 4.5 km, County of Lanark. A key map showing the location of the study area is below;

More detailed information including plan drawings are available for viewing at www.highway7improvements.com.

The Detail Design is following the approved planning process for Group “B” undertakings under MTO’s Class Environmental Assessment (Class EA) for Provincial Transportation Facilities (2000), with opportunity for public input throughout.

The purpose of this letter is to invite interested stakeholders to attend a Public Information Centre (PIC) for this project. The purpose of the PIC is to provide an opportunity to review and discuss the study with members of the Project Team and provide comments on the Detail Design. This PIC will be an informal drop-in style where representatives from MTO and Egis-LEA Joint Venture will be available to answer
questions and discuss the project.

The PIC will be held as follows:

May 29, 2025
Businesses Owners: 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Open to Public: 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Perth Royal Canadian Legion Branch 244
26 Beckwith Street East
Perth, ON K7H 1B5

We invite you to attend the Preview Session for external agencies, Indigenous Communities and municipalities scheduled from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m., or the separate public drop-in session which will be held from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

At the completion of the Detail Design, a Design and Construction Report (DCR) will be prepared detailing the existing biophysical and socio-economic environment, summary of design features, potential impacts of the undertakings, and required mitigation measures. The DCR will be made available for a 30-day comment period. Notification of the DCR completion will be published digitally in in the Perth Courier to explain the
review process and identify locations where the DCR can be reviewed.

To obtain additional information or to provide input at any point during the study please visit the project website www.highway7improvements.com or contact:

Khaled El-Dalati, P.Eng.
Senior Project Manager
Egis
6240 Highway 7, Suite 200
Woodbridge, ON L4H 4G3
Tel: 437-350-4683
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Chris Belanger
Senior Project Manager
Ministry of Transportation – Project Delivery East
1355 John Counter Boulevard
Kingston, ON K7L 5A3
Tel: 613-583-4573
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

All information/comments will be maintained on file for use during the study and may be included in project documentation. Information collected will be used in accordance with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. With the exception of personal information, all comments become part of the public record.

If you have accessibility requirements in order to participate in this project, please contact one of the project team members listed above. 

Highway 7 Reconstruction - Notice of Public Information Centre

The Ontario Ministry of Transportation (MTO) has retained the services of Egis and LEA Consulting Ltd. Joint Venture (Egis-LEA Joint Venture) to carry out the Detail Design and Environmental Assessment for the reconstruction of Highway 7 in the Town of Perth from approximately 1.3 km west of County Road 511 easterly to Wayside Drive West, approximately 4.5 km, County of Lanark. A key map showing the location of the study area is below;

More detailed information including plan drawings are available for viewing at www.highway7improvements.com.

The Detail Design is following the approved planning process for Group “B” undertakings under MTO’s Class Environmental Assessment (Class EA) for Provincial Transportation Facilities (2000), with opportunity for public input throughout.

The purpose of this letter is to invite interested stakeholders to attend a Public Information Centre (PIC) for this project. The purpose of the PIC is to provide an opportunity to review and discuss the study with members of the Project Team and provide comments on the Detail Design. This PIC will be an informal drop-in style where representatives from MTO and Egis-LEA Joint Venture will be available to answer
questions and discuss the project.

The PIC will be held as follows:

May 29, 2025
Businesses Owners: 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Open to Public: 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Perth Royal Canadian Legion Branch 244
26 Beckwith Street East
Perth, ON K7H 1B5

We invite you to attend the Preview Session for external agencies, Indigenous Communities and municipalities scheduled from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m., or the separate public drop-in session which will be held from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

At the completion of the Detail Design, a Design and Construction Report (DCR) will be prepared detailing the existing biophysical and socio-economic environment, summary of design features, potential impacts of the undertakings, and required mitigation measures. The DCR will be made available for a 30-day comment period. Notification of the DCR completion will be published digitally in in the Perth Courier to explain the
review process and identify locations where the DCR can be reviewed.

To obtain additional information or to provide input at any point during the study please visit the project website www.highway7improvements.com or contact:

Khaled El-Dalati, P.Eng.
Senior Project Manager
Egis
6240 Highway 7, Suite 200
Woodbridge, ON L4H 4G3
Tel: 437-350-4683
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Chris Belanger
Senior Project Manager
Ministry of Transportation – Project Delivery East
1355 John Counter Boulevard
Kingston, ON K7L 5A3
Tel: 613-583-4573
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

All information/comments will be maintained on file for use during the study and may be included in project documentation. Information collected will be used in accordance with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. With the exception of personal information, all comments become part of the public record.

If you have accessibility requirements in order to participate in this project, please contact one of the project team members listed above. 

Highway 7 Reconstruction - Notice of Public Information Centre

MEDIA RELEASE
For immediate release

[Perth, Ontario] — The County of Lanark is proud to announce the June 2, 2025 launch of the Better Homes Lanark program, an innovative initiative designed to help homeowners increase the energy efficiency of their homes, reduce energy costs, and contribute to a greener community. This program reflects Lanark County’s commitment to environmental responsibility and support for residents in improving their homes.

How It Works: The program offers accessible financing for single-family homeowners interested in deep energy retrofits, such as insulation upgrades, energy-efficient windows and doors, heating systems, solar panels, and more. Through a streamlined application process, participants can secure low-interest loans repaid gradually through their property tax bills, making home energy retrofits affordable and manageable. We know home energy retrofits can be complex, which is why Better Homes Lanark also offers a free Retrofit Coach service to all applicants to provide expert support at each step of your retrofit journey.

Program Benefits:

• Energy Savings: Homeowners can lower their utility bills by investing in home improvements that reduce energy consumption.
• Increased Comfort: Participants will enjoy better insulation, temperature regulation, and overall living conditions in their upgraded homes
• Environmental Impact: By reducing residential energy usage, the program contributes to Lanark's sustainability goals and helps combat climate change.
• Property Value: Energy-efficient upgrades often increase the long-term market value of a home.
• Grants: Homeowners may be eligible for up to $5,000 in grants to support their deep energy retrofits.
• Resiliency: Homeowners can use part of their financing for non-energy home improvements, such as protection from damaging environmental events like floods, storms, and heat waves.

Lanark County Warden Toby Randall noted that, "The Better Homes Lanark program is a transformative initiative that empowers homeowners to invest in energy efficiency and sustainability. By making deep energy retrofits more accessible, we are building a greener, more resilient future for Lanark County—one home at a time."

99 Christie Lake Rd., Perth, ON K7H 3C6 * Tel.: 1-888-9-LANARK * Fax: 613-267-2964 *

www.lanarkcounty.ca

The Better Homes Lanark Program is partially funded by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities. Lanark County invites residents to learn more about the program and the application process by visiting www.lanarkcounty.ca/betterhomeslanark.

For more information/media interviews, contact: Elizabeth Boldt

Climate Environmental Program Coordinator, Lanark County

1-888-9-LANARK, ext. 3105

TAKE NOTICE, that the Council of the Corporation of the Township of Drummond/North Elmsley proposes to enact a By-law for the sale of lands described as follows:

PART S 1/2 LOT 3, CONCESSION 6, NORTH ELMSLEY AS IN RS178601A, T/WRS35456; DRUMMOND NORTH ELMSLEY (05235-0151(LT))

The proposed By-law will come before Council for consideration at its regular meeting to be held on the June 10^th, 2025, at 3:00 p.m. in the Township Council Chamber at 310 Port Elmsley Road. At that time, the Council will hear any person who claims that their land may be affected and who applies to the Clerk to be heard either in person or by his or her counsel, solicitor or agent.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND MAP is available at the Municipal Office.

Dated this 14^th day of May, 2025

For further information contact:          

Township of Drummond/North Elmsley
Janie Laidlaw, Clerk
310 Port Elmsley Road, Perth ON K7H 3C6
T: 613-267-6500  ext. 251