Perth and District Community Foundation is accepting grant applications! There's still time to get your grant application in. Don't miss out!

2022 Grant Applications will be accepted until October 29, 2021  From 2003 – 2020, we gave a total of $1.5m in grants benefitting children, youth, seniors, and families in Perth, Drummond/North Elmsley, Lanark Highlands, and Tay Valley. We address community needs and opportunities through grants to registered charities in the education, recreation, health, environment, arts and culture, and social development sectors. Projects must directly benefit the residents of Perth, Drummond/North Elmsley, Lanark Highlands, and Tay Valley. Eligible applications are judged by the PDCF Grants Committee, which makes its decisions taking into account the quality of the proposed project the potential impact of the project, and the demonstrated ability of the applicant to carry out the project. Preference is given to projects that involve collaboration with other community partners are new initiatives or innovative in nature. Grants are made only to charities registered by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) or other qualified donees as defined by the CRA (a municipality, a school board, etc.). All applicants will receive notice of the Foundation’s decision by January 31, 2022. You will find the 2022 grant application form and guidelines at https://www.pdcf.ca/grants/

“Fall in love” with Lanark County trails this fall

Lanark County Warden Christa Lowry (Mississippi Mills Mayor) is encouraging everyone to “fall in love” with Lanark County Trails as the annual showcase of fall colours begins.

“We have a wide range of trails throughout the county that offer something for a variety ability levels and interests,” Lowry says. “It is an excellent way to explore the beauty of our county and the natural and cultural history found in our local municipalities.” 

The county operates five trails, three of which are hiking trails and two that are multi-use:

• Baird Trail – This site in Lanark Highlands (1024 Herron Mills Rd.) offers three loop hiking trails ranging from 620 metres to about 1.3 kilometres through forests. It features boardwalks over a sedge wetland, important ecological features and giant maple and beech trees combined with evidence of pioneer farming and red pine plantations. Parking, picnic tables and interpretive signs are on site.  
• Tay River Pathway – Located on the western outskirts of Perth behind the Lanark County Administration Building (99 Christie Lake Rd.), this 1.5-km loop walking trail is an accessible outdoor experience that is suitable for wheelchairs and includes several park benches. The trails passes the Round Garden, which is a unique garden designed for all the senses, as well as a white pine reforestation culminating in a boardwalk and viewing platform overlooking the beautiful Tay River. The Tay River Pathway is adjacent to the Trans Canada Trail. 
• Conboy Trail – Located in Tay Valleyon Bathurst 5th Concession, this 1-km hiking trail is on a 98-acre parcel donated by Janet Conboy in 2019 to become part of Lanark County’s Community Forest network. The wooded property abuts the county-owned section of the Tay-Havelock Trail in Tay Valley Township, about 700 m west of Cameron Side Road. An official opening for the Conboy Trail is planned for Oct. 13 at 3 p.m. 
• Tay Havelock Trail – The Lanark County portion of this multi-use trail is 25 km in Tay Valley Township. It is popular withATV and snowmobile users and follows abandoned rail bed. It can be accessed south of Hwy. 7 at Glen Tay and has multiple access points as it links with many other legs of the Trans Canada Trail. View gorgeous countryside along this scenic trail. 
• Ottawa Valley Recreational Trail(OVRT) – The 61-km Lanark County portion of this exceptional multi-use trail begins at Sturgess Road (just north of Smiths Falls in Montague Township) and travels north to Renfrew County, passing through picturesque Carleton Place, Almonte and Pakenham along the way. Created from abandoned Canadian Pacific rail bed, this trail opened in October 2018 and offers a transportation corridor for pedestrians, cyclists, four-wheelers and snowmobilers year-round. Learn more at OttawaValleyTrail.com

Partnerships with other organizations have been a huge benefit to Lanark County’s trail operations. The county recently received $56,000 from the Ottawa Valley ATV club to complete the refurbishment of a failing box culvert on the Tay Havelock Trail. “The OVATV Club has now contributed more than $100,000 to trail improvements in Lanark County over the last two years,” said CAO Kurt Greaves.

Lanark County has also partnered with the Snow Road Snowmobile Club to upgrade the Fall River Bridge on the Tay Havelock Trail.This work will be starting later this month and completed in early December. 

“This is a $250,000 project funded by Lanark County and the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs,” Greaves added. “It is the third bridge project for this partnership in recent years, with others including the Highway 511 bridge over the Mississippi River near Balderson and the Ottawa Valley Recreational Trail bridge in Carleton Place.”

As well, the boardwalk and viewing platform on the Tay River Pathway was made possible thanks to fundraising efforts led by a group of family members from the Lanark Lodge Family Council in cooperation with the county. The extension of the pathway opened in 2016 after $67,000 was raised and other community partners made contributions to its construction.

In 2020, the Alameda project on the OVRT opened in Almonte. This community-led project raised more than $60,000 to plant 100 mature sugar maples, to install multiple benches and bike racks, and for landscaping, parking and art installations.  

The Town of Carleton Place has invested more than $1million to create Carleton Junction, a downtown park on the OVRT that includes a pump track, playground, parking, washrooms, hockey rink, paved walking trail and a Mississippi River viewing area.

Beckwith Township has recently added another connecting trail, this one from Franktown to the OVRT. Tay Valley has long supported the maintenance of the Tay Havelock Trail.

“The ongoing support for these trails truly shows the enthusiasm of the community to share the beauty of Lanark County’s trails,” Lowry added. “If you haven’t experienced them yet, now is a great time to ‘fall in love’ with our trails.” 

For more information, including maps, about the county’s trails, visitwww.lanarkcountytourism.com or https://www.lanarkcounty.ca/en/roads-trails-and-transit/recreational-trails.aspxor call 613-267-4200 ext. 3170.

– 30 –

For more information, contact:

Kurt Greaves, CAO 
Lanark County  
1-888-9-LANARK, ext. 1101 
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Oct. 1, 2021
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
New Chamber of Commerce ‘Think Local’ campaign supports local economic recovery in Lanark County

The Carleton Place & District Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with the Smiths Falls & District Chamber of Commerce and the Perth & District Chamber of Commerce, is pleased to announce the upcoming launch of a brand new ‘Think Local’ campaign in Lanark County.

Think Local is a community building resource bringing together the nine communities within Lanark County: Mississippi Mills, Carleton Place, Beckwith, Perth, Smiths Falls, Montague, Drummond North Elmsley, Tay Valley, and Lanark Highlands.

The Think Local project is made possible thanks to the support of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce and is a partnership project involving the three Lanark County chambers of commerce. “We are very excited to launch this campaign in Lanark County and support our local businesses who have been working so hard over the past year and a half,” said Jackie Kavanagh, General Manager of the Carleton Place & District Chamber of Commerce. “It’s been a long and challenging time for small business in our region and we’re pleased to be able to bring together our chamber membership community and unite for a stronger voice in Lanark County.”

The Think Local project will feature a county-wide marketing campaign that will encourage and support shopping local for goods and services as an impetus to stimulate the economic recovery in Lanark County. A multi-layered marketing approach will ensure this messaging is kept front of mind for the public now and leading up to and beyond the holiday shopping season. The campaign is set to run until January 31, 2022.

“The timing for this launch couldn’t be better. October is Small Business Month in Ontario, and this is our way of showing our support to the business community and working behind the scenes to support the economic recovery of our region,” said Kavanagh. Purchasing goods and services locally has a direct impact on the prosperity of a region. Research has shown that for every $100 spent at a local business, approximately $68 is funnelled back into the local economy, supporting local non-profits and community groups, and maintaining business diversity.

“Thinking locally before making purchases or contracting for services ensures the Lanark County community stays strong both in good times and in challenging times,” said Kavanagh. “By encouraging residents to keep funds in the area, the project will contribute to a thriving and diverse community that will be here for years to come.”

Please keep a watch on social media for more information in the comings weeks as the Think Local Lanark campaign launches across Lanark County. To stay informed please visit www.thinklocallanark.com

For more information:
Jackie Kavanagh
General Manager
Carleton Place & District Chamber of Commerce
170 Bridge St.
Carleton Place, ON
K7C 2V7
613-257-1976
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Municipal Tools to Support Affordable Housing

Resident Survey 

Lanark County is currently exploring municipal tools to support affordable housing in order to develop strategic actions to address housing needs in the County. This work is being undertaken to respond to areas of action identified in the County’s 10-Year Housing and Homelessness Plan and more recent issues and engagement sessions undertaken by the County. As a part of this work, we are asking Lanark residents, and people who work in Lanark, to complete a short survey which asks you about your thoughts on the current state of housing in your community and any ideas you may have for making things better.  This survey builds on Lanark County's 10-Year Housing and Homelessness Plan.

This survey is completely voluntary and it will take you less than 10 minutes to complete. If you have any questions or concerns about this survey or the project, please contact Lanark County at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The survey link is https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LanarkCountyResidentSurvey

Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Perth & District Library and Neighbours for Truth and Reconciliation Raise Funds for Indigenous Books

September 22, 2021 - In honour of the recently declared National Day of Truth and Reconciliation, the Perth and District Union Public Library and Lanark County Neighbours for Truth and Reconciliation are collaborating on a fundraising campaign to purchase books by and about Indigenous Peoples.  

Launching today, the campaign’s goal is $1,500. A donation of $25 will cover the average cost of one book and if the campaign reaches its goal, the library will purchase 30 new books and create 10 classroom kits with three books each. Titles will be chosen from those recommended by Indigenous organizations and will be purchased through GoodMinds.com, an Indigenous book distributor and publisher based in the Six Nations of the Grand River First Nation.

Donations to the campaign can be made online at www.perthunionlibrary.ca or with cash or cheque at the library at 30 Herriott St, Perth, Ontario. 

Erika Heesen, CEO of the Library, commented that “while the library currently has a number of books by and about Indigenous Peoples, they are frequently in circulation. We recently purchased a number of new children’s titles and yet when you go to the shelves there’s nothing there because they are all signed out. We are excited to partner with the Neighbours to add additional resources for the community in support of truth and reconciliation.”

Speaking on behalf of the Neighbours, Ramsey Hart said “This campaign provides a way for people to make a very local contribution towards the learning and understanding that is needed as the foundation of reconciliation. It’s heartening to hear that the books the library has are in such high demand and it will be a significant contribution to add thirty new titles for general circulation and the ten teacher kits. I have every confidence that our community will get behind this initiative.”

Lanark County Neighbours for Truth & Reconciliation is a volunteer community group that works to educate non-Indigenous people about the true history of Lanark County which is located on unceded traditional Omàmìwininì/Algonquin Territory. Under the direction of local Indigenous advisors, the group strives to bring reconciliation alive on a local level and lends their voices to support the struggles of Indigenous Peoples in this region and across the country.  In addition to the fundraising campaign with the Library, the Neighbours are recognizing National Day of Truth and Reconciliation by hosting a ceremony at the Healing Forest Monument in Last Duel Park at 5:30 pm, September 30th.

The Perth & District Union Public Library serves the communities of Drummond/North Elmsley, Perth, and Tay Valley. In addition to the fundraising campaign with the Neighbours, the Library is recognizing National Day of Truth and Reconciliation by hosting a special Storytime in the Garden at 10am on September 30^th, and a display of Tiny Orange Sweaters at the library.

Contacts:

Ramsey Hart, Lanark County Neighbours for Truth and Reconciliation
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., 613-298-4745

Erika Heesen, CEO – Perth and District Public Library
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., 613-267-1224

The Corporation of the
Township of Drummond/North Elmsley

For Immediate Release – Wednesday, September 15, 2021
Media Release: Vacant North Elmsley Ward Councillor Office Filled

Port Elmsley Ontario – On September 14, 2021, Township Council appointed Paul Coutts to fill the position of Councillor North Elmsley for the duration of the term of council ending on November 14, 2022. Paul Coutts was also officially sworn into office at that Council meeting.

The position became vacant when George Sachs submitted his resignation from Council on June 22nd.
Paul Coutts, a lifelong resident in the Township, lives in North Elmsley with his wife, Danita and 2 daughters. He operates a small general contracting firm.

Reeve Fournier welcomed Councillor Coutts and added, “Councillor Coutts will be a great addition to the Council table and we all look forward to working with him for the betterment of our community.”

For more information contact:
Cindy Halcrow, Clerk Administrator
Phone: 613-267-6500 ext 220
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

EORN Seeks Members for Board of Directors

(September 7, 2021) - The Eastern Ontario Regional Network (EORN) is currently seeking applications from the public to serve on their Board of Directors. Eastern Ontario residents who want to contribute to the economic and technological advancement of the region are encouraged to apply.

Qualified candidates with public or private sector expertise in finance, law, and/or technology are being sought to fill one (1) immediate short-term vacancy with an option to renew for a two-year term in January 2023 This is a volunteer position requiring attendance at monthly board meetings and various other events and activities.

Interested individuals should visit the EORN website, www.eorn.ca for further information regarding submission of interest. A job description is available on the website. To apply for this position, please forward resume and cover letter to:

David Fell, CEO, EORN
County of Peterborough County
Court House 470 Water Street
Peterborough, ON
K9H 3M3
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

Applications will be accepted until 4:00 p.m. on Thursday September 30, 2021

EORN is a non-profit organization, created by the Eastern Ontario Wardens’ Caucus (EOWC), which is comprised of the 13 upper and single tier municipalities in eastern Ontario. EORN also works closely with the separated municipalities and Indigenous communities within the region. EORN has created a 10-year Digital Strategy to build on its success and to ensure that the broadband and cellular networks fulfil their potential to deliver economic growth and improved quality of life to Eastern Ontario communities.

EORN is currently working on a $300 million project, funded by public and private sector partners, to improve and expand cellular services across the region. The project began in the spring of 2021.
From 2010 to 2014, EORN helped to improve broadband access to nearly 90 per cent of eastern Ontario through a $175 million public-private partnership. The network was funded by federal, provincial, and municipal governments and private sector service providers. As a result, it has also spurred more than $100 million in additional private sector investment in the region, over and above their initial commitments.

The Township is currently seeking qualified applicants for a temporary position as a landfill attendant. Contract will be between four to six months. Closing date is Thursday, September 16th, 2021 at 4:00 p.m. Interested applicants please see job posting and description.  https://www.dnetownship.ca/township-services/employment

The Federal Election is September 20th, 2021. Be Prepared to Vote!

To vote in the election you must be a Canadian Citizen and at least 18 years old and you must prove your identity and address. You must be registered to vote before you vote. To check if you are registered to vote visit elections.ca  There are many ways to register to vote including registering when you go to vote. If you are registered, you should get a voter information card in the mail by September 10. It tells you where and when you can vote.

Make a Plan to Vote! 

Plan early. During a pandemic, things can take a bit more time. Make a plan and choose the voting option that works best for you. You can vote almost any time.

Have your ID Ready to Vote

There are three options to prove your identity and address. For the full list of eligible ID please click here.

Full list of accepted ID for option two can be found here.

DNE Businesses: Looking for a grant to improve your Digital presence?

Digital Main Street will be launching for businesses outside the BIA. You will now have access to this $2500 grant. The Grant focuses on: providing qualifying brick-and-mortar small businesses with a digital assessment, online training and a one-time $2,500 grant to implement their Digital Transformation Plan.

Connor Renouf, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. from the Town of Perth will be administering the program.

Don’t wait too long to apply. It’s first come first served:

https://digitalmainstreet.ca/ontariogrants/

Ontario Grants digitalmainstreet.ca

Once the funds have been depleted your chance of receiving a grant is gone. It requires about 2.5 hours of your time to prepare and apply for the grant. It is well worth your time and effort.

If you have questions about whether your project is applicable, you can reach out to Connor or Digital Mainstreet