Lanark County

Temporary Closure Notice - Five-Span Bridge Park - Sept. 2

Please note a short-term (one-day) closure of the Five-Span Bridge Park in Pakenham will take place on Wednesday, Sept. 2. Access is required to permit electrical conduit installation related to the 5-Arches Bridge rehabilitation work.

County staff have installed signage at the intersection of County Road 29 and Kinburn Side Road to provide advance notice to residents and visitors of the temporary closure.

Thank you for your patience!

Join us for a conversation about homelessness and the systems connected to it on Monday, Aug. 31 at 6 p.m. at the Carleton Place Arena (upstairs).

OrgCode Consulting Inc. President and CEO Iain De Jong will provide an interactive virtual presentation followed by an in-person panel discussion with local service providers. This is a great opportunity to learn about homelessness in our communities, the challenges and limitations, and services provided.

Hope to see you there!

Help Shape Lanark County’s Natural Heritage System - Survey open until Aug. 31

Lanark County is developing a Natural Heritage System (NHS) Strategy to identify and map the natural areas, habitats, and ecological connections that support biodiversity across our region.

While scientific data plays an important role, local knowledge is just as valuable—and that’s where you come in.

We’re inviting residents, landowners, and community groups to share places that matter to you—from forests and wetlands to habitat and cherished local spaces. Your insights will help us better understand the landscapes that make Lanark County special.

📅 The project is underway through 2027, with ongoing opportunities for public input.

📩 Share the places that matter to you here until Aug. 31: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/c77baae27e834600a2c2b2510c4c314e

Providing services to alleviate homelessness

Homelessness is a complex, multi-faceted and systemic challenge that requires collaboration between governments and service providers amid a range of limitations.

Progress was outlined in Lanark County’s 2025 Housing and Homelessness Report Card. “Recognizing that successful housing solutions extend beyond physical infrastructure, the county worked in close collaboration with community partners to deliver innovative programs that address the social, economic and health factors contributing to housing instability,” said Warden Richard Kidd (Beckwith Reeve). “These efforts included the launch of the Lanark Integrated Frontline Team (LIFT) mobile outreach program, ongoing enhancements to the homelessness response, and expansion of supportive and transitional housing options.”

The report card outlines the range of supports offered by the county, including financial help for eligible households, housing units offered through Lanark County Housing Corporation and non-profit housing providers, a homeownership forgivable loan program, new builds, affordable housing grants, emergency after-hours assistance for homelessness, supports for youth, adult supportive housing for those needing assistance with daily living tasks, crisis beds, housing-based case management, the LIFT program, and the Bridge House, which is temporary transitional housing with wraparound supports related to substance use and mental health.

In addition, numerous community partners provide support for mental health and addictions, health care, system navigation, basic needs and more.

Even with many resources, there are limitations when offering services, such as privacy considerations, enforcement constraints and broader system pressures that include a limited housing supply, increasing costs and gaps in affordability.

Learn more about alleviating homelessness in Lanark County in the second article of this three-part series: https://www.lanarkcounty.ca/living/social-services/homelessness/ #1750959335112-9ca9ce1f-d332

Lanark County Council meets tomorrow (Aug. 26)! The meetings may be attended by the public in person or via livestream through Lanark County’s YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com//streams. Once the livestream is available, it will show under the “Live” tab on the channel.

The regular council session begins at 5 p.m. There are no scheduled delegations or presentations. Reports include community services, corporate services and a recommendation of contract award for the bulk coarse highway salt tender. By-laws include the Active Kids, Bright Futures policy; the child care waitlist priority placement policy; the video surveillance policy and the user fees and charges by-law.

Next is the public works committee of the whole meeting. Delegations include Highway 15 at Perth Road intersection improvements (David Gallimore, Consultant Project Manager for WSP Canada, and Tarita Diczki, Ministry of Transportation Lead Engineer) and the Climate Network Lanark Neighbourhood Climate Concierge Program (Andy Cockburn, Technical Advisor). Discussion reports include a phragmites update, a construction update and the closure of portions of County Road 21 (Elm Grove Road).

Next is the economic development committee of the whole meeting. There are no scheduled delegations or presentations. There is a consent report on the quarterly planning department statistics and file status report. Discussion reports include a K&P Trail update and the Mill Run Phase 7 & 8 Subdivision. There is a deferred report on the Matheson & Rosedale Subdivision Technical Report. Verbal reports include Valley Heartland Community Futures Development Corporation, the Community Forest Sub-Committee, the Business Retention and Expansion Working Group and Lanark County Community Highlights. There is a confidential report on the Caivan Development Second Crossing.

Agendas can be found under “Government” then “Council and Committees” at www.lanarkcounty.ca. Hope to see you there!

How is homelessness changing in Lanark County?

Homelessness has been increasing in Lanark County and across Ontario, particularly in rural Ontario. It is evolving, with visible homelessness becoming more apparent.

Homelessness can look like many things for people. It can mean living in an emergency shelter or temporary accommodation, such as couch surfing with friends or family. It can happen when someone leaves a correctional facility, hospital or the child welfare system and has nowhere to go. It can result from job loss or a job that doesn’t pay quite enough, divorce, domestic violence, illness or an unexpected large expense. It can mean living in a makeshift shelter, such as a car, trailer or encampment, or having no shelter at all.

In a “State of Homelessness” report to Lanark County Council in May, Director of Social Services Emily Hollington said from 2021 up to May 2026, 800 people have registered with the county’s By-Name List for homelessness, which is a real-time list that helps to identify those most vulnerable and track progress toward permanent, sustainable housing. A committee consisting of numerous community partners works to connect people to supports through a coordinated access system.

Learn more about what homelessness looks like in Lanark County in the first article of this three-part series: https://www.lanarkcounty.ca/living/social-services/homelessness/ #1750959335112-9ca9ce1f-d332

Power outages can be caused by severe summer weather, such as flooding, extreme heat and thunderstorms.

Whether you’re without power for minutes, hours, or days – stay safe with the tips below:
• Keep your emergency preparedness kit stocked.
• Stay informed. Staying connected is vital to staying safe.
• Stay food safe. Keep refrigerator doors closed during outages to preserve food.
• Never use charcoal or gas barbeques, camping stoves, or generators indoors.
• Know when to go. If your home gets too cold or too hot and you are able to leave, head to an alternative location until it is safe to return.

Find all the information that you need on preparing for storms and the work that Hydro One does to restore power safely at https://www.hydroone.com/power-outages-and-safety

Update on 5-Arches Bridge Work

Lanark County Public Works reports masons have nearly completed the installation of the wall stones and work is currently underway on the cap stones. Construction of the approaches to the bridge, including grading, drainage improvements and electrical work, is scheduled to begin next week.

A full closure of the public park is anticipated in approximately two weeks for one day to facilitate the installation of an electrical conduit beneath the park entrance. Advance notice will be provided to the public and digital signage will be installed to communicate the closure ahead of time.

The project completion date of November remains unchanged; however, Public Works remains confident the project can be completed ahead of schedule, weather permitting.

For more info about the project, including a live feed, visit https://www.lanarkcounty.ca/government/roads-trails-transit/pwprojects/

Is the Better Homes Lanark program right for your home?

Visit lanarkcounty.ca/betterhomeslanark for more info!