At its meeting held on February 18, 2026, Council passed the recommendation contained in Staff Report No. RDS-2026-23 respecting the control of noxious weeds within the Township of Lanark Highlands.

The Township will use a combination of noxious weed control methods, including hand-pulling, roadside mowing, and targeted spot spraying adjacent to agricultural and horticultural areas, with application at the discretion of Township staff on a case-by-case basis. 

The Township is required to publish a list of roads and a map identifying proposed areas for spot spraying. The attached map and road list are being provided in draft form to meet this requirement. The information reflects areas identified for potential spraying; however, it is preliminary and subject to further review and final approval by Council.

The Committee of the Whole will consider this matter further on April 14, 2026.

“No Spray” agreements are currently being developed and will be posted on the Township website once the finalized map and agreements are available.

The Township recognizes that this is a matter of interest to the community and is committed to providing clear and timely information throughout the process.

Noxious Weed Draft Spraying Map 2026

Residents and individuals who own or rent property in Lanark Highlands (or their spouse) are encouraged to confirm that their voter information is up to date through Elections Ontario’s Voter Registration Service.

Elections Ontario maintains the voters list used for provincial, municipal, school board, and district social services administration board elections in Ontario. Through its online registration service, eligible voters can check, update, add, or remove their information from the voters list.

To use the service, individuals will generally need one piece of identification showing both their name and home address. Elections Ontario also provides a paper application option for those who prefer not to use the online system.

Keeping your information current can help ensure you receive the information you need when an election is called. Elections Ontario’s voter registration service is available here:

https://www.registertovoteon.ca/

The Committee of the Whole and Council will hold their regular meetings on Tuesday, March 24, 2026.

The evening will begin with a Committee of Adjustment meeting at 6:00 p.m., followed by a Public Meeting. The Committee of the Whole and Council meetings will take place immediately after.

All are welcome to attend in person or watch the meetings live via the Township’s livestream.

Agendas for all meetings are available online:

https://pub-lanarkhighlands.escribemeetings.com/

At the March 24, 2026 Council Meeting, Council for the Township of Lanark Highlands passed 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 highspeed rail concept and to the expropriation related measures contained in Bill C15. Council
further supports his advocacy in the House of Commons to discontinue advancement of the Alto highspeed 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 Lanark Highlands formally opposes the proposed Alto High Speed Train project.

The proposed Alto High Speed Rail network is a federally supported project that would establish a new high-speed rail line between Toronto and Québec City, with trains travelling up to 300 km/h on approximately 1,000 km of new passenger-dedicated track.

The Council motion acknowledges concerns about the potential impacts on rural communities, active farmland, environmentally sensitive areas, and future land use within the Township. 

Learn More About the Project
Residents interested in learning more about the proposed project can review information provided by the project team on the Official project website:https://www.altotrain.ca/en/shaping-canadas-future-high-speed-train

Information Shared by Member of Parliament Scott Reid
Council’s discussion was prompted by correspondence from MP Scott Reid outlining concerns about the proposed rail corridor, including potential project costs, environmental impacts, and the possibility of property expropriation along the route.
Residents interested in reviewing the information shared by the Member of Parliament can learn more here: https://scottreid.ca/lets-stop-alto/

Petitions to the House of Commons
The MP Reid has also provided links to a paper petition and an e-petition. These are provided below for awareness:
• Paper Petition – requesting that no property expropriations west of Ottawa occur until the Ottawa–Montréal portion of the project is completed.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DOld8gEpNT_UfKRRRmkLrElJHoKvzPHe/view

• Electronic Petition (e-7203) – open for signatures until May 28, 2026.
https://www.ourcommons.ca/petitions/en/Petition/Details?Petition=e-7203

Those interested in learning more about the project or participating in the federal review process are encouraged to review the available information.

During last night’s meeting, Council recognized several individuals for their outstanding contributions to the community through the Township’s annual Community Awards.

The 2025 award recipients are:

Volunteer Achievement Award
Conrad Gregoire and David Overholt
For helping monitor White Lake’s ecology through regular water sampling and site measurements.

Senior of the Year
Jack Allen
For supporting the Robertson Lake Community Centre through ongoing volunteer work, including snow clearing, facility improvements, and maintenance of community recreation spaces.

Community Spirit Award
Kevin Carnrite
For supporting the community through service as a volunteer firefighter, fundraising for families in need and the Lanark Highlands Fire Service, and active community involvement.

These awards recognize individuals whose dedication, volunteerism, and community leadership help strengthen the Township and enrich the lives of those around them.

Council extends sincere congratulations to this year’s recipients and appreciation to all nominees whose contributions help make our community a great place to live.

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.

The Deadline for applications is Monday, March 30, 2026 at 12:00 p.m.

2026 Election Compliance Audit Committee Terms of Reference

2026-Election-Joint-Compliance-Audit-Committee-Member-Application-Form