Committee of the Whole Highlights – April 7, 2026

Kawartha Lakes – The following are highlights of the Committee of the Whole meeting on April 7, 2026.  

The meeting can be viewed in full on our YouTube channel: 

• Committee of the Whole April 7 

All recommendations made at Committee of the Whole will return to Regular Council for review and/or adoption on April 21, 2026.

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Council recognized Paralympic Gold Medalist Jon Thurston, a Dunsford resident and member of Canada’s wheelchair curling team at the 2026 Paralympic Winter Games. Mr. Thurston spoke about the highlights of his trip to Fortino, and the challenge and thrill of winning the gold medal.

Council presented Mr. Thurston with a plaque from the City of Kawartha Lakes and a gift of Kawartha Lakes branded merchandise.

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Burnt River Flood Plain Mapping Update Presentation

Galen Yurex from Kawartha Conservation presented The Burnt River Flood Plain Mapping Update. The Flood Plain study was undertaken to better understand flood risks along the Burnt River, from Hillside Drive to the Kinmount Dam. The project received about $90,980 from Natural Resources Canada, matched by the City of Kawartha Lakes. The goal is to use accurate data to find areas that are most at risk of flooding and help protect people and property from harm.

The study shows that about 125 properties along the Burnt River could be affected by flooding. This area floods often because a very large region drains into the river, about one quarter the size of Prince Edward Island. There have also been three major floods in the last 15 years. The results of the study will be shared with the City to help guide zoning rules, city planning, and emergency response decisions.

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Economic Impact Assessment for Ampere

Ampere (formerly Pinnguaq) is a non-profit STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Math) education hub and Makerspace located in Lindsay

Brian Oliver, CEO of Ampere, outlined the impact the organization made on Kawartha Lakes over the last 4 years, including $20 million to our GDP, 239 jobs, and $6.7 million in tax revenue for our region. He also spoke about their internship programming, employment support and how Ampere is encouraging professionals to relocate to Kawartha Lakes. 

Later this year, Ampere plans to open daycare within St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, offering unique STEAM education and programming to toddlers and preschoolers. Ampere also offers a range of STEAM summer camps and year-round programming for all ages.

Watch Ampere’s full presentation.

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Kawartha Lakes Agriculture and Food Action Plan 2026-2030 Presentation

Kelly Maloney, Economic Development Officer, presented the Kawartha Lakes Agriculture and Food Action Plan for 2026 to 2030.

The plan explains why agriculture is important to the community and how the project was created, including feedback from over 400 people. It also shares a vision for the future, along with clear goals and strategies to support farmers and food businesses.

The strategic direction is organized around five (5) goals:

1. Enable agri-business growth and investment
2. Support business development and value-added growth
3. Build a skilled and sustainable workforce
4. Invest in places that support agriculture
5. Elevate and support the agriculture and food sector

The vision for 2030 is for Kawartha Lakes to be a place where agriculture can grow with confidence, supported by good infrastructure and strong local food systems. Council will review the plan at the next meeting, and if approved, work will begin to put it into action.

Read the Agriculture and Food Action Plan. Watch the full presentation on YouTube at the 1:39:55 mark.

If you have comments or questions about the plan, submit them on the Agriculture and Food Action Plan Jump In page.

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City Outlines 2025 Deficit Pressures and Financial Strategy

Sara Beukeboom, Director of Corporate Services, presented an overview of the pressures that contributed to the City’s 2025 deficit. She also outlined the strategy used to protect taxpayers from its impact.

The City continues to face growing challenges as the frequency and severity of weather events increase each year. In 2025, unforeseen weather impacts totaled approximately $11 million.

Major events included the April ice storm, which cost more than $29 million in emergency response and cleanup. This event, involved three weeks of active emergency response, followed by months of recovery work. This included the collection of fallen brush across more than 3,000 square kilometres. Thanks to $25.6 million in provincial relief funding and use of reserves, the municipality was able to recover from this event without passing costs along to residents.

Other costs included $700,000 for summer forest fires, $5.5 million for extreme winter events, and $1.4 million in contracted snow plowing. Despite these pressures and an overall deficit of $18.4 million, the City’s disciplined financial approach and long-term planning avoided the need for a tax levy. While grateful for the recent provincial support, staff emphasized that the municipality cannot rely on this type of relief in the future. The City will continue to implement strategies that strengthen long-term financial resilience. Beukeboom noted that reserves remain stable with a balance of $30 million. A reserve strategy, alongside an update to the Long-Term Financial Plan by June this year, will further ensure that reserves can be fluidly accessed as needed.

Special Levies on Final Tax Bill: Rural properties that are serviced by OPP will see an additional levy of $900,000 to cover an outstanding 2024 actual cost reconciliation by the Province. Lindsay residents will pay a $600,000 special levy for Lindsay Transit. More details will be provided at the April 21 Regular Council meeting.

Watch the full presentation on YouTube at the 2:49:10 mark.

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Consent Matters

911 Municipal Addressing - Rural Installations

The recommendation was approved and will be brought forward to Council for consideration at the next Regular Council Meeting.

Read the 911 Municipal Addressing report.

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Street, Municipal Facility, and Park Naming Policy Update

The recommendation was approved and will be brought forward to Council for consideration at the next Regular Council Meeting.

Read the report on Street, Municipal Facility, and Park Naming.

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Council Policy Review - Final Report

The recommendation was approved and will be brought forward to Council for consideration at the next Regular Council Meeting.

Read the Council Policy Review report.

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Memorandum on the Agricultural Community Concerns regarding ALTO Consultation Process

Council received a memorandum from Deputy Mayor Richardson outlining concerns from the agricultural community about the ALTO high-speed rail consultation process. In response, Council supported a resolution to formally oppose the project in its current form. They requested more accessible in-person consultation opportunities in Kawartha Lakes. The recommendations will be considered at the next Regular Council meeting.

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Next Council meeting 

Council will return for a Regular Council meeting on April 21 at 1pm.

Public attendance in Council Chambers is welcome in the public gallery on the main floor, and overflow seating is available in the Victoria Room on the second floor. Please note that no video and/or audio recording is permitted in Council Chambers during meetings.  

The Regular Council meeting will be broadcast live on the City’s YouTube Channel as well as Cogeco cable television. A recording of the meeting will also be available on Cable Cable channel 26 and Rogers Ignite channel 548 at 1pm on the Sunday that follows the Tuesday meeting.