The Township of Leeds and the Thousand Islands is receiving $46,750 from the Ontario government through the Community Emergency Preparedness Grant (CEPG) to strengthen its emergency response capabilities. The funding will be used to upgrade emergency trailer supplies, including sandbag filling attachments, battery-powered lighting, chainsaws, and road closure equipment such as barriers, beacons, and signage.
These upgrades aim to improve the township’s ability to respond quickly and safely to flooding, windstorms, and other severe weather events. By enhancing sandbag deployment, clearing downed trees, and managing traffic during hazardous conditions, the township will be better equipped to protect residents and maintain critical services.
The CEPG program provides funding to municipalities across Ontario to support local resilience through equipment, training, and infrastructure improvements. The investment in Leeds and the Thousand Islands is part of a broader $332,829 allocation to seven municipalities in Leeds and Grenville, which includes emergency generators, evacuation centres, volunteer response teams, and wildfire response equipment.
This funding ensures the township can respond effectively to emergencies and safeguard the community.
(By: Tim Baltz)
The following municipalities will receive funding through the CEPG program:
Edwardsburgh Cardinal: $50,000 – The project will equip the township with a new natural gas standby generator at the Johnstown Community Centre, ensuring the facility can maintain power and operate as a reliable emergency resource during electrical outages. The project will address energy failures and power disruptions that impact emergency readiness and response, supporting continuity of essential services when outages occur.
Elizabethtown-Kitley: $50,000 – The project will equip the municipality with a generator for its municipal offices, ensuring the Emergency Command Center can maintain reliable power and continue coordinating emergency services when outages occur. The project will address frequent power interruptions that threaten emergency operations, ensuring the centrally located command center can respond to residents and direct critical services across the municipality during emergencies.
Prescott: $50,000 – The project will equip the town with the supplies and resources needed to quickly set up a temporary emergency evacuation centre that can receive evacuees on short notice. The project will address emergencies that require rapid evacuation and sheltering.
North Grenville: $48,919 – The project will equip the municipality with two portable pump packages, a deployable hose cache, hand tools, and wildland PPE to improve safety and speed when responding to grass and brush fires. The project will address rising wildland fire risk from urban expansion and longer fire seasons by enabling faster water supply and more effective equipment.
Leeds and the Thousand Islands: $46,750 – The project will equip the township with updated emergency trailer supplies, a sandbag filling attachment for the loader, battery powered lighting, chainsaws, and road closure equipment such as barriers, beacons, and signage to support faster and safer emergency response. The project will address flooding emergencies, along with damage from windstorms and other severe weather, by improving the township’s ability to fill and deploy sandbags efficiently, clear downed trees, and manage traffic during hazardous conditions.
Westport: $46,660 – The project will equip the village with a trained Volunteer Emergency Response Team and woodchipper to support emergency operations. The team will be equipped with safety vests, helmets, and glasses, and training in basic first aid, traffic control and equipment handling. The project will improve the village’s ability to manage traffic, assist residents, and maintain safe conditions during severe weather.
Augusta: $40,500 – The project will help install a propane powered backup generator at Fire Station 2 to ensure continuous power during outages. This generator will maintain emergency readiness, allowing firefighters to respond without delay and keep the station fully operational for residents. It will also ensure uninterrupted emergency communications during large-scale events or extended outages. The generator strengthens reliability and continuity of service during power-related emergencies.
“Our government is strengthening the readiness of local communities and organizations to better prepare for any type of emergency,” said Jill Dunlop, Minister of Emergency Preparedness and Response. “Whether it’s modernizing an emergency operations centre or investing in a generator to power a warming centre during a winter storm, these investments help to protect communities across Ontario.”
