Loyalist Township Council voted this week in favour of adopting a new Community Safety and Well-Being Plan (CSWBP) for the next three years.

At the May 23 council meeting, the Loyalist Township Emergency Services Department asked that council consider and take on the draft CSWBP as a new three-year plan. CSWBPs are mandated under Bill 175, the Safer Ontario Act of 2018.

Based on all the input they received, the Advisory Body identified five areas of community risk in the plan: personal/property safety (real and/or perceived), physical environment (optimizing community spaces), access to supports and services, poor community connectedness and social isolation, as well as poor mental health and addiction.

In May 2022, Loyalist Township and the Town of Greater Napanee entered into a partnership to create a CSWBP for both municipalities. Avail Consulting Inc. and Kathryn Manners Consulting were hired to guide both municipalities in the development and creation of the plan. Karie Warnar and Kathryn Manner, from both companies, respectively, presented the plan at the start of the May 23 meeting. Deputy Fire Chief James Feeney represented the Emergency Services Department as they asked council to adopt the new plan for the next three years.

Council then voted in favour of the new CSWBP; Mayor Jim Hegadorn offered some words to support the plan.

"I think it's a very good plan. As with every plan, time will tell what fine tuning is required but I think it's a good one to get us going," said Mayor Hegadorn.

Coun. Paul Proderick and Coun. Jake Ennis both had words of support for the CSWBP as well.

First Nations were also encouraged to participate in the planning stage. According to the Emergency Services Department, an Indigenous organization accepted the invitation and took an active role in helping form strategies. Organizations that participated as part of the Advisory Body included Loyalist Township, the Town of Greater Napanee, County of Lennox and Addington, Highland Waters Metis Council, L&A EMS, Morningstar Mission, Youth Diversion, OPP, KFL&A Public Health, L&A Interval House, Napanee Area Community Health Centre, and L&A SOS.

Community engagement was welcomed during the process as well. Comments and concerns from the public were taken into consideration during the development of the plan.

Hear the CJAI story below: