Ontario Increasing Local Emergency Preparedness in Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock

March 20, 2026

Province investing in emergency equipment and training to protect communities

HALIBURTON-KAWARTHA LAKES-BROCK – The Government is taking action to protect Ontario by investing $169,662.52 in the City of Kawartha Lakes, Township of Cavan Monaghan, County of Haliburton, and Municipality of Dysart Et Al to help prepare for and respond to emergencies. Funding is being delivered through the Community Emergency Preparedness Grant (CEPG), which strengthens emergency preparedness by helping communities improve their local resilience.

“The four Community Emergency Preparedness Grants totaling $169,662.52 is great news for the communities in Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock” said Laurie Scott, MPP for Haliburton- Kawartha Lakes-Brock. “This funding will help our communities prepare and respond to emergencies to help keep people safe when severe weather incidents affect our infrastructure and networks.”

The City of Kawartha Lakes received $47,237.00. This funding will be used to strengthen the municipality’s capacity to respond to and recover from extended power outages caused by severe weather and infrastructure failure. This will improve critical infrastructure resilience, ensuring continuity of municipal operations and protecting vulnerable residents during prolonged electrical service interruptions through purchasing a generator, satellite phones, and a water purification system.

The Township of Cavan Monaghan received $50,000.00. This funding will provide a woodchipper to support the safe and efficient removal of fallen trees and branches, ensuring that debris can be cleared and roads can be reopened quickly during emergency situations. This specifically addresses the increasing safety risks associated with weather related emergencies, including storms and high wind events that result in blocked roadways and hinder emergency response.

The County of Haliburton received $49,345.52. This funding will equip the County with Portable Changeable Message Signs and mobile satellite enabled EMS vehicles so emergency teams can maintain communication, guide the public, and respond effectively during severe winter weather when power and networks fail. This will address winter storms, ice storms, and other major winter emergencies that cause road closures, communication outages, and delays in reaching residents who need emergency assistance.

The Municipality of Dysart Et Al received $23,080.00. This funding will equip the Municipality of Dysart Et Al with a drone to improve rapid information gathering during emergencies, especially for locating and assessing wildland forest fires, lost individuals, and potential flooding hazards. This will address situations where poor cell coverage leads to unclear incident locations, allowing responders to quickly identify fires, find people, and assess risks such as beaver dam failures.

“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.” 

Quick Facts

  • The CEPG supports small- to medium-sized municipalities, local services boards, First Nations communities, Tribal Councils and Indigenous service organizations.
  • Recipients were selected through a rigorous and competitive review process.
  • Since the program launched in 2023, the province has invested $15 million to provide 342 recipients with grants.

Quotes

“Our government was elected to protect Ontario and that’s exactly what this investment is about. These grants will make a tremendous difference for smaller communities like the ones I represent.”

– Joseph Racinsky
MPP Wellington-Halton Hills

“The province’s investment in our municipality recognizes the importance of emergency preparedness at the local level. We are very pleased that the Town’s application for funding to support our emergency preparedness program was successful. This investment will strengthen our ability to prepare for, respond to, and recover from emergencies—whether that’s severe weather, flooding, extended power outages or other events that can impact our residents and our community.”– Ann Lawlor
Mayor, Town of Halton Hills

Additional Resources