5. Preserve What We Have. Build for What Comes Next.
Caring for the community we inherited while preparing responsibly for the generations who will follow.
Smiths Falls has made tremendous strides in population growth and development over the last decade. We are welcoming new residents, seeing more housing built and attracting new investment. That growth brings opportunity, but it also brings a responsibility to plan ahead.
Strong municipal leadership includes taking care of what we already have. Our roads, bridges, water and wastewater systems, sidewalks, public buildings, parks and other community assets represent generations of public investment.
During my eight years on Council, Smiths Falls has made significant investments in renewing our infrastructure. We have reconstructed streets and replaced aging water and sewer lines, improved sidewalks and pedestrian connections, built a new water tower and continued upgrading the systems that residents depend on every day.
Those investments are not always the most visible work a municipality does, but they are among the most important.
The new water tower, completed in 2025 with significant provincial and federal assistance, strengthened water pressure, emergency supply and our capacity for future growth. Major reconstruction projects such as George Street have replaced aging roads, watermains and sewers while improving drainage, accessibility and pedestrian infrastructure.
More recently, Smiths Falls secured over $13 million in provincial funding for the trunk watermain and sewer separation project, improving reliability for existing homes while creating capacity for future development. That is the kind of planning I want us to continue.
Smiths Falls now has hundreds of millions of dollars invested in municipal infrastructure. Looking after it requires long-term asset management, realistic capital planning and the discipline to make investments before a failure forces our hand.
I will continue supporting a proactive approach. Council and staff, working with residents, need to identify what requires replacement, extend the life of existing assets wherever possible, maintain healthy reserves and aggressively pursue provincial and federal funding so that necessary work does not fall entirely on local taxpayers.
Every dollar we can secure from another level of government is a dollar that helps us renew our community without placing the full burden on the property-tax base. New development does not exist independently of water capacity, wastewater treatment, roads, sidewalks, transportation and community services. As Smiths Falls grows, we need to make sure the infrastructure supporting that growth is ready for it. That means planning years ahead rather than reacting project by project.
Our new Official Plan and Transportation Master Plan give the Town an opportunity to think carefully about where growth should occur, how neighbourhoods connect and what infrastructure will be required over the next 20 to 25 years. As Mayor I embrace Smiths Falls welcoming growth, and I want it to be well-planned growth.
Preparing for the future does not mean replacing everything that came before it. Our older neighbourhoods, heritage buildings, mature trees, parks, waterfront and relationship with the Rideau Canal are part of what makes Smiths Falls different from anywhere else. As we grow, those things should become more valuable to us, not less.
Development should strengthen neighbourhoods. Infrastructure projects should consider accessibility, trees, walking and cycling alongside roads and underground services. Our waterfront should remain a defining public asset. Heritage should be treated as something that contributes to the identity and attractiveness of our community.
There will always be a balance to strike between preservation and change. The goal is to grow in a way that leaves Smiths Falls stronger without losing the character and sense of place that make people proud to call it home.