Budget Spotlights 2026 #6: Development Services and Engineering

In January 2025, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) announced Mississippi Mills will receive $3,315,592.80 in funding through the Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF) over three years, to support the building of more housing within the Municipality. Seven initiatives make up the Mississippi Mills HAF Action Plan and are underway or completed:

• Comprehensive review of Development Charges and Fee Schedules
• Municipally-owned Lands Review
• Exclusionary Zoning Review
• Development of a Downtown Secondary Plan and Public Realm Plan for Almonte Downtown and Ottawa Street
• Affordable Housing Community Improvement Plan
• BuildingIN Program and 4 Units As-of-Right Infill Development

This year, Development Services and Engineering is wrapping up the Official Plan Amendment (OPA) 28 process: Rural Villages and Rural Vitality, which began last year. With the changing rural and agricultural landscape, updated population projections anticipated from Lanark County, and a focus on the viability of rural areas and villages, there is a need to ensure the Official Plan and Zoning By-law are up-to-date with current planning trends and reflect the most current best practices to support one of the backbones of Mississippi Mills – its Rural Villages and Rural Vitality. For more information, visit our OPA 28 page.

The Engineering Division continues to make progress on several projects, including the County Road 29 watermain extension and intersection improvements (Lanark County), the Environmental Assessment (EA) for the expansion of Well 7 and 8, and the EA for the expansion of the wastewater treatment plant and Gemmill’s Bay pump station. Engineers at CIMA continue to review background data for the wastewater treatment plant to develop a working understanding of the system in preparation for identifying problems and expansion opportunities.

2026 PROJECTS – DEVELOPMENT SERVICES AND ENGINEERING

Proposed capital projects in the draft 2026 budget for Development Services and Engineering, include:

• $100,000 – Affordable Housing Community Improvement Plan implementation
• $250,000 – Well improvement design for Well 7 and 8
• $50,000 – Vacant land study – infill for Almonte (prep for five-year Official Plan review)
• $50,000 – Assessment/feasibility of industrial lands for Almonte (prep for five-year Official Plan review)
• $25,000 – Rural Vitality Community Improvement Plan

Click the links below for more information on specific areas of the Development Services and Engineering Department:

Building and Renovating – www.mississippimills.ca/build.  

Planning and Land Use –  www.mississippimills.ca/planning.