The Town of Hawkesbury has a new plan for municipal government during the next five years.
Town council officially adopted the new 2025-2030 Strategic Plan on Monday, May 12. Suggestions and comments from the public were used for the development of the plan during consultations held in August and September 2024. The data collected during these sessions revealed several key findings that supported the evidence-based development of the strategic plan.
Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Sam Cardarelli said the surveys of residents give a good representation of population. He thanked citizens and business owners for their support during the process.
Mayor Robert Lefebvre said municipal services are important to citizens.
“The population is very proud of their services,” he remarked.
He called that a good sign.
This new strategic plan was the result of a need to align with current trends, needs, and realities facing the town and its residents. It replaces the previous plan written in 2013 and aims to better reflect the town’s contemporary economic, social, and community challenges.
Lefebvre said the previous strategic plan was too long and generic. He said the new one also seeks a greater partnership with the local Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) for pursuing provincial resources to make town priorities a reality.
This plan is a foundational tool to guide decisions, prioritize actions, and direct the municipality’s resources to advance Hawkesbury in a coherent and sustainable way.
There are three principles which are the guiding statements of the plan. They are; The mission that the Town of Hawkesbury provides quality services and supports its partners to contribute to the well-being of the community; the vision that as the hub for growth in Eastern Ontario, Hawkesbury is a great place to live, visit, work and do business; And the values, which are; Active listening, mutual support, flexibility, innovation, and fiscal responsibility.
The three general strategies in the plan are Quality services and the development and improvement of municipal infrastructure and services to ensure the town’s long-term sustainability; Supporting growth by identifying and acting on the key conditions that stimulate and sustain growth; and Community issues by leveraging collaborative approaches to address complex community issues.
Cardarelli assured council the plan will become reality.
“It will be fully implemented, and we’ll be moving it forward,” he said.
Councillor Tony Tsourounakis said he wants as much of it as possible to be implemented.
“I’d like something to actually happen,” he remarked.
