Community Improvement Plan

Welcome to the landing page for the Township of Leeds and the Thousand Islands Community Improvement Plan! On this page you’ll find more information on the project and ways to get involved as a member of the community.

About the Project

The Township of Leeds and the Thousand Islands has partnered up with consulting firms Re:public Urbanism and Parcel Economics to develop a Community Improvement Plan (CIP)! A CIP is a unique planning and economic development tool used by municipalities across Ontario to guide and encourage investment, development, and revitalization in specific areas of the community. Through this Plan, the Township will seek to:

• Establish a long-term vision and priorities for community improvement;
• Enhance the Township’s built environment and public spaces, support local businesses and organizations, and create economic development opportunities; and,
• Identify incentives, initiatives, and strategies to support community improvement.

 The CIP will be developed from May to December 2023, and there will be several ways for the community to get involved at various stages in the project (see Public Engagement below). A high-level project timeline with key milestones is provided below.

What is the Community Improvement Plan?

A CIP is a unique planning and economic development tool used by municipalities across Ontario to guide and encourage investment, development, and revitalization in specific areas of the community. Depending on the community, priorities for community improvement could be; increasing commercial activity on a main street; revitalizing public spaces, parks, or streetscapes; or even generally improving the economic landscape for targeted sectors throughout the entire municipality. These priorities are generally addressed through the facilitation of physical improvement projects on private and/or public lands that will benefit the greater community/targeted areas.

 CIPs typically provide a catalogue of financial incentive programs specially tailored to encourage property or building owners to undertake improvement projects that are aligned with the vision of the plan. Such programs typically offer grants to assist with costs associated with projects ranging from building façade improvements, new signage, landscaping, or even professional studies, permits, or fees. Without a CIP, municipalities are generally prohibited from offering financial assistance to the private sector in any way; a CIP therefore provides unique and innovative opportunities for the municipality to help the community. A CIP can also identify a range of initiatives for Council to consider working toward as the plan is implemented (e.g. development of urban design guidelines, streetscaping strategy, etc.).

Public Engagement

No one understands a community’s needs more than the people who live, work, and play there. With this in mind, several key opportunities for participation have been planned for the project as outlined below.

In addition to the above opportunities, the community will also have access to key project documents for review and comment, such as the background report and council recommendations. Once prepared, these will be posted to the website and made available at the Township office.

Further information, including locations and times, for the events described above will be made available once firm dates and details have been determined. If you would like to receive notice of future consultation events regarding this project, please submit a request to the Township contact using the information below.

Project Contact

Should you have any questions or wish to receive more information on the Township of Leeds and the Thousand Islands Community Improvement Plan please contact:  CIP@townshipleeds.on.ca