2024 Year-End Message from Mayor Rod Ward

Armour Council 2024 Updates

From the official ribbon-cutting to commemorate completion of our major upgrades at the Katrine Community Centre (KCC) to planning for the retirement of some long-term staff, 2024 has certainly been another eventful year.

Projects and Priorities

Staff and Council at Armour Township measure ourselves against six key focus areas which were developed at the start of this council term in November 2022. These areas were felt by Council to represent the best ways to steer our energies and support our ratepayers. These are:

• Value for Constituents
• Protection of Natural Assets
• Cooperation and Shared Services
• Health and Wellness
• Economic Development
• Housing and Growth

The original “Preparing for the Future in the Almaguin Highlands” presentation is available on the Armour Township website at PowerPoint Presentation (cdn-website.com) . We also monitor and update our progress every 6 months.

Value for Constituents

The site for a new Fire Hall to replace the current aging building was selected and the purchase of the property at the corner of Ferguson Road and Pegg’s Mountain Road was completed by staff in 2024. In addition, Armour retained the services of a local developer to create a site plan for this location which would lay out the Fire Hall site as well as a location for a future Health and Wellness Centre and potential other services. 

Armour staff have also been working, on behalf of Tri-Council, on options for a new / expanded library location. 

Along with the previously-mentioned major renovation of the Katrine Community Centre, a project to expand storage capabilities at the Watt Century Farmhouse were also completed in 2024. Both projects were completed through successful grant applications.

Our new Recreation Department has been exceptionally busy implementing very popular and successful programs, covering all age groups and activities. From the Kids Summer Program to the annual Winter Karnival and everything in between, the KCC is an extremely busy place all year round.

We continue our work creating Centres of Excellence whereby Armour Township can provide various services to partner municipalities. We are now providing full By-Law services to seven municipalities (along with training services to others); leadership and accountability for Emergency Planning for four municipalities; shared resources for Economic Development and Clerk/Treasurer roles; expanded services outside Armour by our new Recreation department; and contingency and coverage for Building services with surrounding municipalities. We will continually look for ways to provide excellent services while covering our costs, with a view to the entire Almaguin Highlands. We also continue our leadership role in areas that impact the entire region, including economic development, healthcare and land-use planning. And our region-wide focus is also represented by staff leadership in organizing and running both the highly-successful annual Heritage Day and Firefighters Challenge and the annual Santa Claus Parade.

Protection of Natural Resources

The lakes, forests, trails, rivers and parks in the Almaguin Highlands are critical in so many ways. Protection of these resources really underpins everything else in the community. Much of the planning principles that exist in our Official Plan and our Zoning By-Laws (and other related planning activities) centre around protection of resources.

Staff and council took part in an Integrated Watershed workshop hosted by the Town of Huntsville and Township of Lake of Bays and continually take part in on-going sessions hosted by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF).

Cooperation and Shared Services

Armour started hosting quarterly “Almaguin Highlands Heads of Council” sessions in January of 2023, with all 12 mayors from the Almaguin Highlands invited to discuss topics which impact all of us across the region. These sessions have proven to be very valuable and certainly assist from a communication perspective. These sessions are expected to continue quarterly.

Health and Wellness

Armour Township Council has listed the pursuit of a new, purpose-built health and wellness centre as a top priority. We continue to work with private sector partners, Muskoka Algonquin Health Care (MAHC), the Huntsville Hospital Foundation, local healthcare providers and the Almaguin Highlands Health Council (AHHC) to determine requirements for the potential new facility. Armour has already donated a lot of 3 acres on the newly-acquired Ferguson Road / Pegg’s Mountain Road parcel for this purpose. 

Armour Township had already taken a lead role in championing support across Almaguin for the new Muskoka Algonquin Health Care hospital build (Huntsville / Bracebridge). As announced officially in October 2023, the “local share” component of the build has now been confirmed. The new build will take into account not only two physical builds, but the need for an entire healthcare ‘eco-system’ from Gravenhurst to Sundridge and all points in between. The Almaguin Highlands is a true partner now in this initiative. The application for funding by MAHC was officially sent to the Ministry of Health / Infrastructure Ontario in November 2024.

Economic Development

We continue to work alongside Almaguin Community and Economic Development (ACED) in efforts to attract development to our area. Starting in 2025, the director of ACED, Dave Gray, will act in the dual role of Director for ACED and Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) for Armour Township, upon John Theriault’s retirement in March. This will provide cost savings for ACED and allow succession planning to other ACED staff in the coming months.

Our set of priorities is ultimately meant to support future, steady growth in our region. We see huge opportunity for Armour to be a future housing destination, with a full range of built-for-purpose rentals and single, detached family homes.

Housing and Growth

ACED initiated the Almaguin Housing Task Force in 2023, with participants from a range of housing-related areas (developers, builders), municipal planners and building officials, business owners, planning boards and members of council. The final set of recommendations was provided to all Almaguin municipalities in September 2024.

Staff Adjustments

As mentioned, 2024 and 2025 will bring some changes in staffing; however, succession planning has been in the works for some time. We are sad to see our CAO/Clerk-Treasurer, John Theriault, head into retirement after 10 years at Armour (and an astounding 50 years in municipal jobs!). John will continue to be available to us for assistance throughout 2025 but his last day of full-time work will come at the end of January. John will be succeeded by a familiar face, Dave Gray, who will take on the expanded role of CAO and Director of Economic Development (ACED). In addition, long-term staff Charlene Watt and Alison McGregor will take on roles of Clerk and Treasurer, respectively.

Dave McNay retired as the Burk’s Falls/Armour/Ryerson Fire Chief in 2024 and was replaced by another familiar face, Joe Readman. 

Doug Godin was welcomed on board in 2024 as our new Chief Building Officer.

And we will also be sad to see Keith McCoy retire in 2025. Keith has been with Armour Township since 2008, and has been our Roads Supervisor since 2012.

We wish John, Keith and Dave M. all the best in their retirement!



List of Key Committees and Contacts

Library – Rod Blakelock, Councillor

Almaguin Community Economic Development (ACED) – Wendy Whitwell, Councillor (chair)

Parry Sound District Social Services Board (DSSAB) – Jerry Brandt, Councillor

Katrine Community Centre – Dorothy Haggart-Davis, Councillor; Danika McCann (chair)

Almaguin Highlands Health Council – Rod Ward, Mayor (chair)

South East Parry Sound Planning Board (SEPSPB) – Rod Ward, Mayor (chair)

Almaguin Housing Task Force – Wendy Whitwell, Councillor; Rod Ward (SEPSPB)

Armour / Ryerson / Burk’s Falls Agricultural Society – Rod Blakelock, Councillor

Emergency Response Committee – Amy Tilley (chair)

MAHC Local Share and Muskoka Area OHT committees – Rod Ward, Mayor

Burk’s Falls & District Historical Society – Diane Brandt (chair)

Heritage Festival – Charlene Watt (chair)

Santa Claus Parade – Danika McCann (chair)