Explore the report
From the desk of Chief Administrative Officer Dan Borowec
Our Community Strategic Plan provides a vision for Northumberland County and serves as the roadmap to guide our decisions and our investments, and measures our progress.
Throughout the past year, our work remained focused on delivering meaningful results across our five strategic priorities: innovating for service excellence, igniting economic opportunity, fostering thriving communities, propelling sustainable growth, and championing a vibrant future. Together, these priorities reflect our commitment to delivering responsive public services while preparing Northumberland for the opportunities of tomorrow.
Behind every accomplishment highlighted in this report are the dedicated employees who serve our community each day. Whether maintaining infrastructure, caring for seniors, supporting families, strengthening economic growth, stimulating local businesses, responding to emergencies, or protecting our environment, our staff demonstrate professionalism, collaboration, and an unwavering commitment to public service.
This report is a reflection of their work and the partnerships that make it possible. I want to sincerely thank County Council, our community partners, and especially our staff for their continued dedication to serving the residents of Northumberland County.
We are dedicated to being the best practices leader of County government, and a collaborative partner with our member municipalities and community partners. Together, we are turning strategy into action and building a stronger future for our communities.
Meet our leadership team
Lisa Ainsworth
Corporate Services Director
Susan Brown
Northumberland Paramedics Chief
Dwayne Campbell
Economic Development, Planning & Strategic Initiatives Director
Kate Campbell
Communications & IT Director
Alanna Clark
Administrator of the Golden Plough Lodge
Bill Detlor
Community & Social Services Director
Denise Marshall
Public Works Director
Darrell Mast
Municipal Solicitor
Matthew Nitsch
Finance Director/Treasurer
About our services
2025 Communications Highlights
$2,377,22
Funding secured from other levels of government and external sources
5
Newly enhanced websites launched, with a 90% positive first impression
8
Consecutive industry awards for the design of our Annual Report
17
Training sessions held for staff on accessible documents, grant writing, and Indigenous relations
What we do
- Communications strategy and planning
- Media relations and issue management
- Event management and speech writing
- Employee communications
- Graphic design and multimedia
- Advertising and campaign management
- Brand strategy
- Website operations and governance
- Social media corporate accounts and standards
- Information accessibility
- Analytics and reporting
- Grant writing
- Community engagement
2025 Community & Social Services Highlights
373
Affordable, transitional and market rent housing units in operation today
2,287
Licensed child care spaces supported by Northumberland County
1 M+ lbs
Food and essential items delivered to local food programs.
2,235
Programs offered across 7 EarlyON Child and Family Centres and 41 partner locations
What we do
- Administers Community Housing and affordable housing programs, supporting implementation of our 10-Year Housing and Homelessness Plan.
- Works to implement the strategic vision of the Northumberland County Housing Corporation (NCHC) Board of Directors.
- Connects residents in need with the appropriate County, community and government services and supports
- Manages initiatives to reduce homelessness and the risk of homelessness
- Seeks opportunities for coordinated shelter, housing and wraparound services to support vulnerable community members
- Oversees system planning for Early Years programming and the Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care System (CWELCC) in the County. This includes licensed child care services, EarlyON Child and Family Centres, Fee Subsidy applications, and workforce recruitment/retention and professional learning.
- Operates Food 4 All, a centralized food distribution warehouse
- Coordinates social assistance services, including financial and stability supports
2025 Corporate Services Highlights
62
Committee and Council meetings supported
5,524
Acres of County Forest with 118 km of trails maintained
224
Historical search inquiries processed by Northumberland County Archives & Museum
530+
Linear metres of archival materials and 500+ artefacts preserved at our Archives & Museum
What we do
- Works with the Northumberland Accessibility Advisory Committee and Inter-Municipal Accessibility Committee to develop policies, practice and procedures related to accessible and inclusive service delivery
- Collects, preserves, and makes accessible records and artefacts related to the history and development of Northumberland County
- Curates exhibitions, creates educational programs and supports research to help visitors of all ages connect with Northumberland’s history and culture
- Serves as the official archival repository for the County and 3 member municipalities, ensuring historically significant municipal records are preserved and managed in accordance with legislation and professional standards
- Ensures safe and health working environment by adhering to occupational health and safety legislation and regulations
- Conducts hazard identification, works with community partners to mitigate, plan, respond and recover from disasters
- Supports operating departments in managing all aspects of the employee lifecycle including attraction and retention, employee/labour relations and training & development while ensuring regulatory compliance with labour laws
- Provides accurate and timely processing of employee pay and ongoing pension and benefits administration, ensuring legal compliance with payroll related legislation
- Manages approximately 5,524 acres of mainly forested land including 118 km of trails and 5 km of accessible trails
- Enforces the Forest Conservation Tree Bylaw and Ontario Week Control Act
- Oversee 440 hectares of protected land within the Forest, designated as Special Management Zones
- Implement stewardship of conifer plantations through thinning and long-term forest management practices under Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification standards
- Records and maintains official Council and Standing Committee records including agendas, minutes, resolutions, and by-laws
- Oversees a broad range of responsibilities related to legislative compliance
- Provides procedural and administrative support to Council and the County’s six Standing Committees
2025 Economic Development, Planning & Strategic Initiatives Highlights
$127,000
In micro grants issued by BECN to support business owners and youth entrepreneurs
$4.26 M
worth of Made in Ontario products produced at OAFVC
318
Planning applications received for review and comment
3.86 M
Impressions, views and readership opportunities for Northumberland Tourism messaging
What we do
- Operates the Business & Entrepreneurship Centre of Northumberland (BECN)
- Business incubation services and supports for the agriculture and agri-food industry through the Ontario Agri-Food Venture Centre (OAFVC)
- Fosters economic prosperity and innovation by providing leadership for manufacturing attraction and other economic development activities
- Provides Settlement Services programming and supports for New Canadians investment and talent re-location
- Provides comprehensive land use planning to foster community growth and preserve the natural environment
- Ensures safe and compliant construction of plumbing and on-site sewage systems
- Works to grow and assist tourism-related businesses in Northumberland County through promotion and positioning the County as a travel destination
2025 Finance Highlights
10
Internal departments supported with financial management and purchasing
2nd year
of multi-year budget implemented
2027
budget development underway
Joint
Purchasing efforts in collaboration with member municipalities
- Safeguard county assets through internal controls and policies
- Develop operating and capital budgets and long-term financial plan
- Record and report on financial transactions and investments
- Manage procurement and risk management functions
2025 Golden Plough Lodge Long-Term Care Home Highlights
Our philosophy
Eden Philosophy of Care, focused on resident-centred care
151
Beds in our long-term care home
95.46%
Occupancy rate in our home in 2025
180
Number of beds we are expanding to in 2026
What we do
- Offers a home for adults whose needs can no longer be met within the community
- Provides lodging, food services and environmental services for residents
- Provides clinical nursing care and therapeutic, social work, pharmaceutical, and physician services
- Provides assistance with activities of daily living
- Supports individuals to maintain a life with purpose, dignity, choice and respect
- Offers recreational, active, social and spiritual programming
2025 Information Technology Highlights
94%
Service Level Agreement compliance
972
Devices managed
3,815
Helpdesk tickets addressed
7
External organizations provided with County IT support
What we do
- Drives service transformation through emerging technologies, digital strategies, and user-centered project delivery across the organization
- Delivers responsive and reliable technology support, emphasizing service excellence and collaboration
- Oversees and maintains the municipality’s core network, server infrastructure, and cloud environments, ensuring stable, secure, and scalable operations
- Administers a comprehensive program to safeguard technology assets, data, and operations, while proactively managing threats and ensuring compliance with cybersecurity standards
- Delivers secure, cost-effective IT support, infrastructure, and cybersecurity for participating member municipalities through a shared service model
- Supports and advances enterprise software and systems in coordination with cross-functional teams, aligning technology with business needs
- Manages the organization’s corporate records and data governance, supporting transparency, compliance, and efficient information access
2025 Legal Services Highlights
8942
Charges processed
164
Courtroom hours
50
Charges processed per hour
4 months
Average timeline for setting matters for trial
What we do
- Provide legal advice and opinions to County Departments and Council
- Prosecution of Offences and Appeals under Part I of the Provincial Offences Act in the Ontario Court of Justice, and administration of the Provincial Offences Court
- Ensure representation before Court and Tribunals
- Retain and instruct external legal counsel
2025 Northumberland Paramedics Highlights
25,000+
Emergency paramedic calls per year
6
paramedic bases with 19 ambulances and emergency response vehicles
2
Community paramedicine offices with 8 community paramedicine vehicles
1,100+
Community paramedicine clients
What we do
- Provides proactive health care services for our community, bridging identified system gaps, challenges and access to community care
- Diverting lower acuity patients who use 9-1-1 services for a multitude of reasons for to an alternative model of care
- Supporting and assisting seniors to stay at home longer and safety
- Provides emergency health care to County residents and visitors, and transports those in need to further care to appropriate medical facilities
- Provides definitive care, tailored to the patient’s condition, ensuring patients are transported to the most appropriate regional health center to best meet their needs and receive the optimal treatment
- Ensures that all paramedics maintain current health care skills to ensure quality of care and continuous improvement
- Delivers community programs to educate the public on Northumberland Paramedics and the appropriate use of Emergency Medical Services and 911
2025 Public Works Highlights
498 km
of County Roads maintained
41,035
Curbside waste stops/week
3
Community Recycling Centres
28
County buildings maintained
What we do
- Leads the oversight of all County-owned facilities including buildings, infrastructure and grounds
- Maintains Northumberland County Housing Corporation facilities
- Manages the County GIS database and provides GIS services to member municipalities
- Manages the County’s Asset Management software, and develops and updates the County’s Asset Management Policy and Plan
- Manages and oversees complex multidisciplinary capital projects from planning stages through to construction
- Manages and oversees capital planning and construction for all transportation assets including roads, structures, storm sewers, traffic signals, etc.
- Provides engineering reviews and approvals for planning and development applications
- Completes reviews and provides approval for all Right-Of-Way (ROW) permits for utility companies, contractors, consultants, etc. working within County ROW
- Maintains County roads, bridges, culverts, traffic signals, street lighting, signs and drainage systems
- Provides summer and winter maintenance and operations, roadside safety device maintenance, traffic control, surface treatment program for County and member municipal roads, and fleet management for all County departments
- Responsible for the collection, processing and / or disposal of waste and divertible materials including garbage, organic waste, yard waste, and household hazardous waste
- Services include maintenance and operation of 3 Community Recycling Centres, 1 operational landfill site and 8 closed landfill sites