Written By David Gomez
ADELAIDE METCALFE - Council voiced support for expanding veterinary education capacity and received an update on local building activity during the March 2 meeting.
Councillors first considered a request from the Township of Papineau-Cameron, which called on municipalities to support a resolution advocating for increased enrolment at the Ontario Veterinary College. The resolution highlights ongoing challenges in accessing large animal veterinary services in rural Ontario.
Councillor Andrew Campbell spoke in favour of the request, pointing to broader issues affecting agricultural communities. “I certainly think that the large animal vet shortage across rural Ontario is one that could be solved with a little more expansion and enrollment,” he said. “So, I’d look to support this resolution.”
With no further discussion, council voted in favour of endorsing the resolution, joining other municipalities in urging provincial and institutional stakeholders to consider expanding training capacity for large animal veterinarians.
The meeting then turned to a staff report on building activity, presented by Chief Building Official Arnie Marsman, who attended virtually. Marsman provided both a fourth-quarter update and a year-end summary for 2025, noting that the township experienced a solid year overall.
“The year 2025 actually was a good year for the township. We are ahead of last year’s numbers,” Marsman said. He reported increases in the number of permits issued, dwelling units constructed and overall construction value compared to 2024.
Across the broader service area, which includes multiple neighbouring municipalities, activity remained consistent year over year. “We pretty much broke even to where we were in 2024,” Marsman explained, adding that a total of 805 permits were issued across the region, with 197 new dwellings and a combined construction value of approximately $260 million.
Within Adelaide Metcalfe specifically, the township saw noticeable growth. “All in all, it was 87 permits compared to 68, so it was a decent year for sure for Adelaide Metcalfe,” Marsman said. While the number of single detached homes remained relatively stable, additional units, including a multi-unit farm dwelling, contributed to the increase.
Marsman also noted that construction values rose alongside permit activity, although permit fee revenue did not follow the same trend. “It’s hard to explain why we have more permits with a higher construction value, but we didn’t collect as many permit fees,” he said, adding that variations in project types can affect fee totals from year to year.
The report also highlighted changes to the municipality’s shared service model. The Village of Newbury has now joined the partnership, bringing the total number of municipalities served by the building department to six. In addition, by-law enforcement services provided through Middlesex Centre have expanded to include Adelaide Metcalfe.
Marsman reported that initial by-law enforcement efforts addressed a small number of files, including property standards and lighting complaints. Mayor Susan Clarke indicated that enforcement would remain an area of focus moving forward. “That is something that we’ll continue to focus on in the coming months when the weather gets a little bit nicer, specifically the property standards around the village area,” she said.
