Leeds Grenville County Council has approved new leases and a recruitment deal that will expand child care, mental health services, and doctor recruitment across the region. The decisions were made during council meetings on July 23 and August 11, 2026.
A new mental health service location is coming to 375 William Street South in Gananoque. The space will be leased to Children’s Mental Health of Leeds and Grenville, which currently runs five community offices in Brockville, Elgin, Gananoque, Kemptville, and Prescott, offering free mental health support for kids and youth from birth to 18.
Council also approved lease agreements with the Catholic District School Board of Eastern Ontario and the Upper Canada District School Board to make room for EarlyON Child and Family Centre programming in schools. The new spaces will be in Gananoque, Kemptville, and Brockville, giving more families access to early learning and parenting support close to home.
To help address a shortage of health care workers, council extended a partnership with Health Workforce Innovations Inc. The firm, co-founded by former Ontario Health Minister George Smitherman and former Upper Canada Family Health Team executive director Sherri Fournier Hudson, has already brought 10 doctors to the area as of early 2026.
In Athens, construction began on July 27, 2026, for 75 new licensed child care spaces at Maple View Lodge. Those spaces are expected to open by early 2027. The project is part of a larger effort that has seen 637 new child care spaces allocated across Leeds and Grenville through the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care agreement, with all spaces expected to be operational by December 31, 2026.
Council also approved buying two tandem axle snowplows to keep winter roads maintained and service delivery reliable during the cold months.
