Frontenac townships, Addington Highlands, all declare states of emergency

Jeff Green | Mar 26, 2020

Within a 15 minute window on Thursday afternoon, March 26, three Frontenac townships and the township of Addington Highlands all declared a state of emergency, following the release of information from  KFL&A Public Health that community transmission of the COVID-19 virus has taken place in the region.

These declarations implement the emergency plan of the municipalities and will help protect the health, safety, well-being and property of our residents. This declaration of a state of emergency is effective immediately and will remain in effect until further notice.

In Central Frontenac Mayor Frances Smith said,  "We are taking these extreme measures to get the message across to everyone in our region that this is indeed a real emergency. People need to pay attention. People need to stay home and self-isolate. This is not something that is just in the big cities. It's here and people need to act." 

“COVID-19 is a serious threat to our community. We need everyone to please do their part in controlling the spread of the virus by practicing social distancing and self-isolation” stated Reeve Hogg. “Both my wife and I have been self-isolating for the past 14 days”.

"With this Declaration, North Frontenac  Mayor Ron  Higgins is no longer requesting people stay on their properties,  he is now  strongly urging that everyone stay on their property whether you think you have been exposed or not. If you are not infected or have not been exposed this mandate does allow for essential travel only to replenish food, health items, garbage disposal and other necessities. Do not invite guests over and do not accept invitations to socialize during these very serious times. If you do have to leave for any reason, please practice diligent social physical distancing and practice sanitization and frequent handwashing. Failure to cooperate and work together may require more stringent measures to be put into effect," said a release from North Frontenac Township.

“COVID-19 is a serious threat to our community. We need everyone to please do their part in controlling the spread of the virus by practicing social distancing and self-isolation” stated Reeve Hogg of Addington Highlands.  “Both my wife and I have been self-isolating for the past 14 days”.

“Our Township has been a leader in the response to COVID-19 and we are taking further action to help contain the spread of this virus”, said South Frontenac Mayor Vandewal, “As of 1:00pm on March 26, 2020, I have declared a state of emergency within the Township of South Frontenac. This declaration implements the emergency plan of the municipality and will help protect the health, safety, well-being and property of our residents. This declaration of a State of Emergency is effective immediately and will remain in effect until further notice.”

Dr. Kieran Moore, Medical Officer of Health at KFL&A Public Health said, “We must act now to address this serious public health threat. This situation clearly illustrates the highly contagious nature of COVID-19 and emphasizes the importance of practicing physical distancing and self-isolation in order to control the community spread of the virus,” Dr. Moore said.

During this difficult time, the townships are asking everyone in our community to take physical distancing seriously, especially around vulnerable populations and to stay at home to reduce the likelihood of further transmission. This includes self-isolation, maintaining at least two-metre distance from others, avoiding all unnecessary travel, washing your hands often, and regularly disinfecting high touch zones in shared spaces in your home. By acting decisively as a community, we can ensure the safety and well-being of our residents is maintained.

The declaration of an emergency under s 4.0.1 (1) of the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act provides the townships with more options to help protect the health and safety of individuals and families living in Frontenac and Lennox and Addington, including increased procurement and expenditure authority and access to provincial funding should it become available.

Precautions to prevent transmission include self-isolation, maintaining at least two metre distance from others, avoiding all unnecessary travel, washing your hands often, and regularly disinfecting high touch zones in shared spaces.

For ongoing COVID-19 updates and ways to best protect you and your family visit www.Kflaph.ca/Coronavirus or www.Ontario.ca/coronavirus.

For more information in Central Frontenac,  contact Jamie Riddell, Manager of Emergency Services Fire Chief / CEMC at 613-331-6423 or by email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

In North Frontenac,  contact Brooke Hawley, CAO Executive Assistant at 613-479-For more information contact Brooke Hawley, CAO Executive Assistant at 613-479-2231 Ext. 229 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

For more information about South Frontenac Township’s response to COVID-19 please visit their website: www.southfrontenac.net .

For more information about Addington Highland's response to COVID-19 please visit their website: www.Addingtonhighlands.ca.