Public open house set for Smiths Falls draft Official Plan

The Town of Smiths Falls is inviting residents to weigh in on its new draft Official Plan, a document that will guide community growth and development over the next 25 years.

A public open house will take place Tuesday, Sept. 10 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Town Hall. The draft Transportation Master Plan, which is being developed alongside the Official Plan, will also be available for review.

Council first directed staff to update the Official Plan in 2023 to include transportation planning, a commercial sector analysis, a housing needs study and workshops on five themes raised through public consultation: downtown revitalization, housing, sustainability, community spaces, and transportation and connections.

In March 2025, council accepted a series of reports prepared by Dillon Consulting and town staff, including the Official Plan Visioning and Strategic Approaches Report and the Opportunity Areas Report, which serve as the foundation for the new plan.

“We’re looking forward to sharing how we propose to carry forward the five key themes that will guide how we will grow and develop through to 2046,” said Karl Grenke, the town’s manager of development services. “On September 10th and the weeks following, we’re eager to hear from the community whether we got it right.”

Mayor Shawn Pankow called the Official Plan “one of the most important tools we have to guide the future of our community.”

“We encourage all residents to take part in this process, share their feedback, and help us ensure Smiths Falls continues to grow in a way that reflects the needs and values of our residents,” he said.

More information about the draft plan is available at smithsfalls.ca/opupdates.