During the 2021 COVID lockdown, the Municipality of North Grenville, initiated by the North Grenville Health, Fitness and Wellness Advisory Committee, challenged residents and businesses to compete in the ParticipACTION Community Better Challenge and get active for the month of June.

The ParticipACTION Community Better Challenge is a national physical activity initiative that encourages all ages and abilities to get active in search of Canada’s Most Active Community.

Being named Canada’s Most Active Community also earned North Grenville the top prize of $100,000. The money was used to upgrade playground equipment and recreational amenities in North Grenville’s rural hamlets.

In 2022, North Grenville launched a campaign to defend our title and was crowned Ontario’s Most Active Community, earning $7,500.

The Municipality of North Grenville joined 40 other communities across Canada as a designated Blue Community. A Blue Community recognizes the importance of protecting its water supply to ensure clean, safe water for generations to come.

The Municipality of North Grenville installed water filling stations in the arena lobby in 2016 and will continue to promote local well or municipal tap water. Moving forward, the municipality will remove bottled water from vending machines and when possible, encourage events within the Municipality to use potable water.

North Grenville was awarded the highest level of certification by the World Council on City Data (WCCD), ISO 37120 Platinum Certification for 2021, 2022 and 2023.  With this accomplishment, North Grenville has achieved the highest level of certification, joining a select group of 100 data-driven cities worldwide including thirty cities across Canada.

Key Performance Indicators

Key data points in which the community excelled across the WCCD Canadian and global network include:

• A highly educated population - North Grenville is a leader in Canada and the world with residents holding, collectively, more than 7,900 post-secondary degrees (48,021 per 100,000 thousand population);
• Prioritizing active transit – North Grenville boasts more bicycle paths and lanes per 100,000 residents compared to most Canadian cities, including Halifax, Brampton, and Saskatoon.
• Over 14,000 hectares of green space (private and public lands) throughout the community (82,427 hectares per 100,000 population) - North Grenville offers ample space for residents and visitors alike to enjoy a cost-effective way of keeping physically active while enjoying the great outdoors.
• Air quality:  North Grenville has better air quality than most other ISSO certified Canadian and International communities including Charlottetown PEI, Corner Brook NFLD, and Vila do Bispo Portugal.
• Promoting tourism and culture - Over the past several years, North Grenville has seen a steady increase in cultural events, with a 450% rise in the number of events.

The North Grenville Road Safety Committee was awarded the 2021 Road Safety Achievement Award (category: Collaboration in Road Safety) by the Ministry of Transportation.

The North Grenville Road Safety Committee was established in 2019, with the goal of raising public awareness of key road safety concerns identified in the community and consists of the following partners, North Grenville Police Services Board (Lead), Municipality of North Grenville, Leeds, Grenville and Lanark Public Health Unit, OPP Grenville Detachment, and the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville.

Visit the Road Safety page

The FSC^® is an international, non-profit organization that supports environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial, and economically viable management of the world's forests. The FSC^® has developed a set of standards that ensure sustainable forest management.

North Grenville boasts two FSC Certified forests – the Kemptville Campus and Limerick Forest.

The Kemptville Campus 360 acre woodlot manages its forest to world class standard while producing FSC^®-certified wood and maple syrup. The Kemptville Campus FSC-Certified woodlot is comprised of several forest stands, including mixed hardwood, conifer and maple plantations.

Learn more at: www.kemptvillecampus.ca

Located on the southern boundary of North Grenville, Limerick Forest is wonderful natural asset of 782-hectares of community forest, owned and managed by the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville. In 2008 it became certified by the Forest Stewardship Council^® (FSC^®). The vast trail network within Limerick Forest consists of approximately 180 km of trails, used by hikers, horseback riders, as well as groomed trails for cross-country skiers and snowmobiles.

Learn more at:
 www.limerickforest.ca

Learn about the current management plans