Leeds and the Thousand Islands Community Improvement Plan

Leeds and the Thousand Islands Community Improvement Plan

Township of Leeds and the Thousand Islands

The Township of Leeds and the Thousand Islands (TLTI) is shaped by a collection of distinct villages, waterfront communities, rural landscapes, hamlets, and agricultural areas, each with its own character, opportunities, and investment needs. Re:Public Urbanism worked with the Township to develop a comprehensive Community Improvement Plan, creating a coordinated framework for directing revitalization and reinvestment across both its settlement areas and rural communities.

Rather than concentrating investment in a single downtown or main street, the Plan takes a Township-wide approach. It establishes tools to strengthen local businesses, improve existing buildings and properties, diversify housing options, enhance public spaces, support tourism and rural economic activity, and reinforce the cultural and natural qualities that distinguish TLTI.

Prepared in consultation with residents, business owners, and municipal staff, the Plan introduces five financial incentive programs to support Façade Improvement, Accessibility and Code Compliance, Secondary Dwelling Unit Creation, Building Conversion and Expansion, and Agri-Tourism. A suite of financial incentives helps property owners and businesses undertake tangible improvements, while a complementary program of municipal leadership initiatives gives the Township a longer-term roadmap for investing in its main streets, public spaces, waterfronts, housing, wayfinding, and environmental assets. Together, these tools establish a flexible framework for community improvement over the coming decade.

Leeds and Thousand Island, ON

2023

Parcel Economics

One Township, Many Communities

Community improvement in Leeds and the Thousand Islands means responding to very different places and context.
For example:

Lansdowne functions as the Township’s administrative centre and primary serviced settlement
Lyndhurst is shaped by its historic village fabric and mill landscape
Seeley’s Bay is closely connected to the Rideau Canal
Rockport, Ivy Lea, and the broader rural area reflect strong relationships with tourism, agriculture, waterfronts, and the natural landscape

The CIP recognizes these differences while establishing a common vision for investment. This allows improvement efforts to respond to local context while ensuring that opportunities, resources, and municipal support are distributed across the Township’s communities.

Façade improvements that strengthen main streets and improve existing building stock;

Building conversions and expansions that bring vacant or underused spaces back into productive use

Turning Investments into Visible Change

The team developed five financial incentive programs that enable the Township to partner directly with property owners, businesses, and residents on projects that contribute to broader community goals. The programs support:

Accessibility and code improvements that create more welcoming and inclusive places

Agri-ecotourism and rural business improvements that recognize economic development opportunities beyond the Township’s settlement areas.

Secondary dwelling units that expand the range of attainable and rental housing options; and

A Framework for Long-term Community Improvement

The Plan combines near-term incentives with a longer-term municipal action framework, allowing the Township to respond to immediate investment opportunities while progressively advancing larger community priorities. The municipal initiatives are organized across short-, medium-, long-term, and ongoing timeframes, creating a practical structure for implementation over approximately ten years. The CIP functions as an active planning and economic development tool supporting public and private investment throughout Leeds and the Thousand Islands.