PRIORITIZING CONNECTIVITY AND EDUCATION Along with the beautiful surroundings, and a high quality of life, Augusta’s appeal to newcomers often comes down to the availability of reliable high-speed internet and access to local schooling. With this in mind, the township commissioned an independent IPT (Internet Performance Test) survey last year to map existing speeds across North Augusta, Maynard, Maitland, and other villages.Thanks to that data, and a council member with IT expertise, the township has secured commitments from Bell and Cogeco to roll out fibre to every corner of Augusta by the end of 2025, a benefit for both new developments and existing homes. In 2018, when Augusta faced the potential closure of its sole K–6 school, Shaver took up the cause. “I said, I’m going to push for school,” he recalls, noting that he has since led delegations before both the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) and Rural Ontario Municipal Association (ROMA). “I think we’ve got to a point where we’re going to be successful. We’ll end up closing two 1950 schools, our own and Prescott’s, and building a brand new school.” REGIONAL PARTNERSHIPS Geraghty emphasizes that partnerships with neighboring municipalities have been vital to the township’s ability to provide quality services and amenities despite its small size. “We know that water and sewer is a big component of bringing residential housing in, and certainly housing is what gets people to relocate to Augusta,” he notes. “But we’re in between Brockville and Prescott, which has the arenas, the grocery stores and all of that. We’ve been very strong collaborators with our neighboring municipalities, to create opportunities for us to thrive together.” As part of these efforts, Augusta has donated $75,000 toward the walking track at Prescott’s new arena and contributed to the construction of a new water tower in the town. As the township continues to grow, collaborations with neighbouring municipalities and communities within the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville are important. “We’ve done a really good job on 7 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 07 AUGUSTA, ON
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