Minto completes emergency management requirements

MINTO – The Town of Minto has completed all mandatory emergency management requirements for 2026, including training, an annual emergency exercise, public education and a review of its emergency management plan.

Linda Dickson, Wellington County’s  community emergency management coordinator, presented Minto’s 2026 annual emergency management program report to council on Oct. 6.

The annual report outlines the requirements municipalities must meet under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act and provides an update on the town’s emergency preparedness work throughout the year. 

Dickson said the town’s emergency management program committee met on March 10 to review the municipality’s emergency management program, including its hazard identification and risk assessment, emergency management plan, training requirements, annual exercise, critical infrastructure and public education.

The town’s existing Emergency Response Plan, now referred to as the Emergency Management Plan, was also reviewed during the March meeting. The plan was originally adopted by council in 2020.

Dickson also provided an update on Bill 25, the Emergency Management Modernization Act. The legislation has received royal assent, but portions dealing with municipal requirements have not yet come into force.

“At this point, we don’t have any changes proposed,” Dickson told council, adding the town is prepared to make updates once the applicable sections of the legislation take effect.

Training was another major component of the municipality’s 2026 emergency management work. Members of the municipal emergency control group completed their prescribed training on May 7. 

The training covered the municipal emergency management program, control group roles and responsibilities and the capabilities of the emergency operations centre. 

Additional training was also offered throughout the year, including courses related to incident management, emergency management and the town’s D4H emergency management software.

The town’s annual emergency management exercise was also held May 7. 

The exercise focused on notification procedures, the use of incident management system forms, internal and external communications and the use of D4H software.

Dickson said the exercises conducted across the municipalities this year have identified several common areas where additional training could be beneficial.

“We’re working to try and create those enhancements for all the municipalities,” she said, pointing specifically to additional training on IMS forms and the D4H software.

She noted in her report that participants felt the notification exercise went better than in 2025, with the training held beforehand proving helpful. 

However, participants indicated that more experience with D4H and completing IMS forms would be beneficial. 

Continued training and use of the software has also been requested, with plans in place for regular “mini exercises” beginning this fall. 

Public education also remained a key part of Minto’s emergency preparedness program. The town participated in emergency services day for Wellington North, Mapleton and Minto on May 29, as well as Minto Camp Day on Aug. 19. 

Throughout the year, emergency preparedness information was also shared through social media, local newspaper advertising and other public education initiatives. 

Topics included winter weather, flooding, sheltering, tornadoes, emergency kits, extreme heat, business continuity and power outages.

The town is also continuing to update its critical infrastructure information, which is maintained through Wellington County’s GIS-based Common Operating Picture system. 

Dickson told council the town has now completed all of its requirements for the year.

With no questions from council members, the report was received by council for information.