North Perth Council Signs On To Farm 911/ “The Emily Project”

North Perth, January 20, 2025 – At its meeting on December 16, 2024, the Council of the Municipality of North Perth endorsed a motion to sign on to the Farm 911/Emily Project initiative. This action follows a request from the North Perth Agricultural & Agri-Business Advisory Committee, a committee established by Council during the current term.

The mission of the Farm 911/Emily Project is to improve emergency service response times in rural communities by encouraging landowners to place civic address signs at field entrances on vacant farm parcels. The initiative, sparked by a tragic incident in 2014, has gained traction across Ontario, emphasizing safety and accessibility in remote locations.

Farm landowners can purchase signs for existing field entrances on vacant and non-building farm parcels. In an emergency that warrants 911 services, farmers will have a fast point of reference that will accurately direct first responders. The project adds further benefits by providing an easy-to-reference address for employees, custom work operators and contractors.

Tina Beirnes, Chair of the North Perth Agricultural & Agri-Business Advisory Committee, noted:

"Although farmers in North Perth have and are able to order secondary field entrance signs, joining the Farm 911 Project (The Emily Project) will bring more attention to the need to sign additional farm entrances that are away from the main farm driveways. Trying to direct first responders to "the lane past the old stone foundation on the old Clark farm" can be something in the past." By joining this project and for a small fee, farmers can be sure that they can be easily found on any farm that they are working at."

North Perth Fire Chief & Manager of Development & Protective Services Janny Pape remarked "The Emily Project enhances our ability to respond to emergencies at rural addresses more efficiently.  When seconds matter, property addressing has the potential to improve outcomes.  The NPFD encourages all rural landowners to ensure their properties are marked with 9-1-1 address signs."

“The Emily Project – which provides signage and municipal addresses to fields on vacant farm parcels – is a clear win for our agricultural community and for our first responders. I am excited to see our municipal government embrace this critical information infrastructure,” added Todd Kasenberg, Mayor of the Municipality of North Perth.

Farmers, their families, employees, first responders and the community are strongly encouraged to properly address their farm parcel. Landowners interested in adding a civic address to their fieldentrance is encouraged to contact the North Perth GIS Technician at jroth@northperth.ca or 519-292-2058.

To learn more about the program and find other enrolled communities, visit the Farm 911: The Emily Project website.

For questions, please contact:

Matt Cardiff, Agricultural Specialist

Municipality of North Perth

Email: mcardiff@northperth.ca

Phone: 519-292-2060

North Perth Council Signs On To Farm 911/ “The Emily Project”