Chatham-Kent council has approved a property tax grant to support a housing initiative by Walpole Island First Nation at a Wallaceburg property purchased to help address housing needs within the community.
The grant applies to the property at 2028 Dufferin Ave. and will be equal to the annual municipal and education property taxes paid on the site. The agreement will take effect Jan. 1, 2026, and remain in place for up to five years or until the federal Additions to Reserve process for the property is completed, whichever occurs first.
According to a report presented to council, Walpole Island First Nation purchased the property in December 2025 and intends to use it for housing purposes. Chief Leela Thomas requested tax relief earlier this year, citing a critical housing shortage facing the community.
Administration noted that municipalities are limited in how they can provide property tax relief under the Ontario Municipal Act and cannot waive or forgive taxes outside of provincially authorized programs. Instead, council approved a grant equivalent to the annual tax amount.
The estimated value of the 2026 grant is $36,291.50, consisting of $31,005.86 in municipal taxes and $5,285.64 in education taxes.
Under the arrangement, property taxes will continue to be paid in full. Once the taxes have been paid and the property is being used or developed for housing, the municipality will provide the grant to Walpole Island First Nation.
Municipal staff said a preliminary review found no technical reasons to oppose the property’s potential addition to Walpole Island’s jurisdiction through the federal Additions to Reserve process. If approved by the federal government, the land would eventually be removed from Chatham-Kent’s tax roll and municipal and education taxes would no longer apply.
Council approved funding the 2026 grant through the Strategic Development Reserve. If the federal process remains ongoing, future grants will be included as annual requests in the municipality’s 2027 through 2030 budgets and funded from the same reserve.
The report noted that supporting the initiative aligns with efforts to advance Truth and Reconciliation and address housing challenges facing Indigenous communities.
