Our parks, trails, and open spaces are places for people to interact, develop social ties, and for recreation and exercise. As the Town continues to grow, a Parks Plan is being developed that will guide the development of a well-connected network of parks, trails, and open spaces to support a vibrant and healthy community for all residents and visitors.

A Parkland Dedication By-law Update will complement the Parks Plan by setting requirements for developers to provide parkland as part of new development within the Town.

The Parks Plan will support decision-making and prioritize the acquisition and investment in parkland across the Town, and will include a needs assessment and review of provision targets for:

• All existing parkland within the Town of Stouffville.
• Town-owned properties that currently serve other uses but could serve as potential candidates for future parkland.
• Future growth areas as identified in the Town’s New Official Plan, including MTSA’s (Stouffville GO and Old Elm GO Major Transit Station Areas) and other Strategic Growth Areas (Western Approach Mixed Use Area, Downtown Core Area).
• Public open spaces not owned by the Town but used by the public such as school board properties and utility corridor lands.

The Parks Plan will also include an assessment of new park typologies and associated amenities to help meet the provision targets.

Get Involved

Phase 1: Setting Priorities

We want to hear from you! We are looking for resident input to support the development of goals, priorities, and recommendations for the Parks Plan.

This phase seeks to understand:

• The size and location of existing parkland and potential for enhancement or expansion to support population growth and intensification.
• The role of new and existing parkland as multifunctional spaces to meet a wide range of recreational interests.
• The pedestrian link between parks to create a comprehensive and connected park and open space system.

Share your thoughts by completing the survey by April 30, 2024 to help shape the future of parks in Stouffville!

Project Timeline

Phase 1: Setting Priorities (Spring 2024)
Goals, priorities, recommendations for the Parks Plan will be developed and will be informed by input from the public, Town Council and staff, and key stakeholders.

Phase 2: Parks Plan Development (Early Summer 2024)
The draft and final Parks Plan will be developed and will be informed and refined by continuous input from the public, Town Council and staff, and key stakeholders.

Phase 3: Parkland Dedication By-law Update (Late Summer 2024)
The Parkland Dedication By-law will be prepared and presented to Council for adoption.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Parks Plan?

A Parks Plan is a document that guides how the Town will provide parkland in the future, as well as maintain and enhance existing green space. The plan sets out a shared vision for the Town and actionable steps to help us get there.

The Parks Plan will be developed using public and stakeholder input, growth projections, and the unique local context of parks, trails and open spaces in the Town.

How will residents be able to inform the outcome of this project?

There are several opportunities for residents and stakeholders to participate in this project. In Phase 1, a public survey will launch and collect residents’ input on goals, priorities, and recommendations for the Parks Plan.

In Phase 2, the draft Parks Plan will be shared at a public open house and an opportunity will be provided to share feedback to refine the plan.

Why is the Town completing a Parkland Dedication By-law update?

Recent legislative changes set by the Provincial Government have amended how municipalities in Ontario can collect fees and/or acquire land from developers for parks when new housing is being developed.

The Parkland Dedication By-law Update will set guidelines around how the Town collects these fees and land acquisitions in alignment with the new Provincial legislation, as well as how to leverage these opportunities to achieve goals and priorities set out in the Parks Plan.

How does this project connect to the Leisure and Community Services Master Plan?

In 2022, the Town updated the Leisure and Community Services Master Plan. The Master Plan celebrates the Town’s successes to date and addresses future needs and opportunities for leisure, recreation, sports, and culture.

While the Leisure and Community Services Master Plan looks at the detailed level of outdoor and indoor recreational and leisure amenities in the Town, the Parks Plan will look at the overall open space network to identify network gaps and strategies to bridge those gaps in the form of new park areas or enhancement to existing park areas.

Feedback

Sign up for our e-news on the right of this page for updates, or email parksplan@townofws.ca to provide comments.