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

We are now in Phase 2: Parks Plan Development

A draft Parks Plan is ready! We are looking for resident input to support the refinement of priorities and policy directions for the Parks Plan. The draft Parks Plan has been developed based on feedback we heard from residents and user groups in Phase 1 of the project.

On October 17, 2024 the Town held a Public Open House to answer questions and seek feedback on the draft Parks Plan. The display boards presented at the Public Open House are available for review and comment.

Comments on the information presented at the Public Open House are requested by November 8. Please submit your comments to parksplan@townofws.ca.

As Stouffville continues to grow, this plan will guide the development of a well-connected network of parks, trails, and open spaces, supporting a vibrant and healthy community for all.

The Parks Plan will also result in an updated Parkland Dedication By-law, as part of Phase 3, which will outline the requirements for developers to contribute to parkland as part of new developments.

Project Timeline

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

The objective of this phase was 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.

An online survey was available in April 2024. Thank you to those who shared your thoughts to help shape the future of parks in Stouffville!

Check out the Phase 1 What We Heard Report.

Phase 2: Parks Plan Development (Fall 2024)
This phase will share and receive feedback from members of the public on the draft Parks Plan and policy directions, with the goal of ensuring the plan is actionable and focused on implementation.

Following engagement with Town staff, interested parties, user groups and residents, a final Parks Plan will be developed.

Phase 3: Parkland Dedication By-law Update (Winter 2025)
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 collected 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.