The land-use visioning exercise for Port Perry Fairgrounds at 15835 Old Simcoe Road, sets out five strategic directions, including reserving space for “future opportunity areas”.
Residents who oppose the visioning exercise fear parts of the lands will be set aside housing developments. They have set up a community petition calling on Scugog Council to protect the fairgrounds for continued use of community events – now and for the future, and to keep these public lands public and not sell them for private development.
The Township of Scugog said project consultant has submitted its final report which will be discussed on July 13.
“We recommend that residents read both the visioning document and the staff report that will come before council on July 13,” the township said.
Last September council awarded the visioning project to Darwin Pivot (DP), in partnership with J.L. Richards (JLR).
The July 13, 2026, agenda has been published. Highlights include:
- The final vision document from Darwin Pivot detailing results from Your Voice, Your Fairgrounds public consultation and accompanying recommendations for future use
- Complementary report from staff detailing the financial and implementation options for the property
The township said the vision document outlines key pillars and strategic directions based on the community feedback. The property is sectioned into 4 distinct zones and areas for future considerations:
- Zone 1 – Flexible Open Space & Event Grounds Area
- Zone 2 – Community Activation Area and Future Opportunity Area
- Zone 3 – Community Gathering & Neighbourhood Area
- Future Opportunity Areas
Township Park & Housing Development
Council is also being asked to consider developing an implementation plan based on several principles, including:
- To set aside approximately 19 acres of the 23-acre property to be developed into a new Township Park with open space/event grounds areas, community use areas, and recreational space/facilities
- Staff are recommending that council consider a small portion of the property, approximately four acres at the corner of Old Simcoe Road and Reach Street, be planned and sold preferably for seniors residential/mixed-use development to fund improvements to the remainder of the property
- The proposed open multi-use event space maintains a place for the Port Perry Fair as well as other community events
- Consistent with what was heard through the Visioning Exercise consultation, the large majority of residents want to see improvements to the recreational offerings on the site that would allow it to be used year-round. This includes keeping the community gardens on the property to foster neighbourhood connections to the site, while adding elements such as trails, additional trees, play or recreational structures, new washrooms, seating, and other event-related amenities
- Funding for any improvements to the property should be sustainable, have minimal impact on the property tax base, and be sourced from the potential uses of the property and other grant funding
The township said the mock-ups in the visioning document are strictly conceptual and do not represent a full plan for the grounds. Rather, they show what could be explored in the future. These concepts would require further research to determine whether they are achievable.