Despite opposition from a number of residents, The Township of Scugog has selected Darwin Logic to conduct the Port Perry Fairgrounds visioning exercise.
As of last night a community petition against the project had raised some 3,592 verified signatures. The petition calls on Scugog Council to:
- Protect the Port Perry Fairgrounds for continued use of community events – now and for the future.
- Keep these public lands PUBLIC: do NOT sell these lands for private development.
Activists do not want the visioning as similar exercises in Collingwood added 2,200 units of housing on their site. There is a fear amongst many members of the community the same fate will befall the local fairgrounds (see below).
Seven Compliant Proposals
“At the September 15 special council meeting, Scugog council discussed the request for proposal (RFP) submissions for the Port Perry Fairgrounds Visioning Exercise. Staff reported to council that 18 organizations expressed interest in this project…from that group, seven businesses submitted a compliant proposal by the August 29 deadline,” said a township statement.
It said following staff’s recommendation, council awarded the contract to Darwin Logic Inc. (operating as Darwin Pivot) in the amount of $92,553 (excluding HST) budgeted from the Municipal Projects Reserve that funds the corporation’s projects in areas such as IT, development of community strategies, master plan studies, and consultation projects.
The township said Darwin Logic has assembled a team of experts who have experience in demography, land use planning, stakeholder engagement, and program evaluation. They have conducted visioning and public consultation exercises in the past and offer the expertise to create a well-rounded community-driven vision for the fairgrounds.
Public Input Exercise for Next Nine Months
Mayor Wilma Wotten said: “I thank the staff for delivering on what we asked for and finding an impartial project team like Darwin Logic to lead the consultation to gather and develop ideas from the Scugog community. My wish is that all voices are captured over the next nine months from the Agricultural Society, other organizations, families, youth and our seniors to ensure we hear from as many voices as possible on ideas and proposals to create a space that provides an array of benefits for all Scugog residents.”
The consultation is expected to begin this fall, offering in-person, virtual, and digital opportunities for participation.
Project Timelines:
Activity/Deliverable |
Timelines |
| Contract award | September 15, 2025 |
| Phase 1 – Start-up/Analysis of existing conditions | Late September into mid-October 2025 |
|
Phase 2 – Initial community and stakeholder engagement |
Late October 2025 to January 2026 |
|
Phase 3 – Idea analysis, synthesizing draft vision components, and Interim Report |
January to February 2026 |
|
Interim report and presentation to Council, and approval to move forward with the remaining project phases |
Late February 2026 |
|
Phase 4 – Follow-up community and stakeholder engagement |
March to April 2026 |
| Phase 5 – Draft and complete the final visioning report/concept plan | May 2026 |
|
Final report and presentation to Council for consideration and selection of the vision for the property |
Mid-June 2026 |
For more information visit Fairgrounds Community Outreach project page.