The Township of Scugog Council has voted to proceed with Phase 2 consultation after reviewing the findings of Phase 1 in which more than 1,000 people responded.
Meanwhile, as of last night, a longer-running community petition by activists to Protect Port Perry Fairgrounds had garnered 3,648 signatures verified by Change.org that helps confirm that signatures are from real people.
Phase 1 started last September when council awarded RFP P2025-17: “Community Land Use Visioning Exercise – Port Perry Fairgrounds” to Darwin Pivot (DP), in partnership with J.L. Richards (JLR), to lead a public consultation process to engage residents and create a vision for the lands based on community input and values.
After months of gathering feedback, the project team received over 1,000 responses, a statistical representation that is considered very good for the size of our population, said a township statement.
DP and JLR compiled and analyzed every submission, which led to the emergence of key themes which include:
- Strengthen community connection: Residents view the Fairgrounds as a hub of social life, community identity, and shared experience. There is interest in year-round opportunities to gather in an inclusive, welcoming environment.
- Protect and enhance open, accessible green space: The Fairgrounds’ open character, being central, green, and walkable, was consistently described as a defining community asset.
- Honour heritage while looking forward: The Port Perry Fair and agricultural roots are central to local identity. While most people welcome improvements that would allow for a better use of the site year-round with a variety of amenities, they want changes to respect this legacy.
- Design for flexibility and shared use: Residents see the Fairgrounds as a multi‑use landscape capable of hosting both signature events and everyday recreation, incorporating dedicated or multi-use space for the Fair, like Elgin Park in Uxbridge.
- Stewardship over time: People want thoughtful, phased, sustainable care for the Fairgrounds, providing a new, community-focused era for the site.
These findings were presented to council at the March 9 as an interim report.
“We’re thrilled to see more than 1,000 people take part in this process. From the beginning, our goal was for the community to be directly involved in giving their ideas and helping shape the future of these lands,” said Mayor Wilma Wotten. “As we move into Phase 2, we encourage everyone to keep participating and share their ideas in a respectful way. Every voice matters, and we want yours to help guide our decisions.”
The noted technical workshops are expected to begin in April, with the community open house expected to follow in May.