Update on Draft Parks and Recreation Master Plan Engagement

Cobourg, ON (June 5, 2026) – The Town of Cobourg Community Services Division would like to remind residents that community engagement for the draft Parks and Recreation Master Plan (PRMP) is open until Monday, June 8, 2026.

The Community Services Division began the process of developing a PRMP in mid-2025. A PRMP provides a long-term roadmap for how municipalities develop, maintain and improve access to parks, trails, recreation facilities and programs.

The plan aims to support the community by improving access to recreation for all ages, boosting economic growth and attractiveness, strengthening community connections, and enhancing overall quality of life for residents.

Community Engagement and Process
The development of the draft plan has included consultation and significant community engagement with organizations and users of our parks and recreation facilities.

Consultation for the plan included collaboration with Town Council, community partners, and a PRMP Task Force comprised of Cobourg residents.

Engagement to date includes:

• 471 respondents to public online survey (October-November 2025)
• 300 randomly-selected households surveyed by telephone
• 241 contributions to Engage Cobourg additional feedback tools
• 39 surveys from parks & recreation user groups, representing 8,157 community members
• 29 attendees at in-person Open House (October 2025)
• 21 interviews with Council and key Town Staff
• 7 focus groups with youth, seniors, and fields/courts/ice users
• 100 attendees at the May 25 Open House

Further, to ensure this plan reflects community priorities and considers existing documents, the PRMP consulted the Official Plan, Town of Cobourg Cultural Master Plan, Town of Cobourg Operational Plan, Asset Management Plan, Recreation Strategy and Implementation Plan, Parks Master Plan, and more.

The PRMP is currently in the final stage of a three-phase process. In this stage, residents have been provided the opportunity to give their feedback on the draft plan which captured the consultation to date. When this community engagement phase closes on June 8, community feedback will be reviewed and revisions made. This final draft is scheduled to be presented to Council on July 22, at which time Council can receive and provide direction on next steps.

Identified Gaps in the Draft Plan
Staff have raised concerns around missing elements in the current draft plan regarding the Waterfront Nature Park and the integration of the Waterfront User Needs Assessment and Detailed Design plan.

Staff have also identified a need to revise the language around public health and safety to ensure it is more reflective of the Town of Cobourg.

While not captured in the current PRMP draft, the Town of Cobourg has existing regulatory by-laws that align with current Provincial legislation, including Bill 6 – the Safer Municipalities Act, 2025, to address nuisance behaviour on public lands, restrict the public consumption of illegal substances, and maintain safe, accessible public spaces for residents and families. 

By-law provisions, provincial statutes, and initiatives relating to encampments and public drug use include the Trespass to Property Act (TPA); Restricting Public Consumption of Illegal Substances Act, 2025; Nuisance By-law #048-2016 (as amended, By-law 017-2024); as well as proactive enforcement and partnerships.

Further, the Town of Cobourg strengthened its Parks bylaw (070-2023), prohibiting camping or dwelling in parks. Together, these Provincial laws, municipal by-laws, and proactive enforcement measures equip the Town of Cobourg with stronger tools to address nuisance behaviour, manage encampments responsibly, and protect the safety and usability of public spaces for the community.

Through collaboration with Cobourg Police Services, the Town of Cobourg has conducted crime prevention through environmental design audits of municipal parks and trails and implemented strategies to deter criminal activities.

The final draft of the PRMP will reflect updates in these areas.

Next Steps for the Plan
The Town of Cobourg thanks all community members who have engaged in sharing feedback on the draft plan. The feedback will be taken back to the consultant, PRMP Task Force and staff for review and consideration.

Visit www.EngageCobourg.ca by Monday, June 8, 2026, to review the draft PRMP and to share your feedback.