Round 1 of Public Engagement

Over the course of several months, Darwin Pivot (DP) and J.L. Richards (JLR), working alongside a Steering Committee comprised of Township staff, engaged local citizens and key stakeholders [e.g. the Port Perry Agricultural Society (PPAS)] through multiple opportunities for input. This included direct discussions with key groups such as the PPAS, as well as conversations with residents, community organizations, and other site users.

The engagement process was designed to better understand how the Fairgrounds are used today, what people would like to see on the lands in the future, and the values the community believes should guide future decisions.

To gather this feedback, a mix of in-person and digital options were available to ensure an open, fair, and transparent gathering of input. These methods included in-person open ‘pop-in’ sessions, direct conversations with residents and user groups (e.g. PPAS, Port Perry Seniors Club, local schools), community connectors, online commenting tools, email and phone submissions, and a survey that was available both digitally and on paper.

After months of gathering feedback, the project team received more than 1,000 responses — a strong level of participation relative to the Township’s population. DP and JLR reviewed and analyzed all submissions, which helped identify several key themes. While these themes do not represent a final concept for the Fairgrounds, they highlight what matters most to local citizens today and what they hope to see reflected in the future. These insights will help guide the next phase of engagement and the development of potential directions for the site.

March 9 Special Council Meeting

Emerging Themes

The following themes were identified as priorities for the community as a result of past engagement. These themes are not ranked.

Ideas from the Community

A snapshot of the range of ideas shared so far. This list is not exhaustive, and it reflects themes and examples rather than every individual suggestion. Ideas are grouped by potential level of change or scale of work, and are not ranked or prioritized at this time.

Low Scale of Work

Typically: programming, small upgrades, modest additions, lower capital investment and operational expenditures.

  • Art / public art
  • Farmers’ market
  • Food trucks
  • Community events / festivals (including the Annual Fair)
  • Educational programming / classes
  • Outdoor education / outdoor classroom
  • Heritage features (interpretive signage / historical displays)
  • Wayfinding / signage
  • Entrance / “sense of arrival”
  • Seating / benches / picnic tables
  • Picnic areas
  • Shade / tree planting / landscaping
  • Pollinator garden / naturalized area
  • Expanded community garden
  • Bike racks / bike parking
  • Safety / security (lighting policies, basic measures)
  • Volunteering / partnerships with local groups
  • Year-round activation (programming-focused)
  • Environmental stewardship (programming)

Medium Scale of Work

Typically: site works, new/expanded outdoor amenities, moderate upgrades; noticeable capital investment and operating expenditures.

  • Accessibility improvements (paths, surfaces, routes)
  • Improve walkability and on-site access / pathways (paved)
  • Parking improvements
  • Public washrooms / washroom upgrades
  • Covered pavilion / picnic shelter / gazebo
  • Playground / play structures
  • Splash pad
  • Dog park
  • Outdoor fitness equipment
  • Skate park
  • Disc golf
  • Sports courts (basketball; tennis/pickleball) / Sports fields (soccer/baseball) / ball diamonds
  • Track
  • Toboggan hill / winter activity features
  • Pond / water feature
  • Fencing / gates (as needed for operations)
  • Site circulation improvements (pedestrian/vehicle flow)
  • Maintain grounds and buildings (targeted upgrades)
  • Concession / canteen

High Scale of Work

Typically: new buildings, major infrastructure, major servicing, major capital investment and higher ongoing operational expenditures.

  • Community centre / recreation centre
  • Community hall / rentable indoor space
  • Craft / artisan market
  • Indoor multi-use space / indoor event space
  • Amphitheatre (built venue)
  • Concerts / live music
  • Stage / bandstand / performance space (built + serviced)
  • Indoor ice rink (built/serviced)
  • Indoor pool / aquatic centre (built/serviced)
  • Senior centre / seniors programming space (facility)
  • Seniors housing / affordable housing
  • Major servicing / infrastructure changes (water, power, access)
  • Major reconfiguration for annual Fair + expanded facilities
  • New/expanded agricultural buildings / facilities
row of speech bubbles with green text to the right reading 'A Shared Space for Every Story.'

Past Engagement Tools

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Community Connectors

Are you someone who cares deeply about Port Perry and the Fairgrounds? Are you kind, curious, and connected? Do you know your neighbours, volunteer in the community, or simply enjoy connecting with others?

We’re looking for Community Connectors — community-minded citizens who can help us reach people across Scugog.

To learn more: Contact Us!

Community Connectors are local citizens who care about their community and want to help bring more voices into the Fairgrounds conversation. They help us reach people in places formal engagement tools don’t always reach, such as neighbourhoods, parent groups, senior circles, workplaces, volunteer networks, and everyday social spaces.

The role is simple: share project information, invite people in your network to participate, and listen to their thoughts and experiences. Community Connectors don’t advocate for any specific idea — they help us hear the full range of perspectives that exist across Scugog.

Everyone who volunteers is invited to a short online orientation session. We’ll walk through the purpose of the project, our guiding principles, and a few gentle conversation prompts to help you feel comfortable engaging with others. After Connectors have had conversations in their networks, we bring the group back together to compare notes and ensure feedback has been captured accurately and consistently.

Community Connectors help us include people who may not attend formal consultations or engage online, but still have meaningful experiences and ideas to share. By widening the circle of participation, Connectors help ensure the future of the Fairgrounds is shaped by a broad cross-section of community voices.