FAQs

Master Plans are comprehensive long-range municipal planning documents that act as a guide for how future growth and development of a community will occur through investment over time. Master Plans often begin with an assessment of current conditions and consider strategies for gradual improvement over time. Public consultation is an important part of the process. 

The Master Plan will serve as a blueprint for implementation, with the intention of supporting the Municipality’s commitment to a high quality of life for those who reside here and for those who will come to enjoy all that Port Hope has to offer. 

The Waterfront and River Walk Master Plan is focused on the lands on either side of the Ganaraska River from Highway 401 to Lake Ontario and the lands along the Lake Ontario waterfront from West Beach to Gages Creek. 

The scope of the Master Plan includes five key areas of interest:

1. West Beach
2. Inner Harbour
3. Centre Pier
4. East Beach to Gages Creek (including A.K. Sculthorpe Marsh)
5. The Ganaraska River from Lake Ontario to Highway 401 (including Corbett’s Dam, Optimist Park, Port Hope’s historic downtown).

The timing is right to complete a new Waterfront and River Walk Master Plan for Port Hope. Improvements to the waterfront and river walk can move forward given that progress is well underway with the Port Hope Area Initiative (PHAI) which will result in land use options for the Municipality as key sites are remediated from their current state of low-level radiation contamination.

Council directed staff, through the Port Hope Strategic Plan, 2019 -2022, to develop the Master Plan.

Our Parks, Recreation and Culture Department is responsible for managing the Municipality’s inventory of recreational programs and services, parks, waterfront and associated facilities. Council has directed the Parks, Recreation and Culture Department to complete the development of the Waterfront and River Walk Master Plan. The Master Plan is a first step in addressing one of the Municipal Priorities identified in the Council-endorsed Port Hope Strategic Plan 2019-2022.

The Master Plan is expected to be presented to Council for approval in Fall/Winter 2022. 

There are multiple ways to get involved, provide your input and participate in community engagement events. Here are a few ways to get involved:

1. Visit the the engagement tools on the bottom of this page and  make your views heard by participating in the activities:  ideas and comments - now closed
2. Participate in the interactive map survey - now closed
3. Register for and attend in-person engagement activities - now complete
4. Review the Draft Master Plan documents and provide your feedback on the review form - open until August 31