4,000+ residents engaged in process to develop new Parks and Recreation Master Plan

Whitby residents want to see more investment in the community’s waterfront, beaches, parks, and open spaces, the first phase of engagement to develop a new Whitby Parks and Recreation Master Plan showed.

From December 2022 to February 2023, the Town engaged more than 4,000 people in learning more about, and sharing their feedback on, the future of parks and recreation in Whitby. Feedback during this first phase was collected through an online survey, in-person and virtual events, and stakeholder roundtable sessions, all of which asked participants to help prioritize and identify future recreational services, infrastructure, and investments for the community.

The results of this phase of engagement will be used to develop a draft Parks and Recreation Master Plan for additional community input later this year. When complete, the new Plan will play an important role in defining a vision, as well as long-term goals and objectives, for how the Town will continue to meet the recreational needs of our growing community well into the future.

What We Heard

Highlights of what we heard during this first round of engagement are as follows:

• The majority of participants enjoy outdoor activities such as visiting the community’s waterfront, parks and open spaces, and walking or hiking.
• 92% of participants agreed that parks and recreation opportunities should be a high priority for Town Council.
• Top outdoor investment priorities noted by participants include the waterfront, beaches, and new parks and outdoor spaces. This feedback aligns with what residents said are their top priorities for the Community Strategic Plan.
• Top indoor investment priorities noted by participants include multi-use sports facilities for all ages, with a pool and gymnasium for league sports.
• Top areas participants would like to see improvement include more facilities and programs (including evening and weekend programs) and increased promotion of available recreation programs in Whitby.

View the full results of this first phase of engagement on the Connect Whitby project page.

Learn More

Residents can subscribe for project updates and information on future opportunities to have their say at connectwhitby.ca/ParksAndRecreation.

For media inquiries, please contact:

Erin Mikaluk
Communications and Creative Services Manager, Town of Whitby
Phone: 289.314.6913
Email: mikaluke@whitby.ca