Waterfront Area & Open Space Plan

The community of Beaverton, with a population of 3,347[1] is located in Brock Township (in Durham Region) and is geographically situated on the eastern shores of Lake Simcoe. The Township’s location on Lake Simcoe and the Trent-Severn Waterway make it a popular destination for tourists in both summer and winter. It is a place where residents and visitors can enjoy the natural environment and participate in a variety of land and water-based activities. The waterfront area benefits from the natural beauty of Lake Simcoe, its close proximity to the historic downtown area and the presence of existing passive and active recreational facilities. It is also an access point on the trail system that links communities across Brock Township and the Regional trail system. The ongoing enhancement of the Beaverton Harbour and the associated connecting lands to downtown Beaverton is a priority for Brock Township Council.

Background

The Beaverton Harbour has been the subject of several studies that date back to 1997 and 2018, respectively. A public survey of Beaverton Harbour was completed in 2019 and Council created the Beaverton Harbour Advisory Committee, a Committee of Council whose mandate is to complete a review of Beaverton Harbour and make recommendations for the Harbour Area.

In December 2021, Council received a report from the Beaverton Harbour Advisory Committee, a Committee of Council whose mandate is to complete a review of and make recommendations for the Beaverton Harbour Area. Among other recommendations, the Advisory Committee recommended that a Beaverton Harbour Master Plan be created. Council endorsed this recommendation, and the project was included as a capital project as part of the 2022 budget.

Waterfront Area and Open Space Plan (Waterfront Plan)

The Township is working to develop a Waterfront Plan that provides a long-term vision for the waterfront on Lake Simcoe and the open space lands that connect Downtown Beaverton to the harbour on Lake Simcoe to capitalize on the many attributes of the community and its geographic location.

The Waterfront Plan will support the Township’s desire to meet the needs of residents, across the age and life stage spectrum and will support the Township’s commitment to a high quality of life that builds on the unique attributes that sets Brock Township, and the community of Beaverton apart.

Objectives of this plan will be to strengthen the role of the waterfront as a community and recreation hub; stimulate tourism and economic development; increase connections to Downtown Beaverton; and ensure its continued vitality for future generations.

The Township has retained The Planning Partnership to lead the waterfront planning process. They are looking forward to working with the community to understand opportunities for change and ideas for the future of the public waterfront lands. The study area includes all public lands between the Beaverton Harbour and Mill Gateway Park adjacent to downtown Beaverton, including the Beaverton fairgrounds.

A public workshop was held on April 20, 2023. Approximately 80 residents participated in the workshop. They were invited to join a table group where designers from The Planning Partnership worked to create various concept options through discussion with residents and based on a number of variables for key components. Three concept options were then made available in June, along with an interactive online survey until July 14 to help the team understand the preferred components and elements of each option.

Emerging Preferred Concept

An emerging preferred concept plan has been prepared based on input received to date for the five areas of focus: the Beaverton Harbour, the fairgrounds, lands along Simcoe Street, Mill Gateway Park and downtown Beaverton. An information session was held on November 28, 2023 to present the emerging preferred concept and illustrations on key components and gather public feedback. The presentation also includes some early thinking of priorities/phasing, recognizing that this is a long term plan that will evolve over time. A copy of the emerging preferred concept plan and the presentation from the public session have been uploaded to this page for further public review and comment. Anyone is invited to share their thoughts and ideas for the waterfront. The project team will collect and review all of the input and a final report and recommended plan will be presented to Council in Q1 2024.

How to Participate in the Project

To participate and provide your input, you can:

• Contact Robin Prentice, Director of Development Services, to provide comments or to be added to the notification list for this project to receive email updates and public notices. You can find contact information under the "Who's Listening" tab.
• Attend public sessions that will be held throughout the process.
• Add your ideas, suggestions and questions to the Idea Board below. You can also vote for other ideas you like to show your support.

[1] 2021 census data