Parks, Recreation, Culture Master Plan

In 2014, Council received the Parks, Recreation, Culture Master Plan. Recommendations were developed to create a new park classification system providing residents with a diversity of site experiences. A needs analysis was also completed for outdoor recreational facilities, which included benchmarking to determine the size and amount of outdoor facilities needed to meet current residents' needs. A city-wide Trails Master Plan including a detailed review of Scout Valley was included in the public consultation process and was included as a companion document to the master plan.

The plan establishes priorities and provides recommendations for a wide range of projects and programs, with a recommended focus on three main priorities which, in descending order, are: the development of the trails network, the development of the West Street park, and a focus on Waterfront Celebration parks.

The official documents are available below:

Parks, Recreation, Culture Master Plan

Parks, Recreation, Culture Master Plan Appendix

Trails Master Plan 

Moving forward staff will review, evaluate and prioritize the recommendations in the plan and create a timeline for future implementation of projects based on short-term, mid-term and long-term priorities. Any items with financial implications will be brought forward as required for consideration through the budget process. 

Historical Information

July 21, 2014 - Presentation of the Parks, Recreation, Culture Master Plan

The Parks, Recreation, Culture Master Plan will be presented to Council Committee at their meeting on July 21, 2014, which is scheduled to begin at 7:00 p.m. The Parks, Recreation, Culture Master Plan report, which includes links to the full plan, can be found in the July 21st Agenda Package for the Open Session of Council Committee.

June 2014 - Public Open House Information

The open house took place on June 4, 2014, at Orillia City Centre and gave members of the public the opportunity to review the draft Parks, Recreation and Culture Master Plan and provide input for the direction of the final document.

If you couldn't make the open house, please take some time to review the Parks, Recreation and Culture Master Plan Executive Summary, the information panels and the Park inventory sheets that were on display. 

January 2014

The City of Orillia Parks, Recreation and Culture Department is undertaking a new master plan. One of the components included a feedback survey from users of the City's recreation facilities to learn how best we can meet their recreational needs now and moving forward. The results from the surveys received will be used to formulate recommendations for the final document.

October 2013

Second round of focus groups have taken place within the community to identify any unmet needs. The City held a public meeting to report on initial findings. The following link is the presentation:

Parks, Recreation and Culture Master Plan - Public Meeting Initial Findings

Summer 2013

First round of focus groups within the community to identify any unmet needs. Ongoing inventory of the current parks, trails, recreation and culture facilities and infrastructure. Survey the residents to gather tangible data reflective of this community.