Scugog Council has deferred consideration of the Port Perry Fairgrounds Visioning Exercise final report and an accompanying set of Township staff recommendations until the first quarter of 2027.
The decision was made during a Special Council Meeting on July 13, following public delegations and discussion about the long-term future of the approximately 23-acre, municipally owned property at Reach Street and Old Simcoe Road.
The deferral means the Council elected in the 2026 municipal election will be responsible for reviewing the visioning work, considering the recommendations and determining what, if anything, should move forward.
The Township has said the existing use of the property will continue while the matter is deferred. The final report and staff recommendations are expected to return to Council or a Committee of Council meeting between January and March 2027.
What was before Council?
Council was presented with two related, but distinct, documents: a community vision prepared by consultants and a Township staff report recommending how that vision could eventually be implemented.
The consultant-led final report was prepared by Darwin Pivot, J.L. Richards & Associates and Healthy Placemaking Solutions. It was described as a community-informed “North Star” intended to guide future planning, investment, partnerships and decision-making.
The consultant report did not establish a final site design, approve specific projects or commit the Township to particular expenditures. Its conceptual drawings were presented as illustrations of how different community uses could potentially coexist on the property.
Township staff report CAO-2026-006 went further by recommending a specific framework for developing an implementation plan. Council’s decision deferred consideration of both the broad community vision and those more detailed staff recommendations.
A vision built around three main areas
The consultant’s conceptual framework divided the Fairgrounds into three broad activity areas, along with several locations where future opportunities could be explored.
Flexible open space and event grounds
The largest portion of the property was envisioned as adaptable open space capable of supporting the Port Perry Fair, festivals, community gatherings, recreational activities and informal everyday use.
The report suggested that this area could accommodate temporary event infrastructure, walking and running, open-field recreation, seating, shade, pathways and other improvements without requiring the site to serve only one purpose.
Community activation area
A second area was identified for more active and regular community uses. Potential examples included recreational courts, expanded community gardens, natural play areas, an amphitheatre, picnic space, seating and flexible gathering areas.
These examples were illustrative rather than approved projects. Any permanent facilities would require additional planning, costing, technical review and Council approval.
Gathering and neighbourhood area
The northern portion of the property was envisioned as a quieter, neighbourhood-scale area with possibilities such as gardens, shade, seating, pathway connections, informal recreation and a pavilion or covered community space.
The conceptual plan also identified future opportunity areas where parking, washrooms, community facilities, agricultural infrastructure, operations buildings, seniors-oriented housing or other uses could potentially be explored.
What Township staff recommended
Staff recommended that Council endorse the overall vision in principle and direct Township staff to prepare a more detailed implementation plan for consideration in 2027.
The proposed implementation framework was based on several principles, including year-round public use, limited impact on the property tax base and long-term Township stewardship of the property.
Under the staff proposal, approximately 19 acres would be set aside as a new Township park containing open space, event grounds, community-use areas and recreational amenities.
The remaining approximately four acres, located near the intersection of Reach Street and Old Simcoe Road, would be evaluated for possible development and eventual sale.
Staff identified seniors residential or mixed-use development as the preferred form of development for that portion of the site. The proceeds would be directed toward improvements on the remaining Fairgrounds lands.
The proposed four-acre area had not been formally appraised, sold, rezoned or approved for development. Staff stated that its development potential and value would require further analysis through a future implementation process.
How improvements could have been funded
Township staff said major improvements should be financially sustainable and have minimal impact on the municipal tax base.
The staff report proposed using proceeds from the possible sale of the four-acre parcel, together with grants and donations, to fund improvements elsewhere on the property.
A dedicated reserve fund was also recommended. Money generated from the property would be placed in that fund and restricted to future Fairgrounds improvements.
Staff noted that many provincial and federal infrastructure programs require municipalities to contribute their own funding. Revenue generated from the site could therefore help Scugog qualify for additional grants while reducing pressure on its existing capital program.
The report did not provide a complete cost estimate for transforming the property. Staff suggested that full implementation could take between five and ten years, depending on funding, planning approvals and the scope of future work.
Possible recreational improvements
The staff report listed several ideas that could be examined through a future site master plan.
These included walking trails, additional trees, shade, seating, play structures, accessible washrooms, community gardens, pickleball or basketball courts, a small toboggan hill and a child-friendly skating track during the winter.
None of those amenities was individually approved. Their inclusion, location, cost and design would have required future study and additional Council decisions.
The future of the Port Perry Fair
The Port Perry Agricultural Society currently operates and maintains the Fairgrounds under a month-to-month arrangement following the expiry of its previous lease.
Staff recommended that the Township eventually take back possession and direct management of the property. Under that proposal, the Agricultural Society’s lease would end with reasonable notice and the annual Port Perry Fair could continue through a no-cost special event permit beginning in 2027.
The location and space available for the Fair could have changed over time as an implementation plan progressed.
Staff also recommended that the Township assist the Agricultural Society in locating appropriate land in Port Perry should the organization decide that a different site was required for the Fair.
With Council deferring the report, those recommendations have not been approved. The current arrangement will continue until Council gives further direction.
What the consultation found
The visioning exercise was conducted between November 2025 and May 2026 and included two rounds of community engagement.
According to the project documents, more than 1,400 interactions were recorded through public workshops, community pop-in events, surveys, online participation, stakeholder discussions, targeted outreach and conversations with local organizations.
The consultants emphasized that the process was an open, voluntary engagement exercise rather than a statistically representative public opinion poll or referendum.
Some individuals may also have participated through more than one engagement activity. For that reason, the findings were analyzed as recurring themes and areas of agreement or disagreement—not counted as simple votes.
The consultation identified broad support for several principles:
- strengthening the Fairgrounds as a place for community connection;
- honouring agricultural heritage while allowing the property to evolve;
- protecting and enhancing open, accessible green space;
- supporting flexible spaces that can accommodate multiple uses;
- improving accessibility, pathways and connections;
- expanding recreation and year-round community use; and
- planning for responsible long-term stewardship.
The consultation did not produce unanimous agreement on a preferred concept.
Some participants emphasized retaining open space, agricultural activities and existing Fair functions. Others supported exploring recreational facilities, community buildings, partnerships, revenue-generating uses or development-related opportunities.
The final vision attempted to reflect those differing perspectives by providing a flexible framework rather than prescribing one fixed outcome.
Annual maintenance costs
Staff estimated that if the Township assumed full responsibility for maintaining the site, annual operating costs would total approximately $23,015.
Because the Township already spends approximately $1,700 each year grading the track, the estimated net new annual cost was listed as approximately $21,315.
That estimate included grass cutting, trimming, garbage collection and snow clearing required to support winter garbage collection.
Staff stated that some costs could be offset through revenue from special event permits. Registered not-for-profit organizations are generally exempt from those permit fees under the Township’s Fees and Charges By-law.
Public response before the decision
The July 13 agenda included multiple public delegations and a substantial collection of written correspondence concerning the Fairgrounds.
Residents and community representatives expressed a range of positions. Concerns included the potential sale of public land, the future role of the Agricultural Society, the continued operation of the Fair and whether the proposed staff direction sufficiently reflected community feedback.
Other submissions supported better year-round use of the site, expanded recreation, public gathering areas, seniors-oriented housing or a broader community park vision.
The volume and diversity of the feedback highlighted the significance of the property and the absence of a single, universally supported outcome.
Mayor says more time is needed
Mayor Wilma Wotten introduced the motion to defer the matter. In the Township’s announcement following the meeting, the Mayor said the final report, staff recommendations and community feedback required further time and careful consideration.
She also thanked the consulting team for completing the visioning exercise and Township staff for preparing their recommendations.
What the deferral means
The deferral does not approve or reject the consultant’s vision or the recommendations contained in staff report CAO-2026-006.
It also does not authorize the sale of any portion of the property, end the Agricultural Society’s current arrangement, create a new Township park or commit funding to specific improvements.
Instead, those questions will be reconsidered by the next term of Council.
The Fairgrounds will continue to operate under its existing arrangements in the meantime, and the Township has not yet announced the exact meeting date when the matter will return.
What happens next?
When the report returns in early 2027, the next Council could endorse the vision and staff recommendations, modify the proposed implementation principles, request further study or decide not to proceed.
Additional work could eventually include a site master plan, technical studies, accessibility and building reviews, land-use planning, cost estimates, formal appraisal work and further public engagement.
Until Council provides new direction, the future of the Port Perry Fairgrounds remains undecided.
Primary sources
This article is based on the Township of Scugog’s public announcement, staff report CAO-2026-006, the Port Perry Fairgrounds Visioning Exercise Final Report, the accompanying Methodologies and What We Heard report, and materials included in the July 13, 2026 Special Council agenda.