Strategic Plan & Downtown Visioning Master Plan

We are excited to announce that the draft version of the Downtown Visioning Master Plan will be presented by Fontenn Consulting at a Special Council meeting through a Workshop on January 6, 2025. The intent is to move forward for final endorsement later in January.

The Downtown Master Plan builds on the existing vibrant downtown to further identify and promote an identity that is unique to Collingwood. In concert with other Downtown studies, the Downtown Master Plan creates a foundation to protect and enhance Collingwood’s unique heritage attributes, promote smart and thoughtful development and desirable land uses, support additional housing options, diversify Downtown retail and programming, identify public open spaces, and improve pedestrian and bicycle safety.

The Downtown Master Plan provides a clear vision for the long-term evolution of the Downtown, including an analysis of key findings and opportunity sites, a Vision Map for 2051, a list of Strategic Directions that are the driving threads that guide the plan, and the key Action Items to achieve the vision. The Action Items will be supported by recommended sequencing or phasing, identifying immediate (next two years), short (0-5 years), and long-term (5-20 years) priorities, roles and responsibilities, necessary resources, and anticipated budget implications (low/medium/high).

The final plan will be used as a guide by the Town, the BIA, the development community, and other stakeholders to promote thoughtful development and re-development.

The Special Council meeting details and agenda are available here: https://pub-collingwood.escribemeetings.com/Meeting.aspx?Id=e8781612-babf-401b-b919-67dc0e2da5aa&Agenda=Agenda&lang=English

Please be advised that the Special Committee of the Whole meeting scheduled today, Thursday, December 12, at 4:00 p.m., has been cancelled due to the forecasted inclement weather.

The meeting agenda, which included a presentation of the Downtown Visioning Master Plan by Fontenn Consulting, will be rescheduled at a later date, yet to be determined. Once a date has been determined, you will receive a notification.

Committee and Council meeting schedules and agendas are available at https://www.collingwood.ca/agendas-minutes

Final endorsement of the Community Based Strategic Plan is scheduled for Monday, July 29th. View the full agenda and access the livestream link here.

Pending Council approval, the fully designed graphical version will be released in the Fall.

Stay tuned for further community engagement opportunities regarding the Downtown Visioning Master Plan.

We greatly appreciate the public feedback received regarding the development of this important plan that will guide Council, staff, and the community through key decision-making processes through to 2028!

We invite further public input on the draft 2024-2026 Community Based Strategic Plan at two upcoming sessions:

1. Special Council Meeting: July 10th
2. Committee of the Whole Meeting: July 22nd

These sessions provide valuable opportunities for community feedback before the finalization of the 2024-2028 Strategic Plan. The anticipated presentation of the final deliverables to Council for endorsement is scheduled for July 29th.

As Collingwood looks towards shaping its future, the Town is actively seeking input from its residents and stakeholders to drive the formulation of its new multi-year Strategic Plan and Downtown Visioning Master Plan.

Residents are invited to participate in a survey aimed at gathering insights to guide the Town’s strategic direction. The survey will take about 15 minutes to complete and will be strictly confidential, anonymous, and voluntary. Utilizing diverse methodologies, the survey ensures the data collected is comprehensive, reliable, and reflective of community perspectives.

“As a Collingwood resident (18 and older) you may be receiving a call sometime between March 18 and April 5 from a representative from Forum Research on the Town’s behalf. I encourage you to participate and have your voice heard!” Says Mayor Yvonne Hamlin.

If you do not receive a phone call from Forum Research, you are invited to participate in an online version of the survey at: https://survey.forumresearch.com/SE/1/COL1/. The deadline for the survey is April 5, 2024. Hard copies of the survey are also available at Town Hall, 97 Hurontario Street.

Collingwood prioritizes inclusive community engagement to ensure those who want to be heard are offered opportunities that are accessible and convenient. This commitment extends to listening to feedback, facilitating discussions, providing education, and ensuring barrier-free access to facilities, events, and services.

Next Steps

Forum Research will unveil the results of both the online and telephone surveys in May 2024, paving way for the subsequent release of the 2024-2028 Strategic Plan.

Additionally, residents can anticipate further opportunities for downtown-specific engagement and feedback in Spring 2024, preceding the finalization of the Downtown Visioning Master Plan.

Background

The Community-Based Strategic Plan for 2024-2028 will serve as a roadmap for the Town of Collingwood’s future. It will outline our community's strategic vision, values, and strategic priorities for the coming years. It will act as a guide for decision-making and resource allocation and help to build consensus among Council, staff, and the community about where Collingwood is headed and how it will get there.

The new Community Based Strategic Plan will be an evolution of the Town’s existing 2020-2023 Community Based Strategic Plan with many of the priorities of the earlier plan continuing to be top-of-mind. The new Plan should reflect the issues, concerns, and opportunities of the current moment as the Town plans for what’s ahead for the community.

The Downtown Visioning Master Plan is being led by Fotenn Planning + Design. The plan will provide a clear vision for the long-term (2051) evolution of the downtown area, including an analysis of the opportunity sites, an engaging Vision Map, and the recommended action items/projects to achieve the vision.

Community engagement sessions took place on December 7 and 8, 2023 at various locations including the Eddie Bush Memorial Arena, Central Park Arena, Walmart, Centennial Aquatic Centre, Loblaws, and the Collingwood Christmas Market. Youth Engagement sessions took place on February 16, 2024, at the Town Job Fair and February 20, 2024, at the Collingwood Public Library - Give us a Pizza Your Mind. Community Partners & Agencies and Sports, Arts, and Culture groups stakeholder engagement sessions were held virtually in February.

Residents are encouraged to stay informed and engaged by subscribing to updates and future engagement opportunities through https://engage.collingwood.ca/strategic-plan

Residents’ input is critical to ensuring the development of the Town's new multi-year Strategic Plan and Downtown Visioning Master Plan reflect the values and priorities of the Community and everyone is invited to participate in one of the upcoming engagement sessions.

Join us at:

• Collingwood Eddie Bush Memorial Arena Free Public Skating - December 7th 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
• Central Park Arena Parent & Tot Skating - December 7th 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
• Walmart Supercentre - December 7th 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
• Centennial Aquatic Centre - December 8th 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
• Loblaws (grocery store) - December 8th 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
• Downtown Collingwood Christmas Market - December 8th 5:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

A statistically significant survey will be launched in the new year as another opportunity for residents to participate in this priority setting exercise which will also set a benchmark for future community satisfaction initiatives.