Work Continues to Update the Harrison Park Master Plan

At the December 13 Community Services Committee meeting, City Staff provided a key update regarding stakeholder engagement for the Harrison Park Master Plan.

This summer, the City invited citizens and visitors to complete a survey about the Master Plan using the online engagement platform “OurCity” and hosted in-person feedback sessions at Harrison Park. Nearly 1,000 people responded to the online survey, the highest level of engagement and feedback to date.

The Harrison Park Master Plan was last completed in 2002. The background information on the park, together with the recent public feedback, will help inform the new Master Plan actions and will also identify areas where further study is needed.

The City is currently working to update the Plan to guide operational decisions as well as capital spending to ensure that Harrison Park continues to be a special place for the community and visitors alike.

The full report, including additional feedback, statistics, and next steps, can be found here.

For more information, please contact Pam Coulter, Director of Community Services, at 519-376-4440 ext. 1252 or email pcoulter@owensound.ca.

Quick Facts:

• Harrison Park is the largest park in the City of Owen Sound, consisting of 45 hectares of land, equalling almost 2 per cent of the City’s total land area.
• Harrison Park was designated as a Cultural Heritage Landscape in 2013.
• In 1912, the City acquired that Park from the Harrison family for $5,000.
• As a year-round destination, Harrison Park is one of Owen Sound’s most popular attractions, averaging more than 156,000 vehicle and 225,000 pedestrian visits each year.

Attachments