
The Town will begin working on a Master Plan for North Shore Park without incorporating a proposal for the historic Port Elgin and North Shore Train. The decision comes after a healthy debate, as well as series of public engagements and reports about the park’s future.
While many people were not especially opposed to the return of the train, they loudly voiced their opposition to the amenities proposed along with it.
On Monday night, June 26th, Committee of the Whole turned down a recommendation to integrate the train proposal into the park’s master planning process. The decision came after the Committee heard the results of an online survey asking the public if they supported the proponent’s project as presented to Council in April. That project would have included bringing back the train that previously ran on-site in the 1970s and early 80s, as well as related tourism amenities for the park’s east end.
Work to re-imagine the park began after a storm in September 2021 destroyed hundreds of trees as well as damaging turf and interior trails. Since then, Council has heard four reports on rehabilitating the park, while the Town has formally engaged with the public twice to determine next steps.
The Town will now gather further public input on a master plan for North Shore Park. This will include determining what amenities to include inside the park, as well as a detailed landscape design. The master plan would come back for Council’s final approval.
Click HERE to see the report presented at Committee.