Parks and Recreation Master Plan

About the Project

The Parks and Recreation Master Plan is a strategic process that studies the existing parks and recreation facilities, recreation programming, and identifies a plan to improve the City of Pembroke’s parks, facilities, and recreational services for the future.

Your input is valued and is an extremely important part of this process as it will contribute to strategies and recommendations that will improve recreation services, which will ultimately enhance the overall community experience for its residents and visitors in the future.

The Parks and Recreation Master Plan (PRMP) will guide the City of Pembroke for the 10-year horizon. This framework will help staff and Council as they make decisions that best represent the needs of the community, while balancing financial and staff resources. 

The goal is to solidify a vision for parks and recreational services, including:

-       Accessibility and inclusion

-       Park, trails and facility enhancements

-       Community engagement and communications

-       Recreational programming and events

-       Maintenance and management

Approach

Phase 1: Assessment / Background Report (August – December 2023)

In this phase the consulting team will be reviewing relevant documents, researching trends in the recreational sector, and engaging the community through one-on-one interviews with key stakeholders, focus groups sessions and a community survey. The goal is to capture current processes and practices, understand community interests and needs, and external influences. This phase will wrap with a Background report that will be presented to Council in late 2023.

Phase 2: Draft Recommendations (January – April 2024)

At this time, the consulting team will create a series of draft recommendations that reflect the information gathered through the first phase. It will include the analysis and development of recommendations, alignment with corporate and community priorities, a framework for implementation and draft financial strategy to support the Plan. Community will have an opportunity to reflect on these recommendations through key stakeholder engagement and focus group sessions. This phase will culminate in a presentation of draft recommendations to Council in spring 2024.

Phase 3: Comprehensive Parks and Recreation Master Plan (May – August 2024)

The project will wrap up with the drafting of a full Parks and Recreation Master Plan. The final plan will reflect feedback collected through Phase 2; and will allow for additional public review and comment to ensure the final plan is truly indicative of community priorities.  The final plan will be presented to Council in summer 2024 for adoption. 

Community Engagement

There are several ways in which you can engage in this project!

Community Survey

A comprehensive community survey is being launched September 25, and is open through to November 17 (extended deadline).

Focus Group Sessions

Consultants will be meeting with representatives from the community to solicit detailed insight as it relates to recreational services. Part of this process seeks input from a wide range of perspectives including seniors, youth, facility and programming user groups. Data collected contributes valuable information to ensure that the recreation services remain current and meets the changing needs of our residents and the community.

If you would like to be contacted about participation in a focus group, please contact Jordan Durocher at jdurocher@pembroke.ca 

Review of Draft Recommendations

Once the listing of draft recommendations is created, there will be an opportunity to provide feedback. This process will help to inform accuracy, prioritization and feasibility of the draft recommendations.

Review and Comment on the Draft Parks and Recreation Master Plan

Following the completion of the draft plan, you will have the chance to review the document and provide your feedback. This will be instrumental in ensuring the plan meets the needs of all key stakeholders.