Jackson Park Management Plan
The City of Peterborough is developing a Park Management Plan for Jackson Park to create a grounded and action-oriented plan which will help guide the long-term protection, maintenance and stewardship of the park.
Jackson Park is a vital cultural and ecological asset for the City of Peterborough, a cherished urban oasis located on the traditional territory of the Michi Saagiig and Chippewa Nations, lands covered under the Williams Treaties. As Peterborough faces increasing development pressures common to one of North America's fastest-growing regions, the City has identified the need for a comprehensive management plan to guide the park's evolution. This plan must protect the park's integrity while accommodating future needs, including the potential for new infrastructure corridors as identified in the City's Transportation Master Plan.
The development process for the Jackson Park Management Plan is rooted in a collaborative, 'landscape-first' approach that will integrate robust Indigenous, stakeholder, and public engagement to create a holistic vision for a park where a thriving ecosystem and a connected community support and sustain one another.
What is a Park Management Plan?
A Park Management Plan provides a long-term framework for the protection, maintenance, and stewardship of a park or naturalized public area. It guides day-to-day decision-making to ensure that the park meets community needs while protecting sensitive environmental features and supporting ecological integrity.
This plan will be a comprehensive document which addresses and/or identifies management priorities, baseline mapping, minimum design standards, policy recommendations, and a monitoring and reporting framework, among others. The management plan will aim to answer this central question: “How should Jackson Park function, look, feel, and be cared for over the next 10–20 years?”
Who will be involved?
The project team is engaging with a number of audiences to elicit feedback to inform the management plan. A project Working Group, comprised of representatives from the City of Peterborough, Otonabee Conservation and local civic and community groups, will provide strategic guidance at key junctures of the project. Alongside stakeholder and public engagement, a parallel Indigenous-focused engagement process will be undertaken with Williams Treaties First Nations and the urban Indigenous community.
A public planning charrette is being held on January 21st, 2026 from 6-8pm at the McDonnel Street Community Centre, where City staff and the project consultant team will introduce the project and anticipated process. Please join us to contribute to the dialogue and have your say on the future of Jackson Park!
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