The Municipality of Clarington presented the draft Courtice Waterfront and Energy Park Secondary Plan and associated Official Plan Amendment at a Public Meeting on May 12, 2025. The meeting is available for viewing at www.clarington.net/calendar.

The refreshed vision includes the creation of a new waterfront community featuring a prestigious municipal-wide park. This new waterfront park will significantly increase access to Lake Ontario and attract residents from across Clarington and beyond with year-round recreational opportunities.

The plan also protects land for employment uses and supports the development of a mixed-use neighbourhood with a variety of housing and commercial amenities—such as shopping, dining, and services—all while being surrounded by greenspace.

This area is located south of Highway 401, east of Darlington Provincial Park, north of Lake Ontario, and west of Crago Road.

  • Find answers to the most frequently asked questions about the Courtice Waterfront and Energy Park Secondary Plan.

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Interactive Hot Map

We invite you to click through the interactive hot map below to learn more about the draft vision for the Courtice Waterfront and Energy Park Secondary Plan. Each of the icons explain what the area will be used for and where it will be.

Courtice Waterfront Map
Courtice Waterfront Map Legend
Key map showing the secondary plan area

How to provide comments

We encourage you to submit your comments for the Committee’s consideration to Amanda Crompton, Principal Planner at courticewaterfront@clarington.net, or by mail or drop box to 40 Temperance Street, Bowmanville, ON L1C 3A6.

Interested parties list

You can request to be added to the interested party list and receive updates regarding this application. If you wish to be notified of the decision of Clarington Council on the Official Plan Amendment, you must make a written request to the Municipal Clerk at 40 Temperance Street, Bowmanville, Ontario, L1C 3A6.

The personal information you submit will become part of the public record and may be released to the public. Questions about the information we collect can be directed to the Clerk’s Department at 905-623-3379 ext. 2102.

If you have accessibility needs and require alternate formats for this document or other accommodation, please contact the Accessibility Coordinator at 905-623-3379 ext. 2131.

In accordance with Sections 22(7) of the Planning Act, an appeal may only be filed by the applicant, the registered owner, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, or a specified person or public body that has interest in the matter.

If a person or public body would otherwise have an ability to appeal the decision of the Municipality of Clarington to the Ontario Land Tribunal but the person or public body does not make oral submissions at a public meeting or make written submissions to the Municipality of Clarington before the proposed official plan amendment is adopted, the person or public body is not entitled to appeal the decision.

If a person or public body does not make oral submissions at a public meeting or make written submissions to the Municipality of Clarington before the proposed official plan amendment is adopted, the person or public body may not be added as a party to the hearing of an appeal before the Ontario Land Tribunal unless, in the opinion of the Tribunal, there are reasonable grounds to add the person or public body as a party.

Background information

The Municipality of Clarington presented the draft Courtice Waterfront and Energy Park Secondary Plan at a Public Meeting on Monday, May 12, 2025. A recording is available at www.clarington.net/calendar.

The Municipality presented the draft Courtice Waterfront and Energy Park Secondary Plan and Urban Design and Sustainability Guidelines at a Statutory Public Meeting on June 13, 2022.

No. The draft Secondary Plan identifies the entire stretch of the Courtice waterfront shoreline as an Environmental Protection Area (EPA), which means it must be protected, maintained, restored and, where possible, improved for the long term.

Between the EPA and proposed neighbourhood, there will be a 16-hectare (39-acre) prestigious municipal park – that's bigger than the former Bowmanville Zoo lands! The Courtice Waterfront Park will significantly increase access to Lake Ontario and attract residents from across Clarington with year-round recreational opportunities.

As outlined in the draft Secondary Plan, the trail network (including the Great Lakes Waterfront Trail) will be expanded and enhanced, with many new segments added and existing portions realigned to bring more of the route closer to the Lake Ontario shoreline. A key focus of the plan is to improve safety and user experience by increasing the number of off-road connections, reducing interactions with vehicle traffic.

The upgraded trail will offer better access and connectivity between key destinations, including Darlington Provincial Park, the Tooley Creek lands, the proposed waterfront park, and the Lake Ontario shoreline. Additionally, the plan identifies future active transportation links that will extend north of Highway 401, providing a direct connection to the upcoming Courtice GO Station.

The draft Secondary Plan proposes a complete and vibrant neighbourhood set behind the proposed 16-hectare (39-acre) Courtice Waterfront Park.

With 2,500 residential units and 4,800 residents, the neighbourhood will include a mix of low, medium and mixed-use (retail/commercial) densities, with most building heights between three to six storeys.

Up to 15 storeys may be permitted in certain locations, but will require land use compatibility, traffic, servicing and housing assessments to be approved.

Clarington is committed to the development of “complete communities” to meet people’s needs for daily living throughout an entire lifetime. This means creating communities where people can live, work, learn, and play without needing to travel far, thereby improving quality of life, reducing environmental impact, and supporting economic vitality.

As outlined in the Provincial Planning Statement (PPS), 2024, complete neighbourhoods are planned to:

  • Accommodate a mix of land uses, including residential, employment, institutional, recreational and commercial uses.
  • Offer access to public service facilities, like new schools, childcare, healthcare and community centres.
  • Provide a diverse range of housing options, including affordable housing.
  • Ensure multi-modal transportation options, like walking, cycling, transit and driving.

Extensive public engagement has been carried out to inform the Courtice Waterfront and Energy Park Secondary Plan. Clarington has hosted:

  • Three Public Information Centre sessions (December 2019 in person; March 2020 virtual; March 2022 virtual)
  • Two surveys garnering more than 1,000 responses (March-April 2020; March-April 2022)
  • Two Public Meetings (June 2022; May 2025).

Presentation material and engagement summaries are available at www.clarington.net/CourticeWaterfront for review.

The Courtice Waterfront and Energy Park Secondary Plan is still in draft and not yet approved. Staff will be collecting comments on the latest version until June 13, 2025.

Clarington staff would appreciate receiving written comments by June 13, 2025. Submit your comments directly through the webpage (open textbox on the right-hand side) or contact the planner on the file: Amanda Crompton at courticewaterfront@clarington.net.

The Parks, Recreation and Culture Master Plan (PRCMP) serves as a roadmap to inform future Council decisions about Clarington’s parkland, programs and services, and what’s needed to grow with the community for the next 10 to 15 years. The draft Secondary Plan policies are in alignment with the waterfront recommendations in the PRCMP.

During the PRCMP public consultation process, enhancing Clarington’s Waterfront (with a focus on advancing the draft Courtice Waterfront and Energy Park Secondary Plan) was identified as the second top priority for investment by survey respondents.

Clarington does not support locating an Anaerobic Digester within the Courtice Waterfront and Energy Park Secondary Plan.