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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.

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.

• Public Meeting Staff Report: Courtice Waterfront and Energy Park Secondary Plan Statutory Public Meeting

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.

• Public Meeting Staff Report (PDF)
• Public Meeting Presentation (PDF)
• DRAFT - Official Plan Amendment (PDF)
• DRAFT – Courtice Waterfront and Energy Park Secondary Plan (PDF)
• DRAFT – Courtice Waterfront and Energy Park – Schedules A to D– Land Use, Road Classifications, Open Space and Demonstration Plan (PDF)
• DRAFT – Urban Design and Sustainability Guidelines (PDF)

• Presentation – (PDF - 20MB)

• Display Panels (PDF - 45MB)
• Report on Public Comments (PDF)

• Display Panels (PDF)
• Report on Public Comments (PDF)
• Written Feedback (PDF)

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.

Only a small portion of the Courtice Waterfront Secondary Plan area is publicly owned; the rest is privately owned. Clarington continues to discuss acquisition of additional lands at the waterfront with the current landowner. Publicly owned land will be used to enhance public access to Lake Ontario and, through development, support the creation of a 16-hectare/39-acre prestigious municipal waterfront park.

New developments play a significant role in acquiring and funding parks, public spaces, essential infrastructure and other community amenities that enhance residents' quality of life. Development of the proposed neighbourhood within the draft Secondary Plan would support the creation of the Courtice Waterfront Park, along with the necessary transportation and service improvements in the area.

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.

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.

No, a Secondary Plan is not a development proposal – it’s the Municipality’s roadmap to create complete communities where people can live, work, learn and thrive well into the future.

Secondary Plans take years to develop, and are built around technical studies, community feedback and third-party consultation to ensure that each area meets residents’ future needs not just in infrastructure, but in livability and wellbeing.  

They map out where homes, businesses, parks and roads will go, how many schools and recreational facilities are needed, what environmental features need to be protected, and so much more.

They also serve as a guiding framework in conversations with developers, to ensure growth is intentional, sustainable, and aligned with what matters to our community.  

The purpose of a Secondary Plan is to ensure that we do. Secondary Plans are not developed in silos – they’re developed in consultation with school boards, provincial and regional partners, and other authorities to ensure that essential services (like roads, watermains, medical facilities and transit) keep pace with the complete communities we’re planning for those who call Clarington home.

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 Secondary Plan. Council approved Clarington Official Plan Amendment 146 to incorporate language in the existing Clarington Energy Business Park Secondary Plan that prohibits anaerobic digesters.

This area was previously brought forward as part of the Courtice Waterfront and Energy Park Secondary Plan. Following the release of the Provincial Planning Statement, 2024 and changes to the Planning Act's definition of "employment area," the Secondary Plan boundary was revised to focus solely on the Courtice Waterfront area. The existing Clarington Energy Business Park Secondary Plan will remain in effect.