City of St. Thomas

Draft Parks & Recreation Master Plan
St. Thomas Position For Growth
Purpose of the Project

St. Thomas is growing! How & where should we grow?

The City of St. Thomas has a projected 20-year residential forecast of 50,600 people by 2041, and as a result needs to adjust its Urban Area boundary to accommodate this potential growth as part of an Official Plan review.

In June 2018, the City completed a population and housing study that identified the need for an additional 76 gross hectares of residential land to accommodate the projected population growth.

This project builds on a study from 2010 where lands within the north-west quadrant of the City along with other land blocks on the west and south-east sides of St. Thomas were strategically assessed for residential designation. Remaining expansion lands from that study are being reassessed as part of this project.

The purpose of this study is to undertake the necessary planning and engineering studies to support the preferred expansion lands, bring those lands into the Urban Area boundary, and designate them for development; and identify citywide recreational and cultural infrastructure, and fire protection services needed to support that growth.

Background Studies

Planning Justification ReportSocial Housing Strategy
Employment Lands Review
Retail Market Analysis

Approved ZBA 30-2021
Approved OPA 97

Notice of Official Plan Adoption - Feb 24, 2021 
Notice of Passing - Feb 24, 2021

June 24th, 2020 Public Meeting
Public Meeting Notice
Zoom Webinar Instructions
June 24th Public Meetings -Presentation

July 8th Open House Displays
Landowners/Open House Panels

May 8th Coffee Conversation Displays
Evaluation Panel
Area 1 Issues & Opportunities
Area 2 Issues & Opportunities
Area 3 Issues & Opportunities
Area 4 Issues & Opportunities

Comments or questions can be sent to:
[email protected]

Location Map of Potential Settlement Areas
Click for larger image




Project Details & Timelines

 Feedback, Questions or Comments?
[email protected]

Planning Studies

Study Purpose: To evaluate and select the preferred settlement expansion area and facilitate/support the necessary Official Plan Amendment for the Urban Area Expansion.


Engineering Studies

Study Purpose: To support the selection of the preferred settlement expansion area and identify the infrastructure requirements needed to support its development.



Fire Station Location Study

Parks & Recreation Master Plan

Study Purpose: To develop a community-supported plan that provides the policy framework to manage, serve and support residents and visitors with the needed parks, open space, trails, recreation and leisure recreation facilities, services and programming in a cost effective and proactive manner.

Comments Specific to the Parks & Recreation Master Plan can be sent to: [email protected]