Little Lake Master Plan - Project Summary

The Little Lake Master Plan is a comprehensive study of the waterfront, Otonabee River, and Little Lake from the bridge on Hunter Street to the bridge on Lansdowne Street. The study assessed current conditions, activity, uses and opportunities to develop a comprehensive plan for the Little Lake study area. This area was the subject of a Master Plan in 1986, and the current plan was a full public review and investigation.

Few communities in the country have a significant waterfront area in the heart of their downtown. While it is to the City’s credit that it owns and manages so much of the property in question surrounding the lake, there is no comprehensive Master Plan to govern future use and development of this area.

Little Lake is surrounded by mixed land use, including residential, commercial/business (including a municipally operated marina), parkland and open space. The study area supports both active and passive recreation including swimming, boating (power boats, canoes, kayaks, windsurfing), fishing, hiking, competitive sports, site seeing, camping, and special events (Wakeboarding, Dragon Boating, Peterborough Triathlon, Festival of Lights, to name a few). At times, conflicts occur with competing activities vying for use of the lake, which is approximately 68 hectares in size.

The City has acquired and developed waterfront parkland that influences the activities of the lake. Those parks include (sizes approximate):

• Beavermead Park – a 52.6-acre waterfront park with six soccer pitches, children’s playground, public beach, picnic shelter, trail network, campground, ecology park, and parking.
• Johnson Property – a 3-acre property that lies adjacent to Beavermead Park and has served as an informal ‘overflow’ parking lot to major events at Beavermead.
• Roger’s Cove Park – a 7.6-acre waterfront park with children’s playground, trail and public beach.
• Del Crary Park – an 8.2-acre waterfront park that includes the Peterborough Marina and Fred Anderson performance stage, adjacent to the Art Gallery of Peterborough.
• Millennium Park – a 4.5-acre waterfront park that includes the Otonabee River Trail and Millennium Boathouse.
• James Stevenson Park – a 13.3-acre waterfront park that includes a hardball diamond, softball diamond, children’s playground with basketball court.

Additional greenspace - including Crescent Street Park, Edgewater Park, Westclox Ball Diamond.

There are also three public wharfs on Little Lake including the T-wharf (Crescent Street), Mark Street Wharf and George Street Wharf (Peterborough Marina).

The study area includes the Little Lake Cemetery, a private 32.8-acre heritage cemetery that is an integral park of the waterfront; Otonobee Conservation Authority lands off Lansdowne Street (at Whitlaw Street); Peterborough Naval Association property adjacent to Beavermead Park; Trent Severn Waterway (Parks Canada) property off Ashburnham Drive; and PUC/PUSI property off Ashburnham and adjacent to Beavermead Park.

The results of the Little Lake Master Plan will serve as the basis of the 2010-2030 work plan and capital budget program for the City.

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