Clarington Operations Depot

The Clarington Operations Depot is being developed in compliance with all applicable provincial legislation, policies and plans.  

Under Section 4.2 of the Provincial Greenbelt Plan, existing, expanded, or new infrastructure is permitted within the Protected Countryside designation, subject to specific criteria.  The Clarington Operations Depot at 2656 Concession Road 4 meets these criteria, and all applicable implementation policies outlined within the Greenbelt Plan will be addressed throughout the project.    

In August 2026, Council received an update on the Clarington Operations Depot and Emergency and Fire Services facility project and approved a revised approach that reflects current needs, site constraints, and updated cost estimates.   

The project was originally planned to bring together a new operations depot, a future north Bowmanville fire hall, and a fire training facility on municipally owned land at Liberty Street North and Concession Road 4. 

In early 2026, following the completion of design work, staff recommended pausing the build due to rising cost estimates, uncertainty around development charge funding, and slower-than-anticipated growth. Updated growth projections indicate that a new fire hall in north Bowmanville is not expected to be required for approximately seven to 10 years. 

Following this, the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing contacted the Municipality regarding the Clarington Operations Depot and Emergency and Fire Services facility project and has confirmed that only the Public Works Centre is permissible infrastructure under the Green Belt Plan under certain conditions. The fire hall and fire training facility portion of the build cannot proceed on this site. 

Council approved a revised approach to the project: 

• The Clarington Operations Depot will proceed. Clarington’s existing operations depots are no longer sufficient to support the staff, fleet and equipment needed to maintain roads and infrastructure as the community continues to grow. The project will go to tender, with construction expected to start in 2027. 

• The fire hall design will serve as a standard for future Clarington fire halls and will help position the Municipality to apply for federal or provincial funding when a future fire hall is needed. The remaining fire hall budget will be returned to the development charges reserve until a future fire hall project is approved. 

• The Fire Training Facility, which is being supported by a $3.2 million grant from the Province of Ontario, will be relocated to a site yet to be determined. Staff are exploring potential locations and partnership opportunities, including whether the facility could be co-located with a third party to reduce costs. 

This revised approach allows the Municipality to move forward with the infrastructure needed now, while preserving budget and flexibility to plan responsibly for future fire services as Clarington continues to grow.