DESTINATION STRATFORD REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL STRATFORD RIVER WALK PLAN Closing Friday, February 20, 2026
Request for Proposal includes Part “A” – Information to Bidders, Part “B” – Project Information, Part “C” – Proposal Evaluation, Schedule “A” – Location Map.
Proposal Timing
The schedule for the Proposal anticipates the following milestones:
• Last Day for Questions: Tuesday, February 17, 2026
• Last Day for Addenda: Friday, February 13, 2026
• RFP Submission (Proposals due): Friday, February 20, 2026
• Contract Award: Monday, March 2, 2026
Any further information regarding this RFP will be posted on this page.
UPDATES
February 10, 2026 – Last Day for Questions updated to Tuesday, February 17, 2026
January 29, 2026 – Q & A
- How are we going to use this River Plan?
This Plan is a preliminary feasibility study that will be used to consolidate community partners around the vision, unlock additional resources to go to the next stage, and to use as a visual tool to discuss with funding partners. We will use this Plan as a case for support for increased engagement and interest from a variety of community sources.
The Plan will help provide a shareable value proposition for the project that is mapped out by experts. This project, once realized, is intended to set the stage for increased community participation and further layering of cultural activation. Part of the use case of the Plan is to map out and test a variety of funding opportunities and strategies – mainly outside of the municipal budget.
Note: Destination Stratford is not the municipal government and our approach at this stage is both entrepreneurial and flexible. - As noted in the RFP, contract award is anticipated on Monday, March 2. Could Destination Stratford confirm the anticipated project completion date? Additionally, could you advise on the expected timing for the selected proponent’s presentation to Council?
The final submission of the Plan to Destination Stratford would be at your discretion and should be included in the Proposal. Due to funding requirements, May is a target for the Plan to be submitted back to Destination Stratford. If a Council presentation is needed, we would aim for a time in late Q2. - Scope of the RFP?
The scope of the RFP is to explore elevating the Lake Victoria park assets to provide year-round use with a regenerative tourism lens that balances quality of life for the community while simultaneously providing opportunity for the visitor economy. - What community engagement will be involved to create this initial feasibility?
At a minimum, in addition to the team at Destination Stratford, the Stratford Board of Park Management, the Stratford Accessibility Advisory Committee (including an accessibility consultant), and Upper Thames River Conservation Authority. - What type of visuals are you looking for?
In addition to a Bird’s Eye plan, visuals depicting the boardwalk component is key. Other important aspects to incorporate include the ecological health of the waterway, year-round use including during winter, and an emphasis on improved accessibility for our community. - Is there a construction budget you are working to or some other measure of feasibility you are working to? I see there is mention of the “project’s financial capacity” – can that be shared?
Destination Stratford understands that the estimated costs will include a range and be dependent on many things, including, but not limited to, the condition of the current natural entities, the quality and cost of material solutions, etc. - Please confirm whether the North Shore washroom is included in the scope of work.
The washroom was built recently as a fully accessible, seasonal warm weather structure. The scope of work should include upgrading this facility to be year-round. Cost estimates should also incorporate additional maintenance expenses associated with the project upgrades (washroom cleaning and maintenance, trail path snow removal, …). - Are you expecting specialists in shoreline ecology to be part of the team?
Accessibility, inclusion, year-round usage and ecological improvements/restoration (where appropriate/possible), are all components of the project. Each proposal must call on who they think can best assist in inclusion of these key components.
February 6, 2026 – Q & A
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- Is a site visit or walk-through recommended as part of the proposal submission phase, or would this be applicable only to the consultant awarded the project? This is based on your comfort level with your knowledge of the space and the available images and information available through public sources. We are not offering anything guided for this RFP.
- One of the listed deliverables is a concept brief identifying environmental impact findings. Assuming an Environmental Impact Assessment (or similar study) is anticipated, should costs for this and any other related studies be included within the planning proposal scope, or should they be assumed as part of the “Development and Maintenance Cost and Feasibility” component? You may include this information where it makes the most sense to you, but please list these as a separate line item within the proposal so we know where the funds are allocated and due to the fact that studies can sometimes be covered by grant funding and not capital or ongoing maintenance.
- Many of the desired amenities listed in the RFQ appear to be specific to the North Shore. Beyond the public art installations noted for both shores, are there any amenities intended to be included on the South Shore as part of the master plan? Additionally, should the existing pathway and park furniture on the South Shore be assumed to remain as-is for the purposes of the proposal? You are correct. We are focusing this project on the north shore as it is not accessible and has had the least amount of attention paid to it over the years. The art components currently do not exist on either side, but the infrastructure on the south shore is not being considered at this time.
- Are the existing bridges along the North Shore pathway expected to remain, or is it part of the vision to redesign and reconstruct new bridges where required? I can confirm that one bridge specifically on the north shore is not up to accessibility codes and will need to be replaced. Thank you for asking this question as that was not clear in the RFP.
- Have UTRCA or any other agencies provided consultations, reports, or studies that may have a direct impact on the River Walk Plan? If so, should these be referenced within the methodology section of the proposal alongside items such as the Official Plan, AODA requirements, and applicable municipal by-laws? One immediate consideration on our end is the feasibility of the raised boardwalk between Waterloo Street and the Dam. We have been gathering studies specifically from UTRCA in regards to this project. From what I have received, there is nothing in regards to a structure being placed in the water, so this specific study will need to be completed if we move ahead with the project after the preliminary feasibility study stage. The reports that I have received are about the recommended land‑use planning and conservation practices, surface water quality, groundwater quality and forest conditions, fisheries, and characteristics of the river.
- Have any community organizations or event organizers (such as Lights On Stratford, the Stratford Festival, the Dragon Boat Festival, or others) expressed interest in specific amenities that could be considered within the River Walk Plan? Destination Stratford brings Lights On Stratford each year and would consider adding light and culture to the north shore as part of the top layer of the river loop. The other organizations are supportive of the work, but have not asked for any specific amenities.
- Revisions and refinements are a natural part of the design process. Would DS prefer to review progress on the concept design prior to the final presentation? Once the RFP is awarded, Destination Stratford will be involved throughout the design process based on a mutual agreement with the chosen proposal company.
- With respect to the raised boardwalk, has there been any communication with neighbouring properties, and has any feedback been received regarding construction adjacent to their properties? Would the boardwalk impact existing access to the waterfront, including any docks or shoreline features, and is this considered a concern at this stage? The conversations with some residence owners that back onto the river started to take place at a January 8th summit/conversation afternoon. Those that were invited to the afternoon, but were unable to attend, were sent follow up documents that include information about the discussions that took place. This is an ongoing conversation that has more information to come to the neighbours and a March in-person session. The boardwalk will go from municipal property over the river and then onto municipal property, so no private property will be included. More conversations need to take place if this preliminary feasibility study moves onto the next stage.
- Clarification of Clause 9 in the Declaration: I want to make sure I am understanding #9 as I’ve not seen anything like this in 30 years of consulting and signing contracts. You are asking us to confirm that if there’s an issue with our work that we are obliged to pay Destination Stratford for the cost of advertising the RFP again, and the cost of work above that estimated through the course of our work. Can you clarify what we are committing ourselves to when signing? That section means that the company would pay any expenses that DS incurs with the cancelation of the first project, including advertising for another RFP. There’s a good chance that there wouldn’t be any extra expenses, but this is there in case we were to have other supplier agreements that we would also have to cancel and may incur penalties. Less likely for a concept, preliminary feasibility and cost plan.
UPDATE February 10, 2026: Clause 9 in the Declaration will now state: I FURTHER DECLARE that in the event of default or failure on our part, that Destination Stratford shall be at liberty to advertise for new Requests for Proposals, or to carry out the works in any other way they deem best. And to indemnify and save harmless Destination Stratford and their officers from all loss, damage, cost charges and expenses which they may suffer or be put to by reason of any such default or failure on our part.
February 10, 2026 – Q & A
- It is noted to include ‘Appendix “B” – Financial’ in Component 1; however, there is a later note that states to exclude any financial details from Component 1. My reading of this is that we include the completed Appendix B in Component 1 but all additional details such as cost breakdowns are to be included in Component 2. Can you just confirm my reading of this? Yes, this is what we were hoping for in regards to the Financial portions.
