Robert Lockhart

Who We Are

Robert Lockhart is a partner with RETHINK Inc., the Ontario arm of Canada's RETHINK GROUP. He is widely recognized as a skilled planner and for his successful direction of over a hundred major projects in the field of parks, recreation and leisure services. He also has a rich base of experience in strategic business planning and visioning; public consultation; small group facilitation; market research; trend analysis; operational reviews; social policy; tourism; and arts, trails and waterfront projects.

Career Overview

Robert has been with the RETHINK GROUP since its inception in 1979. From 1975-79, he was a Senior Recreation & Tourism consultant with Balmer, Crapo & Associates Inc., a firm specializing in leisure and tourism planning. From 1983-88, Robert was Executive Director (part time) of the Peterborough Social Planning Council.

Education

  M.E.S. Environmental Studies - Urban Recreation Planning - York University, Toronto, Ontario, 1975
  B.A. (Hons) Urban Geography, York University, Toronto, Ontario, 1973

Selected Project Experience

Leisure Services Planning and Management

  • Ottawa People Services Facilities Study & Plan
  • City of Nepean, Plan for Ben Franklin Regional Park
  • City of Gloucester, Parks & Recreation Master Plans for Three Growth Areas
  • City of Gloucester, Public Consultation Program to Revamp the Leisure Service Delivery System
  • Mississauga, Strategic Marketing Plan for Parks & Recreation
  • City of Mississauga, Garden Park Study
  • Mississauga Garden Council, Vision Workshop for the Mississauga Public Garden - 'Vision 2015'
  • City of Burlington, North East Burlington Community Centre & Library Feasibility Study
  • City of Scarborough, Recreation & Parks Master Plan
  • Borough of East York, A Comprehensive Study of Existing Services & the Leisure Needs of Seniors
  • City of London, Comprehensive Recreation Plan
  • City of Windsor, Culture & Recreation Master Plan
  • City of Oshawa, Parks, Recreation and Culture Strategy
  • City of Oshawa, Arena Services Study
  • City of Oshawa, Peer Review - Market Research & Business Operating Plan - Civic Complex Field House & Outdoor Artificial Turf Field
  • Oshawa Senior Citizens Centres "Destination 2010" Strategy
  • City of Vaughan, Parks & Recreation Master Plan & Arena Feasibility Study
  • City of Vaughan, expert witness & consultant re: OMB hearing for a major mixed use development
  • Town of Markham Recreation, Culture and Library Facilities Plan
  • Town of Markham Rouge River Community Centre Study
  • Town of Markham Older Adult Recreation & Library Services Study
  • City of Peterborough Strategic Plan for Recreation, Parks & Culture
  • City of Peterborough, Functional Review of Del Crary Park
  • City of Peterborough, Investigation into Alternative Sites for the Peterborough Marina
  • City of Peterborough, Sports Field Study
  • City of Peterborough, Recreation Plan & Environmental Study of Little Lake & Environs
  • City of Guelph Strategic Plan for Recreation, Parks and Culture
  • City of Guelph, Parks, Recreation & Culture Master Plan
  • City of Welland Parks, Recreation and Culture Strategic Plan
  • Welland Recreational Waterway Master Plan
  • Town of Ajax, Parks & Recreation Master Plan
  • Town of Ajax, Combined Feasibility Study for Two Major Leisure Centres & a Seniors/Recreation Centre
  • City of Cornwall, Comprehensive Recreation/Arts Plan
  • City of Cornwall, Aquatic/Fitness Centre Feasibility Study
  • City of Cornwall, expert witness re: OMB hearing to defend a proposed municipal community centre
  • Town of Aurora, Parks & Recreation Master Plan
  • Town of Aurora Operational Review - Creation of the Leisure Services Department
  • Township of King, Parks and Recreation Master Plan & Leisure Centre Feasibility Study
  • Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Leisure Services Master Plan
  • Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Long-range Strategies for Selected Outdoor Recreation Facilities
  • Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville, Leisure Facilities Strategy
  • Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville, Leisure Programming Strategy, Cultural Strategy, Volunteer Engagement Strategy (three integrated strategies)
  • Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville, Master Plans for Memorial Park & Bethesda Park
  • Township of Ennismore Waterfront Park Plan
  • Village of Lakefield, Parks & Recreation Master Plan
  • Cobourg Family YMCA, Strategic Plan
  • Brockville YMCA/YWCA, Strategic Plan
  • Crombie Royal Commission on the Future of the Toronto Waterfront, "A Green Strategy for the Greater Toronto Waterfront" and input into "Watershed" - the Commission's Second Interim Report
  • The Cabinet Office, Toronto Waterfront Development, "The Waterfront Trail: First Steps from Concept to Reality"
  • Canadian Parks Service, Central Kawartha Lakes Water Recreation & Shoreline Development Study
  • Vision and Strategic First Steps, The Panel for the Future of the Trent-Severn Waterway
  • Trent-Severn Waterway Strategic Marketing Plan
  • Ontario Ministry of Tourism & Recreation, Strategic Review: Ontario Camp Leadership Centre, Bark Lake
  • Ontario Ministry of Tourism & Recreation, A Provincial Study of Youth Recreation Needs & Services
  • Golden Horseshoe Conservation Authorities, Joint Outdoor Tourism Marketing Strategy
  • Ganaraska Region Conservation Authority, The Ganaraska Forest Study and Business Plan
  • Metro. Toronto & Region Conservation Authority - Review of Role, Policies, and Strategies re: the Public Use of Authority Lands
  • Otonabee Region Conservation Authority, Outdoor Recreation Role & Strategy for the Public Use of Authority Lands
  • Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs, Vision 2005
  • Algonquin Snowmobile Alliance, Bus. & Marketing Plan
  • Royal Botanical Gardens, Visioning, Community Input & Needs Assessment for the Trails Master Plan

Non-Leisure Services Assignments

  • Whitchurch-Stouffville Soccer Club, Indoor Soccer Facility Feasibility Study
  • Township of Oro-Medonte, Leisure Facilities Strategy & Feasibility Study for a Multi-use Recreation Complex
  • Township of Oro-Medonte, Parks and Open Space System Analysis and Policy Development
  • Town of LaSalle, Culture and Recreation Master Plan
  • Municipality of Port Hope, Fitness Facility Needs Assessment
  • Municipality of Trent Hills, Community Recreation & Wellness Centre Feasibility Study
  • Municipality of Trent Hills, Facility-fit Analysis for the Potential Redevelopment of the Campbellford/Seymour Fairground
  • Town of Bracebridge Community Centre Feasibility Study
  • Township of Cavan-Millbrook-North Monaghan, Municipal Services Complex Feasibility Study
  • Township of Cavan-Millbrook-North Monaghan, Culture, Recreation and Library Needs Assessment, North Monaghan Ward
  • Township of Delhi, Parks & Recreation Master Plan
  • Township of Delhi, Arena/Community Centre Feasibility Study
  • Municipality of Brighton, Community Centre Feasibility Study
  • Township of Uxbridge Trans Canada Trail Plan
  • Town of Midland, Recreation Facilities Feasibility Study (arena expansion/multipurpose community centre, & the future of the Civic Recreation Centre)
  • Town of Newcastle, Arena & Community Centre Feasibility Study
  • Township of Alnwick/Haldimand, Recreational Facility Needs Assessment - Haldimand Memorial Arena & Ball Park
  • Township of Beckwith, Indoor Soccer Facility Feasibility Study
  • Lanark County Community Vision & Corporate Strategic Plan
  • Norfolk County Vision, Strategic Plan & Official Plan
  • Strategic Plan, City of Kawartha Lakes
  • Guelph, assistance with Corporate Strategic Plan
  • Strategic Plan, Peterborough and District Chamber of Commerce
  • Downtown Strategic Action Plan, Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville
  • Strategic Plan, Historic Downtown Georgetown
  • Peterborough-Lakefield Community Police Service Strategic Business Plan (Three Plans: 2004-06, 2007-09, 2010-12)
  • City of Gloucester Police Services, Comprehensive Public & Stakeholder Consultation Program to Help Implement Community-based Policing
  • Vision and Strategic First Steps, Peterborough Heritage Committee
  • Strategic Plan, Community Living Peterborough
  • Strategic Plan, Peterborough Housing Corporation
  • Bancroft Retirement Residence Feasibility Study & Business Plan
  • Junior Achievement of Kawartha-Lakeshore, Vision 2003
  • Peterborough Community Access Centre Board, Visioning & Strategic First Steps
  • Hospice Peterborough, Strategic Plan
  • Guelph Services for the Physically Disabled, Vision 2001

Other Planning Assignments

  • SmartGuelph - Building Tomorrow Today (growth management strategy)
  • Toronto Consortium of Employment Services for Persons with Disabilities, An Innovative Model for Inter-agency Partnership in Employment Service Delivery

Significant Publications

  • Public Input and the Police/Public Partnership ... A Two-Way Street", The Police Governor, (Spring/Summer, 1994) OAPSB, with Bob Woodburn
  • "The Waterfront Trail: First Steps from Concept to Reality", with Bob Woodburn and Ron Reid, 1991
  • "Watershed" Second Interim Report of the Royal Commission on the Future of the Toronto Waterfront, contributing author, 1990
  • "A Green Strategy for the Greater Toronto Waterfront: Background and Issues", Royal Commission on the Future of the Toronto Waterfront, 1990; with Bob Woodburn and Ron Reid
  • "Future Outlooks on Recreation: An Environmental Perspective", Ontario Ministry of Tourism and Recreation; with Paul Wilkinson, Jean-Marc Daigle, Ken Balmer, Bob Woodburn, Lee Fraser, Michael Hough, and Alex Murray, 1991
  • "A Time To Refocus on Youth", Recreation Canada (Special Issue, 1985)
  • "The Winter Use of Playgrounds", Recreation Canada (No. 3, 1981); with Paul F. Wilkinson and Ethel M. Luhtanen
  • "The Winter Use of Playgrounds", Innovation in Play Environments, Croom Held, London, 1980; with Paul F. Wilkinson and Ethel M. Luhtanen
  • "Safety in Children's Formal Play Environments", Innovation in Play Environments, Croom Held, London, 1980; with Paul F. Wilkinson and Ethel M. Luhtanen
  • "The Joy of Winter", prepared for the Ontario Ministry of Culture and Recreation, 1977; with Paul F. Wilkinson and Ethel Luhtanen
  • "Winter Outdoor Use of Urban Parks in Ontario", Ontario Ministry of Culture and Recreation, 1977; with Paul F. Wilkinson
  • "So You Want to Share My Facility?", prepared for the National Advisory Council on Fitness and Amateur Sport, Ottawa, April, 1977; with Tom Coon
  • "Community Use of Recreation Facilities in Canada", National Advisory Council on Fitness and Amateur Sport, 1975; with Ken Balmer
  • "Planning for Children's Outdoor Play Environments: Revision of the Toronto Playspace Project", 1975
  • "Criteria for Open Space Related to Non-residential Functions in the Inner Core", City of Toronto Planning Board: Community Concepts Limited, 1974