Cobourg – Ontario's feel-good town thriving in its element

As Ontarians look outside major centres in search of lifestyle, more privacy and better affordability, destinations to the east of the GTA are among the popular choices. Durham Region, Clarington and other smaller cities and towns might be the first to come to mind, but there’s another choice location you should learn more about: Cobourg.

You may have seen signage for the town as you drive along Hwy. 401 east of Toronto, near Port Hope and the exits for Peterborough, but beyond that, Cobourg may not immediately register as an active adult locale.

But perhaps it should – because the secret is out.

ACCLAIMED COMMUNITY

Located on the shores of Lake Ontario about 95 kms east of Toronto and 62 km from Oshawa – roughly halfway between Toronto and Kingston – Cobourg has been recognized multiple times by MoneySense Magazine as “One of Canada’s Best Places to Live” with populations of less than 25,000. It has also received the Federation of Canadian Municipalities Sustainable Communities Award, accolades from the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act Alliance, and multiple heritage, environmental and community event awards.

This acclaimed lakeside community boasts all of the day-to-day amenities you’d look for in an active adult community. Nearby healthcare and leisure options such as a heritage marina one block from shopping, dining and entertainment, manicured parks for leisure and sports, and a spectacular beach on the shores of Lake Ontario.

And, for those still with kids at home or families visiting, there’s plenty of local educational options, and an abundance of childcare options.

The downtown and surrounding residential area is designated as a Heritage Conservation District, with a well-preserved traditional small-town main street. Victoria Hall, the town hall completed in 1860, is a National Historic Site of Canada.

Year-round attractions – COVID restrictions permitting, of course – include the Canada Day Waterfront Festival, summer concerts in Victoria Park, theatre productions and an award-winning Sandcastle Festival. And from spring to winter, there’s the ever-popular Farmers’ Market. Cobourg is also home to Canada’s oldest drive-in.

All that, plus a serene lifestyle, picturesque landscape, gorgeous waterfront promenade, historical buildings and a heritage marina… These are among the characteristics behind Cobourg’s “Ontario’s Feel-Good Town” slogan.

Through the late 1980s and 1990s, the Town invested in property along the waterfront and began beautifying the area. A boardwalk was developed to connect the harbour and large sandy beach, while further pathways were created to encompass Victoria Park and the historic downtown.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

But Cobourg doesn’t just cling to the past. Indeed, it is modernizing for the future with, among other initiatives, Venture13, an innovation and entrepreneurship centre.

The facility represents the evolution of the two-storey 30,000-sq.-ft. post-war brick Building 13 of the Northam Industrial Park on D’Arcy St., the centre of what in the 1950s was the headquarters of No. 26 Ordnance Depot of the Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps. The station was closed and decommissioned in 1970 and housed various tenants until 2017 when the Town, in partnership with Northumberland CFDC and with the support of FedDev Ontario, transformed the building into a thriving centre for entrepreneurship and innovation. And, with a nod to Cobourg’s past, Building 13 was named Venture13.

Today, Venture13 boasts a network of leaders from Spark Centre, Fleming College, Durham College, Ontario Tech University, the Impact Centre at the University of Toronto and Ontario Centres of Excellence, all working together to advance entrepreneurship and innovation in Northumberland and the wider eastern Ontario corridor.

RESIDENTIAL APPEAL

Then there’s the cost of housing, quite often one of the reasons people leave Toronto. But like much of Ontario, homes are proving exceptionally popular in this area, and with limited supply, prices are on the rise.

The benchmark price for single-family homes in Northumberland County in December 2021 climbed 32.9 per cent year-over-year to $744,600. Townhome/row units rose even more – 37.1 per cent to $559,500, compared to a year earlier.

Compare these prices to what you might pay in Toronto or elsewhere in the GTA, and you begin to understand the appeal of Cobourg.

“Our current market is being driven by a large number of buyers moving from the Toronto and Durham areas,” Erin Brown, president-elect of the Northumberland Hills Association of Realtors told NextHome.“ This area is also considered commuting distance to the GTA by many. We are also seeing record low housing inventory, which is continuing to drive prices up. Many people are recognizing the benefits this area offers and that it is a great place to live.”

In new homes, a number of developments are underway in town, from singles and semis to townhomes. Notable among them is Mason Homes’ Kingswood, an infill neighbourhood at the corner of King Street East and Orchard Avenue in the heart of Cobourg, offering 30- and 40-ft. townhomes.

Other developments in the area include East Village, Parkview Hills, West Park Village and Brook Meadows.

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION

Located in southern Ontario, 95 km east of Toronto and 62 km east of Oshawa; population 19,440

Key landmarks

• Port Hope Drive-In
• Sifton Cook Heritage Centre
• The Cobourg Waterfront Festival
• Victoria Park Beach