Main Street’s New Look Comes Into View as Multi-Year Reconstruction Begins Nov. 2

• Reconstruction of Stouffville’s Main Street begins Nov. 2, with completion expected in December 2028.
• The first stage runs to Dec. 23, extending a storm sewer and restoring the roadway between Park Drive and roughly 100 metres east of it.
• Rabcon Contractors Ltd. won the contract with the lowest compliant bid, at $16,186,000.
• The Town’s 2026 construction budget for the project is approximately $18.5 million, with the remainder after listed costs set aside for contingency.
• Full signalization and a new pedestrian crossing at Edward Street, plus rail crossing changes allowing for future whistle cessation, are part of the project.
• It also adds wider sidewalks, stormwater features, and an overlook above Stouffville Creek.
• The final design keeps 76 on-street parking spaces, six fewer than the current 82
• A public open house is set for Thursday, Nov. 26, from 6 to 8 p.m. at 19 on the Park.

Reconstruction of Stouffville’s Main Street begins Monday, Nov. 2, launching a rebuild of the Downtown’s underground infrastructure and streetscape that the Town expects to finish in December 2028.

The first stage runs to Dec. 23 and through the holiday shopping season, with crews extending a storm sewer and restoring the roadway between Park Drive and roughly 100 metres east of it.

A public open house on the project is set for Thursday, Nov. 26, from 6 to 8 p.m. at 19 on the Park.

The project, which Gormley-based Rabcon Contractors Ltd. will carry out, is the second phase of the Town’s broader Main Street rebuilding effort. Phase 1, from Stouffer Street to Park Drive, was completed in 2018.

This phase is centred on infrastructure replacement, renewing storm sewers, sanitary sewers, and watermains, plus full road reconstruction and a new streetscape. The design was led by Accardi Engineering Group and reached 100 percent in July, capping a process that dates back to a 2019 Town working group.

The Finished Street

The final design keeps 76 on-street parking spaces, six fewer than the current 82. The 30 percent design had cut that number to 42 before public feedback prompted revisions.

Wider sidewalks are meant to make room for patios, while permeable pavers and bioretention areas will help manage stormwater. Heritage-inspired benches and decorative streetlights were chosen through public engagement, and public art will include gateway features and a panel system that can rotate displays.

A new “Main Street Meet-up” overlook will also extend over Stouffville Creek. Between the Sculpture Walk pathway and the future northbound Stouffville-Rouge trail to Mill Street, it will sit at the centre of Downtown, alongside 6240 Main Street and the new Urban Plaza.

Given its proximity to the GO rail corridor, Blake Street will allow only right-turn entry from Main Street, with no exit back onto Main.

Edward Street Crossing & Whistle Cessation

Among the most significant additions to the final design is a new pedestrian crossing at Edward Street, at the project’s western limit. The intersection will also be fully signalized.

Reconstruction will also incorporate necessary changes to the Main Street rail crossing to allow for future whistle cessation. The Town must complete crossing work before cessation can be approved, meaning train horns are likely to continue there beyond completion of the project.

Animation shows merged streetscape designs, supplied by Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville

Awarding the Project Contract

All of this work, from Edward Street to 100 metres east of Park Drive, was tendered in August to six contractors the Town prequalified earlier in the year. Four of the five bids submitted were deemed compliant, and the contract went to Rabcon.

Rabcon’s bid of $16,186,000 was the lowest of the five, according to unofficial results posted to the Town’s bidding portal.

The Town’s 2026 Capital Plan includes a budget of approximately $18.5 million for the project, including about $16.5 million for the contract award and provisional items, $1.3 million in consulting fees, and $600,000 for permits, approvals, public engagements, and other miscellaneous costs. The remainder is being set aside for contingency.

What to Expect During Construction

Temporary lane closures will take place throughout the project, and no on-street parking will be available within the active work zone. Work is scheduled on weekdays during permitted hours, with advance notice promised if overnight work or road closures are needed.

A field ambassador from Accardi will serve as an on-the-ground contact during construction, working alongside Stouffville’s project team. Updates will be posted on the Town’s website.

The Town says pedestrian access will be maintained, while access to homes and businesses will be kept “whenever possible.” Edward Street, rebuilt ahead of the project, is expected to serve as the primary detour.

The first stage centres on sewer work that must be finished before crews can move west of Park Drive, and Main Street will stay open to traffic in the meantime, according to Town Staff.

During an Oct. 5 Village of Stouffville Advisory Committee meeting, Corporate Communications Manager Glenn Jackson described the initial work planned through mid-December as “very small in comparison to everything else that’s going to come.”

Cover image property of the Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville