Cobourg releases ‘StoryMap’ detailing how town manages assets residents use daily
By reporter Natalie Hamilton
From turning on the tap in the morning, to driving to work or walking through a park, the Town of Cobourg is inviting residents to check out a new resource that demonstrates how municipal assets – like drinking water, roads, and parks – are all managed over time.
The Town of Cobourg’s public works and engineering division has released a new “StoryMap” with the aim of showing how carefully managing Cobourg’s assets supports everyday life.
The StoryMap, entitled “2026 Asset Management: An Annual Review,” explains how the infrastructure people rely on is planned, maintained and renewed to support a safe, reliable and sustainable community, noted the town, in a press release.
“Asset management is ultimately about caring for the systems our community depends on every day,” said Melanie Chatten, GIS co-ordinator and creator of the StoryMap. “This StoryMap helps illustrate that asset management is not just a technical exercise but about making thoughtful, informed decisions so Cobourg’s infrastructure continues to serve the community now and into the future.”
For the most part, asset management may happen behind-the-scenes, but it plays a critical role in daily life, town staff noted.
“From turning on the tap in the morning, to driving to work, walking through a park or relying on emergency services, residents benefit every day from municipal assets that are carefully managed over time. With a combined replacement value of more than $1.12 billion, the town utilizes asset management plans as strategic snapshots built from evolving data.”
The new StoryMap is designed to explain how the town uses data, planning, risk analysis and lifecycle management to make informed decisions. The StoryMap highlights real-life asset management examples in action, including the King Street West culvert replacement project and the replacement of a fire pumper truck.
In addition to showing the scale and complexity of municipal infrastructure, the StoryMap also addresses one of the most important challenges facing municipalities – the infrastructure funding gap, officials noted.
By helping residents understand what the town owns, what condition assets are in and how priorities are set, the StoryMap aims to provide greater awareness around infrastructure planning and investment.
Residents can learn more at Cobourg.ca/AMStoryMap.
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