The Walkerton dog park will relocate to the Rail Trail for the time being, as council considers options for a permanent home.
After flooding and complaints from neighbours, the pilot has been moved out of Lobies Park after being there since 2024.
For this summer, the trail from Concession 2 to Willow Street will be an unleashed area for dogs.
During discussions on options, Councillor Mitch Clark reminded residents that the location was never set in stone.
"I think it's important to realize this was just a pilot project over the last few years," he said. "Now I think it's important that we do test other areas and so if that means the Rail Trail, than I think that's a good area to at least give a test and see what the feedback is from the public after we have actually utilized it and tried that."
Staff noted the Rail Trail is unfenced and has service limitations for water and washrooms. Councillor Tim Elphick said it was the best option for now but action did need to be taken to respond to concerns from the recent dog park survey.
"The only caution that I do have is that safety for dogs and trail users, over 90 respondents flagged that as a concern," he said noting the survey the Municipality ran from May 1 to 7. "I think that if we are going to use the Rail Trail, we need to ensure that there is sufficient signage, that we can make any users of the trail well-informed that it is an unleashed section for dog owners."
Council approved the relocation but directed staff to continue looking at a permanent option, focusing on the East Ridge Business Park.
