Hamilton dog park shuttered due to concerns over contaminated soil

A City of Hamilton sign is pictured above in this file photo.

A Hamilton dog park has been closed as a “precaution” following concerns about potentially hazardous soil at the site, according to a report from city staff.

The Birch Avenue dog park was shuttered after city staff said results from soil samples at the leash-free site found “exceedances on some criteria of the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks current standards for parkland.”

In a report sent to city council last week, staff say the soil poses “no imminent danger to people,” but the impacts on dog health “remain uncertain.”

“Effective immediately and out of an abundance of caution related to protecting health of dogs, the dog park will be closed to the public until further notice,” the staff report read.

“The fully fenced dog park will be locked and a closure notice sign will be placed at the entrance. These precautionary measures are based on the initial soil screening information.”

The soil screening was undertaken following a complaint in May 2024 from an area resident who was concerned that the soil condition was negatively impacting the health of dogs using the park, possibly leading to illness and even death.

The dog park, city staff said, opened in 2010 and was previously used as a disposal location for non-hazardous fill, including brick, rubble, and concrete.

“When the park was established, site background studies were reviewed and determined to meet the standards at the time for park use,” the report read.

A consultant has been engaged to conduct further review of the tests with a “dog as the target species in mind,” the report continued.

“Once comprehensive testing and information is available, next steps can be better understood and planned,” staff concluded.

“It is recognized this closure will be an inconvenience and ask for patience while further testing is completed.”