Essex seeks feedback on proposed Harrow dog park

Essex Municipal Building located at 33 Talbot Street South in Essex, Ont. July 10, 2026.

Essex council is taking a closer look at where a proposed dog park in Harrow should go.

Mayor Sherry Bondy says residents in Harrow and Colchester have been asking for a dog park for years, and administration has proposed converting the unused men’s ball diamond near the Harrow Arena, because fencing is already in place.

Before a final decision is made, Bondy says council wants to hear more from residents about the proposed site and possible alternatives.

“There’s a lot of comments. I’m going to take them down. I’m going to bring them back to administration. Residents are saying, you know, put it here, put it there. So maybe we need an analysis of all the other locations,” she said.

Bondy says community support could also help get the project moving faster.

She points to the Essex Ward 1 dog park, which was partly funded through local fundraising efforts before council contributed money toward the project.

“Items like this, anytime a group can fundraise, that means it would speed the project up,” Bondy said.

Administration believes the former ball diamond is the quickest and most affordable option. Bondy estimates the project would cost about $50,000 at that location because the fence is already there.

She expects the matter to return to council soon.

“This will be a decision that this term of council has to make. And I think delaying it and looking at other locations, bringing a chart back of pros and cons is the responsible thing to do at this time,” said Bondy.

She adds any alternative location would also have to account for parking at the Harrow Fair and access to water service, two factors she says could complicate the project.