Hamilton’s Cathedral dog park faces extended closure due to safety concerns

Pet owners and community members, who anticipated Hamilton’s popular Cathedral dog park’s reopening, will now have to wait a bit longer.

Located at 707 King St. W, has been unexpectedly closed for the summer due to structural safety concerns related to a buried sewage-trapping tank.

Originally scheduled for a month-long closure in May to facilitate water and storm-sewer pipe replacements, the park’s reopening is now uncertain as the city grapples with potential risks.

“The closure is a precautionary measure as the city is hesitant to drive heavy equipment over the massive buried combined sewer overflow (CSO) tank,” Hamilton City officials said in an email to intheHammer.com.

As a result, the City has initiated a comprehensive structural review of the project to assess its safety and feasibility.

City officials speculate that the best-case scenario, without the need for soil removal, could see the park reopening by September. However, the decision on soil removal will be contingent on the outcome of the structural review process.

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Compounding the situation, the site of Cathedral dog park sits on a portion of a former landfill, adding an extra layer of complexity to the safety assessment.

Until the review is complete, the reopening schedule remains uncertain.