The off-leash dog park at Snedden-Casey Ball Field in Almonte, Ontario, will stick around for at least five more years, and it is getting some upgrades to help owners and their pups beat the heat.
Mississippi Mills council agreed to extend the pilot project for another five years at a June 23, 2026 meeting. The extension means the fully fenced park on Ann Street will remain open through 2031. Council also signed off on improvements, including adding shade structures, with $15,000 set aside in the 2026 budget for the work.
The park opened in summer 2023 after a 2021 community survey showed strong local interest in a safe, accessible, and fully fenced spot for dogs to run off-leash. Since then, it has become a regular stop for dog owners looking to exercise their pets and connect with neighbours.
Recreation Manager Calvin Murphy is looking at two ways to bring shade to the park. One option is to team up with the Almonte District High School construction class, which has experience building shade structures at community spots like Almonte Beach back in 2016. If that partnership works out, a new structure could be in place by spring 2027. The second idea is to plant trees along the fence line, and Murphy has reached out to local arborist Allan Goddard to see if that is a practical alternative.
Dog owners using the park are still expected to follow the posted rules. Dogs must be leashed when entering and leaving, stay under verbal control at all times, and have up-to-date municipal tags and rabies shots. Owners also need to clean up after their pets. Under local bylaws and Ontario’s Dog Owners’ Liability Act, owners remain fully responsible for how their dogs behave.
The extension and planned improvements were announced in the municipality’s council highlights from the June 23 meeting.
