Fort Frances will form another advisory committee to look at the possible development of a dog park.

It will be the third attempt since 2012.

The previous committees submitted reports to council in 2012 and 2015 that identified potential locations but never pursued further.

Mayor Andrew Hallikas says those previous studies were scuttled by the need for water.

“One of the requirements was that the pieces of property that were identified had water, running water,” says Hallikas.

“Some of them didn’t. And as the potential properties got ruled out, it then became a cost. There wasn’t an appetite to support at that time to establish running water.”

Hallikas notes the difference with this latest attempt is that the committee will have the opportunity to assist with fundraising efforts to help offset development costs.

With council approval, the town will seek four members of the public to serve on the committee, and it will likely begin its work this September.

Their initial job will be to identify potential sites, narrowing the selection to preferred sites to be presented to the public for input.

Final site selection could be made as early as this winter, with development starting in the spring and the dog park opening later in 2026.