Remaining drums were removed from Bristol Street Park and the park is open to visitors again as of Thursday.
There were no hazardous materials or liquid waste found in the drums said in a press release from the City of Guelph.
The park was closed in April 2022 to remove the drums after an initial excavation in 2014, when the city was upgrading water infrastructure. When the drums were removed, new soil filled the spots where the drums were.
Precautions were implemented to safely remove and dispose of the drums. Testing was done to ensure the conditions at the site did not affect the water quality of Howitt Creek or Speed River.
In the process of removing the drums, trees and shrubs were removed to access the drums. Kentucky Coffee trees an at-risk species in Ontario were transplanted in the park to replace the previous greenery. Over 100 new trees and shrubs, native to the region were planted in the park.
The new trees and shrubs will help contribute overall to increase the city's tree canopy by 40 per cent.
