The Region of Peel's project page for the pumping station at the end of Silver Birch Trail still says the work "should be completed in early 2026." Credit Valley Conservation updated its park advisory on Sunday, October 4, 2026, and it says the construction is "currently underway," with the trail access from Silver Birch closed to the public.
Both pages are accurate as of today. One of them is describing a schedule that has already passed. For anyone in Clarkson who planned an autumn walk through the marsh, the conservation authority's notice is the one that matters. Until it changes, every visit to Rattray Marsh this October starts from the eastern end at Jack Darling Memorial Park.
What's Actually Happening at Silver Birch
The work is listed as Project 16-2905, Assignment 1, a sanitary pumping station replacement affecting Silver Birch Trail and Marshwood Place. Peel describes it as replacing and improving the aging sewer pumping station at the end of Silver Birch Trail. The goal is to add wastewater capacity and reliability under the Region's State of Good Repair program.
The timeline has moved more than once. Peel's March 28, 2023 update set a start date of March 27, 2023 and expected completion "towards the end of 2024." It named North America Construction as the contractor, with IBI Group involved. The current project page gives a later estimate of early 2026. Neither page posts a revised date, so no reopening date is available to plan around. Today's CVC advisory sends questions about the project to the Region of Peel at [email protected].
The closure isn't the only trail issue this month. Here is the full Rattray Marsh trail status as of October 4:
Trails are muddy in sections and washouts are present. Repairs are underway.
The same update puts fall colour at about 30 per cent change, which CVC describes as the point where "fall colours are evident." The trees are only partway through turning. That leaves several weeks of colour still to come in October, on trails that are wet in places.
Why the Jack Darling End Is the Only Real Option
CVC's parking rules leave little room for a workaround. The conservation authority states there is no parking at Rattray Marsh. Parking is also not permitted on any of the surrounding streets, and CVC warns there may be consequences for parking there. It directs visitors to Jack Darling Memorial Park at 1180 Lakeshore Road West and asks them to make other plans if that lot is full. CVC also notes active enforcement at and around its sites by police, by-law, provincial offences and security officers.
Jack Darling has room to absorb that demand. The City lists five parking lots in the park. Its paved Waterfront Trail runs through the grounds and connects to the Rattray Marsh walking trails. An older City parks guide describes the route from the parking to the marsh as a walk of about half a kilometre along the Waterfront Trail. The extra distance is short, and it's flat and paved.
The same guide lists other pedestrian entry points. These include Jack Darling's west boundary, the south end of Bexhill Road, Meadowwood Drive at the creek and Old Poplar Row. People who live close enough to walk in can still use those streets. Anyone arriving by car is sent to Jack Darling.
A Marsh Walk Built From the East
Starting at Jack Darling shapes the route. CVC describes the Waterfront Trail through the conservation area as a 1.1-kilometre pedestrian route through the marsh. It is part of both the Trans-Canada Trail and the Great Lakes Waterfront Trail. The main side trips branch off it:
- Knoll Trail. A 0.3-kilometre boardwalk loop off the Waterfront Trail that ends at a marsh lookout. It's short enough to add to almost any walk and stays on boardwalk.
- The Waterfront Trail boardwalk east of Bexhill Road. CVC's trail renovation work put a boardwalk on this section. Boardwalk is a sensible choice while the dirt sections are muddy.
- Silver Maple Lane. A side loop whose boardwalk was extended to meet the Meadow Wood Side Trail during the same renovation.
The renovation page dates from 2021, and CVC's advisory reports washouts and repairs right now. Check the advisory again on the morning of a walk. A boardwalk-heavy route from the Jack Darling end is the most reliable plan this month, and waterproof footwear helps on everything else.
Fitting the Rest of October Around It
Park at Jack Darling, walk west into the marsh, then drive or walk back into Clarkson. That plan has to fit around the neighbourhood's busiest fall dates. Most of them fall on Saturdays, the same days the Jack Darling lots are most likely to fill.
Date | Event | Where | Hours | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Through Sunday, Oct 11 | Legend of the Museum comic book exhibition | Benares Visitor Centre | Noon to 4 p.m. on Oct 11 | Not listed |
Saturdays through Dec 19 | Saturday Family Fun | Bradley Museum | 1 to 4 p.m. | Drop-in |
Sat Oct 17 and Sun Oct 18 | Halloween Harvest | Bradley Museum | Noon to 4 p.m. | Paid |
Sat Oct 31 | Halloween in the Village | Lakeshore Road West | 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. | Free |
Thu Nov 26 | Christmas in the Village | Clarkson Community Church, 1880 Lakeshore Rd W | 5 to 8 p.m. | Free |
Halloween Harvest at Bradley Museum fills both afternoons of October 17 and 18. The program includes heritage demonstrations, s'mores at the fire pit, a petting zoo, live music, scarecrow decorating, warm apple cider, a scavenger hunt with prizes, and samples of fresh-churned ice cream in caramel apple and pumpkin spice flavours. It's a paid event, and onsite tickets are credit or debit only. It runs rain or shine. With a noon start, a morning marsh walk from Jack Darling leaves time to get to Bradley as the gates open.
Halloween in the Village on October 31 changes the driving picture. The Clarkson Village BIA's event description says Lakeshore Road West will be closed from Clarkson Road North to Meadow Wood Road. Bouncy castles, a trackless train, games, face painting, live performances and treats will fill the street. The location field on the same page lists the closure as Southdown Road to Meadow Wood Road. Confirm the limits with the BIA closer to the date. Either version closes the stretch of Lakeshore Road West through the Village between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. That's worth knowing before planning a Halloween morning walk that ends with a drive along Lakeshore.
The comic book exhibition at Benares has the shortest window. It closes after Thanksgiving Sunday, October 11.
Where the Walk Ends
After a cool, muddy morning on the marsh boardwalks, the obvious next stop is lunch on Lakeshore Road West. The restaurants on the BIA's Taste of Clarkson Village roster from August are a good starting list, and several sit within a few blocks of each other.
- Clarkson Bistro, 1731 Lakeshore Rd W
- Solstice Restaurant & Wine Bar, 1801 Lakeshore Rd W
- Capra's Kitchen, 1834 Lakeshore Rd W
- Clucker's Wood Oven, 1900 Lakeshore Rd W
- Domino's Pizza Clarkson, 1684 Lakeshore Rd W
The August promotion is over. The addresses haven't changed, and they form a short stretch of the Village a single stop away from the marsh. On October 31, that stretch sits inside the Halloween closure. It's a good day to park once and walk between the street festival and lunch.
Keeping an Eye on Station 15
The Silver Birch closure will end once Peel's work wraps up. Peel has said all work carries a two-year warranty from completion. Neither Peel nor CVC has posted a reopening date. CVC's advisory page is updated regularly and reports trail status and fall colour together. It's the page to check before each walk this season. Until Station 15 reopens, the marsh entrance with parking is at 1180 Lakeshore Road West.
Owning a home a short walk from Rattray Marsh means keeping up with which entrance is open, which boardwalk is dry and which Saturday Lakeshore Road closes. When you want the same kind of current, street-level detail about what your Clarkson home is worth this fall, the Larose Team can help. Request a Free Home Valuation, and we'll walk you through what's moving in your part of the neighbourhood.
