Interview with the Mayor - April 13th, 2026

Monday, 13 April 2026 10:43

Mayor Acchione talked about the zoning situation for Wayward Paws Wildlife Rehabilitation and a proposal for the Finkle Street pedestrian bridge.

WOODSTOCK - The City of Woodstock is working on a solution for Wayward Paws Wildlife Rehabilitation.

The local organization announced on its Facebook page on April 6th that it had run into some issues with zoning and encouraged everyone to reach out to City Council. That post was shared over 220 times and Mayor Jerry Acchione addressed the matter during his interview on the Heart FM Morning Show today.

"I've met with them a couple of times, gone to the location, and we've sat down to look at options they can go about. I'm not exactly sure where it's at yet, but they are speaking with city staff to see how we can add them as a permitted use in the area."

Wayward Paws cares for animals that have been injured in the wild and released them once they're healthy. Mayor Acchione says they're approved by the Ministry of Natural Resources, have proper cages on site and they have the proper training to be doing this.

He's hopeful that a resolution can be found.

Mayor Acchione is also excited to see the Finkle Street pedestrian bridge on the agenda for this Thursday's City Council meeting.

It's owned by CN Railway and it was closed in 2021 because it was not safe for the public. However, Mayor Acchione says CN now has a plan to revamp the bridge and make it more accessible to the public.

"They are proposing to not only make the bridge, but also make a 120 metre switchback, because it was only stairs before so it wasn't fully accessible."

He says this Z shaped switchback would take up more space, which is something to consider for the residential areas on either side of it. Council will vote for or against this project during the meeting.

This Thursday's City Council meeting will begin at 7:00 p.m. and it will be livestreamed on the City of Woodstock YouTube page. You can also find the meeting agenda online here.

Mayor Acchione also discussed the following during his interview this morning:

- Heart FM's 20th anniversary celebration on Friday.

- The current status of the Hawkin's Chapel and the effort to designate it as a heritage site.

- His experience playing pickleball yesterday.

- His thoughts on today's Daily Debate: is there a spin-off television show that you like more than the original?

You can listen to the full interview below: