There is a desire for a fenced-in dog park in Ladysmith, and the community is willing to help find a location.
That was the message Ladysmith resident Robin Maxted brought to council Feb. 2. He also presented a petition signed by 562 people that urges council to try to come up with a long-term solution for a fenced-in, off-leash dog park in Ladysmith.
“I’m certainly willing to help, and there’s quite a few of us, if there’s anything we can do to help you guys, in terms of a committee or just looking at different options,” he said. “There’s a real need in the town that I think this [petition] demonstrates, and there’s a lot of support for making this happen.”
When he addressed council, Maxted shared an article from Campbell River from last year that shows that the city’s fenced-in off-leash dog park has been such a success that it’s overcrowded and they’re looking at setting up a second park.
Maxted also told council that the fenced dog park in Cumberland is “extremely popular,” and Chemainus has now designated a back ball diamond for this winter as a temporary dog park.
“When I moved here two years ago, I was really surprised at just how many people have dogs in this community when I walk around,” he said. “A fenced-in environment is a great meeting place for the community. It’s positive for socializing dogs, and it reduces dog aggression.”
Coun. Duck Paterson asked Maxted if he thought dog owners would pay a little more for their dog tags to help cover the cost of fencing in a park, and Maxted thought that was a good idea.
“I think so,” he said.
Coun. Rob Hutchins noted that the community has expressed a desire for a fenced-in dog park numerous times in the past.
Hutchins explained that there was an effort to have a fenced-in park at Kin Park in the past, but there was a fair bit of opposition. Then, about two and a half years ago, the issue of a fenced dog park came up again, and council put $14,000 into the budget and directed the Parks and Recreation Commission to look at options, he noted.
There was an idea to put a fenced-in dog park on the west side of Captain Tristan DeKoninck Way, but there was significant pushback from people who did not want to see that area fenced, he explained.
“So it’s not that we haven’t tried; it’s finding a location that meets the needs of everybody,” he said.
Maxted told council that this petition started with a community Facebook discussion during the municipal election campaigns in the fall, and through that discussion, people have shown the most support for three sites — at Transfer Beach, Brown Drive Park or the ball diamonds at Dogwood Drive if the ball diamonds get moved up to the Forrest Field area, which is part of the Town’s long-term plan.
He assured council that at other off-leash parks, dog owners keep the parks clean.
“The spaces in Cumberland and Campbell River are really great, but even in Chemainus, since they designated it a temporary off-leash park, there’s lots of people there, and people really take ownership of it; they pick up after their dogs,” he said. “And if someone sees someone not picking up, they’ll probably give them a piece of their mind right away. The big concern is there’s going to be dog waste and everyone seems to worry about that, but there really isn’t a lot.”
Hutchins wondered whether it would be suitable to invite Maxted and the fenced dog park champions who approached council before him to be part of a discussion with the Parks and Recreation Commission about fenced off-leash dog parks and possible locations
Councillors agreed, and council voted to refer the matter of a fenced dog park to the Parks and Recreation Commission, with a request to invite citizens such as Maxted and those who approached council before him about dog parks to have a converation about the issue.
“This has been of great interest to our community for quite some time,” said Hutchins.
