In true Kootenay fashion, the Baker Street Dog Parade on Sunday afternoon started approximately half an hour after it was scheduled. But once a small gathering of canine enthusiasts successfully assembled in front of Kootenay Co-op, they marched for a few leisurely blocks to showcase their support for the recent decision to overturn the downtown dog ban.
Nelsonite Stevland Ambrose strolled downtown with his 3-year-old purebred German shepherd Kia, and said though he understood why the dog bylaw was passed in the first place, it was time for the community to move forward.
“I’ve certainly in my time here seen irresponsible dog owners but I think there are less these days, so hopefully this will work,” he said.
He said the change won’t dramatically affect his life, but he’s pleased regardless.
“I don’t anticipate walking on Baker every day, but it’s nice to know we can walk through if we need to.”
Local hero Chris O’Gorman was present with his Russian mountain dog Boris, but declined to comment because he felt everything that needs to be said has already been expressed.
Dogs of all sizes were present for the parade, many of them in costumes. Boris was one of the largest breeds present (dwarfed only by Titan, a Great Dane), while there were also a number of small dogs, such as Bugsy. An 8-year-old poodle, he was in a carrier being held by his owner Matheson Kincaid.
“I thought the bylaw was dumb,” said Kincaid. “Every other town can live with dogs on their main street, why can’t we? I don’t know what it was like in the past, but this bylaw was past it’s best before date.”
Kincaid has ignored the ban until now.
“I didn’t follow it personally. I would pick him up, because it’s dangerous for him to walk on a busy street like this anyways. We never had trouble with bylaw officers. I definitely did walk past them, but when you’re carrying a 4-pound poodle it takes a pretty ballsy officer to say something.”
Titan’s owner Sherry Perry said the overturned bylaw is good news for Nelson tourism, and as an owner of an off-leash dog walking company and as a member of the local business association, she believed the bylaw was hurting her financially.
She said tourists choose to visit Kaslo or Castlegar when they realize there are no options in the area for their pets, since they can’t leave them behind in a car or at a campground.
“I moved here in 2006 from Calgary. I had a Great Dane there and I could take him everywhere, there were poo bags, no problem. I couldn’t believe when I moved here all of a sudden I couldn’t walk him downtown.”
The twenty-minute march down Baker Street was uneventful, with a few raised thumbs and well-wishers shouting on either side. One excrement incident, which took place within a few blocks, was quickly dealt with by the paraders.
“Halt! We’re leaving a trail!” one woman yelled, while others rushed back with bags at the ready.
