Dear Editor:
As many people know, about two months ago the Town of Osoyoos had both gates to Kinsmen Park removed to deter many people from letting their dogs run in the park.
I personally called the town to let them know that in my opinion and many others’, that this was a reckless, irrational and extreme decision and that the gates need to be put back on ASAP! I was told that we have a dog park and that people can use it. My reply was that many people who live in the near vicinity cannot drive any more, people feel it’s not safe for kids and dogs as they could get out and stray dogs could get it!
Other people like myself and other business owners have no time to drive across town.
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Last week I had some business to tend to in Oliver and I brought my dog along. I figured while I was there that I would visit the town’s dog park. I must say I was really impressed! It was in a great central location with lots of trees for shade and some tables, also it was flat.
I decided once I returned to Osoyoos that I would check out ours as I hadn’t been there since the town moved it. Well let’s just say that I can’t imagine being elderly or in a wheel chair as the long hike to the top of the hill from the parking lot would be a huge challenge for most, and considering the fact that the town consists of mainly seniors I feel this was not considered nor well planned out.
I arrived at the gate to the park and immediately started down quite a steep slope. Once winter hits this will impose even more of a challenge with slippery conditions. In fact most of the dog park is bermed. It has one cluster of trees and a covered area once you make it down then up the hill to it.
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Ok, to the point I will get. I feel that the location to our dog park is unreachable for many and I am proposing that the Kinsmen Park be developed into a multi-use park for kids and a dog park.
There is no dog park on the east side of town available for the residents living there and I feel it would be fairly straight forward as we would just need to run a fence down the middle from one side of the washroom to the other and across so as to divide the kids park from the dog park and install a gate so as everyone can access the bathrooms/dog park, plumb a tap for water and get the gates back on!
The old soccer goal posts and fields haven’t been used as a soccer park for many years and the town already has two newer and larger in a central location.
I am proposing an on line petition to see what the majority of the people want.
Sue Gerrard, Osoyoos
