Dear Editor:
I’m writing this letter over the concerns I have about Legion Beach, located at the corner of Kingfisher Drive and 89th Street in Osoyoos.
The only part of the beach where there is grass, trees and picnic tables happens to be located right in the middle of a dog park.
This is also located right next to where 25 to 35 children are participating in a summer day camp at the Cactus Centre. These same children go swimming every day, they sit on the grass or put their towels on the grass where numerous dogs have been.
Last fall, a lovely wedding took place at this location.
The bride’s attendant came through the rock tunnel that separates the Osoyoos Water Park from Legion Beach and was met by the groom’s attendant on the park side.
Both attendants then tried to walk down to the water’s edge as did the bride in her long, white dress.
Unfortunately, the bride’s dress and train were stained by the mess left in the dog park and there were also about 75 other guests, many of them wearing long dresses, and they too were negatively affected by having to walk through a dog park.
The organizers of the wedding had covered up the signs indicating this was a dog park with towels.
This must make sense to someone to have a dog park at a public swimming beach, but it sure doesn’t make any sense to me.
I also observed dozens of young hockey players from the summer hockey school held at the Sun Bowl Arena in July wander down to the beach to try and go for a swim last summer. There were numerous dogs around and many of these young athletes were afraid to go into the water.
We have a community dog park up near the high school and this is where dogs should play, not at a popular local beach.
B. Lodge
Osoyoos, B.C.
