By Lyonel Doherty
Due to some irresponsible dog owners, the days are numbered for the off-leash area in Oliver Community Park.
In what may be a controversial move, the Oliver Parks and Recreation Society is making plans to phase out the off-leash park in ball diamonds #4 and #5 and re-establish it in Lion’s Park.
On Monday the Society discussed purchasing fencing to construct the off-leash area in the northern sector of the park (between the hike and bike trail and the parking lot).
Manager of Recreation Carol Sheridan said they have to make an application to the Town to amend the Animal Control Bylaw.
“At this time, there are no changes to this bylaw,” she pointed out.
Once the new dog park area is established, Oliver Parks and Recreation intends to submit a request to Town council asking it to add the new Lion’s Park off-leash location to the bylaw and eventually remove the off-leash area in the ball diamonds.
Sheridan said the major issue is dog owners not cleaning up after their pets in the ball diamonds, which is a real problem for events.
The Society previously stated its plan to establish a new off-leash area in Lion’s Park, so it shouldn’t come as a big surprise.
“It may be a controversial issue,” Sheridan admitted, but said the move will solve a lot of bylaw infraction issues with dogs in Lion’s Park.
Now visitors to the park will have a designated area to take their canines, she noted. This will also result in the park hosting more of a mixed-use population, Sheridan said.
She noted that Oliver Community Park will still accommodate off-leash dogs in the mornings from dawn to 9 am.
Avid dog walker Pat Hampson said he supports the move to relocate the off-leash dog area to Lion’s Park.
“I don’t dispute they need to move it somewhere else, and Lion’s Park is the logical place.”
But he suspects there will be some people who won’t like it, noting that several residents use the ball diamonds every day to walk their pets.
Hampson is a big supporter of off-leash areas. Last year he tried to get Town council to designate the hike and bike trail (north of Lion’s Park) as an off-leash area from dawn to 9 am. But that wasn’t supported.
