Cathy Dobson One municipally owned dog park is not enough, advocates say.
Cathy Dobson
One municipally owned dog park is not enough, advocates say.
Now that city council has agreed to a one-year trial for a dedicated dog zone in Germain Park, the Sarnia Off-Leash Committee will push for a second one at Mike Weir Park in Bright’s Grove, says chairman Analia Davis.
“We still have a long way to go in making Sarnia a dog-friendly community,” she said. “We have a very heavy population of dog owners and yet we’re one of the last cities without a city-owned dog park.”
Davis said she hears regularly from residents who want an off-leash park in their neighbourhood.
“So I don’t know if two is really enough.”
It took city council 10 years and three proposals before finally agreeing to test a one-acre site on the south side of Germain Park with two separately fenced areas, one for large dogs and another for small and senior dogs.
Council voted 6-2 last week to back the one-year trial in the spring.
Coun. Andy Bruziewicz and Coun. Dave Boushy voted against the plan, saying city staff didn’t consider enough alternative locations before proposing Germain.
Davis said staff followed protocol and looked at several other parks including Tecumseh and Sherwood in conjunction with the off-leash committee.
“Germain Park is the most workable of all our 106 parks,” she said. “There are no immediate neighbours and an off-leash area will not interfere with anyone’s enjoyment of the park.”
Germain also has washrooms, water, lighting and is easily accessible.
“Council made the right decision,” said Davis. “We think it’s just an excellent spot.”
Choosing a location has been controversial, as seen at the Nov. 14 council meeting when Marian Glover spoke.
She lives about a block from the Germain Park site and is convinced it will be unsafe.
“There’s too much happening in that park. If a dog jumps the fence or gets loose, it is a major safety concern,” she told The Journal.
Glover, who owns two dogs and walks them daily on a leash at the park, said she’d prefer taxpayers’ money be spent on amenities for children, such as repairing the closed Jackson pool in Germain Park.
“The kids in this neighbourhood have lost an arena and their pool,” she said. “We’re all disappointed with this decision.”
Glover criticized city staff for not soliciting input from sports groups that use Germain, although Parks and Rec director Rob Harwood said emails were sent to all of them. Objects from sports teams sank a proposal for an off-leash area in Clearwater Park a few years ago.
The Germain Park location hinges on whether council finds $20,000 for fencing, gates and signs during budget deliberations.
Davis’s committee has already purchased a large amount of four-foot-high fencing, but more is needed.
City dog owners currently have use of an off-leash dog park on Blackwell Road. However, it is privately owned and lacks shade, water, washrooms and has poor accessibility.
