Jackie Parker Pooch Patrol
Advocating for the Off Leash Area
Concept 1
The ravine boundary for the off-leash area goes along the creek. The inside of that boundary is off leash and outside it you must have your dog on a leash. This means that most of the existing trail would be ON leash and there would be no off leash access to a ravine trail unless a new trail was constructed. Because of that, we are reluctant to support this map unless and until there is a new trail constructed.
Concept 2
The boundary includes the entire ravine, no new trail construction needed. In the critical conflict areas (near houses and golf course) there is a voluntary leash up area if dogs wander into yards, and signage to reflect this. If necessary, re-route the trail in the critical areas.
Legend
What's the Same?
-there is a section at the north end of the off leash area near the spray park where we have recommended planting and naturalization to increase the buffer between the two areas. This increases safety for people and dogs alike.-south of the road is multi use including off leash and the north side of the road is multi use with dogs on leash
-educational components like better signage, bulletin boards,
-more parking
-more garbage cans and bag receptacles
What's Missing?
We support the following ideas as well, but they are not presented on the maps because the maps are meant to be concept diagrams and do not include specific elements.-amenities such as lighting, bulletin boards, potable water source, bathrooms, benches
-sidewalk along 50th street which is supposed to be constructed this summer, allows access to the park on foot for those who do not want to travel through the off leash area
-trail curving around the outside of the park (inside the existing burm along the road) so that it is natural for people to walk in a circle rather than congregating in the middle
-increased bylaw presence for education and enforcement of leash rules. There are problems with people parking in the residential and allowing dogs to run freely while owners walk to the off leash area.
What to do...
Unfortunately, after telling the public that there would be an
opportunity to offer feedback online in their Public Involvement
Plan document (available in links section of our website), the City
has decided not to proceed with online questionnaires.
Here is a printable (pdf) feedback questionnaire. If you didn't get a
chance to fill it in and would like to do so, please forward it to
Jay Rowe by fax at 780-496-5857. They have said they won't be taking
any more feedback, but this is problematic because there may have
been people who did not attend because they thought they would have
the opportunity to provide feedback online.
Bear
in mind that if you have ideas that are not on the maps or have
reservations about items on the maps, there is a space to write
freely. The City is not obligated to choose either of these two
maps. The maps are ideas and suggestions developed by the Advisory
Committee which has been made up of citizens and dog walkers.
Links
If you have an idea for a link we should share, please email us.