The 2021 Pop-up Dog Park Pilot Program Summary and 2022 Proposal will be considered by Saanich Council at a Special Council meeting to be held on Monday, April 4, 2022, in Council Chambers, Saanich Municipal Hall, 770 Vernon Avenue, commencing at 7:00 p.m.
For more information about this meeting, including how to participate, please visit Saanich.ca here.
CBRA has submitted a letter to Council, addressing the removal of Cadboro Bay/Gyro Park from the proposed list of parks for the 2022 project.
LETTER FROM CBRA
March 29, 2022
Dear Mayor, Council and Planning,
RE: APRIL 4, 2022, COUNCIL MEETING
C. 1.: 2021 SUMMER POP-UP DOG PARK PILOT PROGRAM SUMMARY AND 2022 PROPOSAL
We are writing further to the March 14, 2022, Council meeting where the Saanich Pop-Up Dog Park Project was discussed and ultimately returned to staff to consider alternative parks for the 2022 Pilot. We note that this item was originally on the Consent Agenda but was requested removed by Councillor Plant.
In the spirit of using Pop-Up Dog Parks as a tool for learning as Saanich works towards a long-term dog park solution, we respectfully request that a suitable location in Cadboro Bay be considered for a pilot pop-up dog park this summer. Last summer’s pilot dog park had numerous learning opportunities which we are hopeful can be addressed during this year’s pilot. For example, last summer’s Cadboro Bay Gyro Park pilot:
• Was timed at the end of summer, at the tail end of a polarized process regarding changes to leash rules in the park;
• Did not address the confusion and conflicts between the Pop-Up Dog Park and the previous leash rules (i.e. many people thought leashed dogs were not permitted to pass through the park on their way to the Pop-Up Dog Park). This confusion was likely a primary cause of the leash compliance complaints.
To help maximize learning from this year’s pilot program, we make the following suggestions:
• Provide the pop-up experience to as many areas of Saanich as possible (including Cadboro Bay);
• Provide clearer access and leashing rules accessible to those with and without dogs;
• Use each pop-up to help reinforce and educate the public about the dog and leash rules of the area;
• Provide the public with an easy-to-find schedule of where they can find dog parks throughout the season.
When it comes to park locations within the Cadboro Bay local area, there are currently very few options. Maynard Park is small and dominated by a playground, other parks are wooded without open space. All other open spaces in the area are school grounds and institutional lands. Much of the pressure on Cadboro Bay Beach is due to the loss of non-public and non-Saanich off-leash opportunities, thus increasing the need for an off-leash option within the neighbourhood even further.
We are confident that with incremental improvements, this year’s pilot program can generate better data and more useful feedback which can be used to inform and shape a great long-term dog park plan for Saanich.
Sincerely,
Liz Miller, BA, LLB
Chair, Cadboro Bay Residents Association.
Great letter CBRA!