Inner-city fenced dog park in Beltline a first for Calgary

Calgary's first inner-city fenced dogpark has opened in the Beltline on Thursday.

The new off-leash area is located in Connaught Park, a greenspace at 11th Street and 14th Avenue S.W.

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"There are almost 650 dogs licensed in theBeltline, and during public engagement we identified a need for a safeand dedicated off-leash space in the area," said DougMarter, development manager for Calgary Parks, in a release.

The park was chosen because it's so central and because it was originally set aside as a multi-use area, the city says.

The space, which is about the size of a hockey rink, features drinking fountains for people and their dogs, and a foot-pedal garbage can to make it easier to throw out dog waste.

The park also has new benches, a stone wall with seating area, and 19 new trees to act as a buffer between the different areas and the nearby condos and apartment buildings.

"With over 22,000 residents in the Beltline living in a high-density urban community, this new park is a great way for people to get outside and enjoy the neighbourhood with their pets," said Ward 8 Coun. Evan Woolley in a release.

The city held open houses on the park's design in 2014, and construction started last fall.

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