Gone to the dogs: Big needs for off-leash parks can't be met without more cash

City councillors are being asked to allocate more cash to develop new dog parks and enhance the off-leash areas where Edmonton pooches already play.

A city report, to be presented at Wednesday afternoonat the Community and Public Services committee meeting, says there are six areas in Edmonton that don't have close access to canine-friendly park areas but the budget isn't nearly adequate to get the work done.

The city's 2019-2022 capital budget allocates $825,000 in capital funding and no operational funding to the Dogs in Open Spaces Implementation Plan. The plan, approved in 2017, aims tostandardize the development and management of off-leash areas, which had been built on an ad-hoc basis since the 1990s.

After talking to more than 2,800Edmontonians, city administrators identified five existing dog parks that urgently need upgrades, as well as six neighbourhoods that areas where off-leash sites should be constructed.

However, as thereportto the committee explains,there is not enough money in the current capital budget to upgrade all of the off-leash areas or develop any new ones.

"With the current funding, administration is able to enhance two existing sites and standardize signage city-wide," the report says.

"Since the strategy and plan have been approved, no additional resources have been allocated to new off-leash areas, nor have resources been added to increase enforcement presence in existing off-leash areas."

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Currently, Edmonton has 42 off-leash dog areas to serve an estimated 65,000 licenceddogs. The areas are popular year-round, and administration would like to see at least one off-leash area constructed in each quadrant of the city.

If administration's proposed development plan is approved, the current budget would be used to upgrade "base level amenities" including waste containers, standardized signs, landscaping and drainage control. The upgrades are expected to take between a year and three years to complete.

The parks in most urgent need of upgrades are121A Street, Eastwood, Callingwood, Jackie Parker and Terwillegar Park.

The six areas where new off-leash areas should be constructed areSummersidevicinity, west of Anthony Henday Drive, Trumpeter, Windermere, Hollick-Kenyon, and Crawford Plains.

However, current funding levels mean dog-owners in those areas might be waiting a long time.

"Funding levels do not accommodate new neighbourhood or district off-leash areas at this time," the report states.

"Budget realities will also limit the full implementation of the 10-year plan's operational aspects, such as program co-ordination and increased enforcement.

"Administration will continue to look for creative approaches to establish dog off-leash amenities in conjunction with other projects. Supplemental funding strategies such as sponsorship, permit fees for use of off-leash areas for events and businesses (e.g. dog walkers), commemoration and donor programs are all potential options."

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