With an increasing population of dogs in cities, there is growing demand for municipalities to accommodate residents and their dogs in public places and provide sustainable and safe off-leash opportunities.
Currently, there are over 60 Dogs Off-Leash sites within the ÁùºÏ²ÊÂíÀ´Î÷ÑÇ. The City's initial guidelines for dogs off-leash were created in the 1990s, and over the years most off-leash areas have been created as a result of requests from community groups or citizens.
About the Strategy
The Strategy created guidelines to help shape and update the ÁùºÏ²ÊÂíÀ´Î÷ÑÇ’s current planning, design and management practices regarding off-leash areas.
Strategy Recommendations
- Planning recommendations include access and parking, site uses, types of off-leash areas and funding
- Design recommendations include boundaries, amenities, environmental protection, winter considerations, waste management, vegetation and public health and safety
- Management recommendations include best practices for general maintenance, education and communications, community stewardship, enforcement and monitoring
- The ÁùºÏ²ÊÂíÀ´Î÷ÑÇ will consider recommendations from the Dogs in Open Spaces Strategy when planning, designing and managing current and future off-leash sites
Upon approval of the Strategy, the off leash project team began to develop the Dogs in Open Spaces 10-Year Implementation Plan.
Public consultation will occur with changes to current parks or the planning of future parks.
Goals of the Implementation Plan
- Smart planning, design and management of off-leash areas that take into account user experience, safety and environmental sensitivities
- Better adoption of rules and bylaws by users through education and enforcement
- Increased safety for people and dogs in off-leash and adjacent areas
- Establishing new off-leash areas in ÁùºÏ²ÊÂíÀ´Î÷ÑÇ where the need is identified
- Processes for establishing and decommissioning off-leash areas
- Increased educational opportunities in off-leash areas, as well as enhancing the volunteer stewardship program that currently exists
- Established a base level of amenities for off-leash areas, and develop a cost-sharing model for community groups interested in enhancing off-leash areas with additional amenities
Some highlights of the implementation have included:
- Eight new fenced off-leash areas have been established within high-need areas:
- Three by developers in Manning Village, Paisley and The Orchards
- Five by the City in Alex Decoteau Park, Braithwaite Park in Garneau, Alberta Avenue, Pleasantview and Glengarry
- Two new off-leash areas (Warehouse Park and Ottewell), funded in coordination with neighbourhood and park development and neighbourhood renewal programs, will be built by 2026
- Lauderdale and Inglewood off-leash areas received enhancements that addressed users’ safety concerns
- Buena Vista Park off-leash area has been enhanced through the Buena Vista Park Master Plan
- Royal Gardens off-leash area and Montrose off-leash area have been enhanced through the Building Great Neighbourhoods program
- Hermitage off-leash area was enhanced through Hermitage Park Renewal
- Boundary and etiquette signs have been updated and replaced in all off-leash areas
- Off-leash areas have been added into the ÁùºÏ²ÊÂíÀ´Î÷ÑÇ’s Landscape Design Construction Standards so that all new off-leash areas use the same planning and design principles
- Guidelines for developer establishment of off-leash areas have been created
- Community Groups are now able to establish ongoing off-leash areas through the Community-Led Projects on Parkland process
Contact Us
311 Contact Centre
Phone 311 | Outside of ÁùºÏ²ÊÂíÀ´Î÷ÑÇ: 780-442-5311 | TTY 711