Council goes to the dogs

Kelowna Council did the expected Monday and rubber stamped a recommendation to increase the city's inventory of on-leash dog parks by 10.

This means there are now 93 parks within city limits where it is okay to take pooch out for a walk - providing he or she is on a leash.

As reported earlier by Castanet, the 10 new parks include:

• Shetland Linear Park - 310 Shetland Road. 0.60 hectares
• Bellevue Creek Greenway between Varney Court and Gordon Drive - 781 Varney Court. 0.1 hectares
• Kuipers Peak Park - 792 Kuipers Court. 10.80 hectares
• Lochview Trail - Lochview Road Beach Access. 1.10 hectares
• Mount Royal Open Space - 715 Royal View Drive. 7.2 hectares
• Black Mountain Trails - 1035 Stockley Street. 9.0 hectares
• Hill Spring Park - At The Ponds. 3.5 hectares
• Mill Creek Linear Park - 1991 Ethel Street. 0.26 hectares
• Dewdney #1 Beach Access - South of 1844 Dewdney Road. .02 hectares
• Abbott Neighbourhood Park - 2955 Abbott Street. 0.72 hectares

On-leash dog parks' land mass now totals approximately 795.5 hectares.

Parks Planner Barb Davidson, says once the new bylaw is given final adoption, signs and dog bag dispensers will be installed in each of the new parks.

Council also approved a housekeeping change to the Parks and Public Spaces Bylaw eliminating 10 recreation corridors that were previously listed among the list of on-leash areas.

Davidson says recreation corridors are, by definition, extensions of sidewalks where dogs are already allowed to walk making the notation in the bylaw redundant.

"I think this is a great addition to our system and I expect the letters of enthusiasm to flood in from the dog community," says Councillor Robert Hobson in moving adoption of the recommendation.