Summerland community groups butting heads over future of off-leash dog park

Photo: Local Journalism Initiative/Penticton Herald

Rio, pictured in the background, meets a new friend and the temporary doggie park installed at Peach Orchard Beach in Summerland.

Two groups of Summerlanders are barking up each other’s trees over the location of an off-leash dog park.

A temporary doggie park was installed at Peach Orchard Park in the spring of 2023 and removed later in the year.

Council will consider making it a permanent fixture and some folks are growling at the possibility — more than 1,110 people signed the online petition “Restore Peach Orchard Park” through change.org.

“The park’s natural beauty and tranquility have been compromised, the safety of children and park users is at risk, and the biodiversity and wildlife has been negatively impacted,” reads the petition.

Summerlander Jerry Flaman cherishes many of the memories he made with his family at Peach Orchard over the years, and he doesn’t think such a large portion of a waterfront park should be designated for residents who own dogs.

“The greater portion of Orchard Park is no longer to be available to families you say?” Flaman wrote in a letter to The Herald.

“Fenced off and given to the dogs you say? Dogs can now claim priority over children and families in the park you say? Get yourself a dog so you can enjoy it too they say? In this day and age with child socialization problems you say? Whose fault is that I say? You cannot be serious I say. Selfish, mindless, thoughtless I say.”

It’s not dogs that want the “prime lakefront park space,” it’s the dog owners, who should not be prioritized above families and children, Flaman argues.

At the most recent regular council meeting, residents spoke about the issue for 40 minutes. Councillors agreed to extend question period to accommodate the 20 members of the public who wanted to speak.

A Rotarian told council that the local service club no longer wants to use Peach Orchard for barbecues and picnics.

“Peach Orchard park was always one of our favourites because of its location on the lake and we chose not to do that this year because the ambiance of the park is completely lost and the peacefulness is actually a mess at the moment, it looks awful,” he said.

One woman argued that Peach Orchard may be zoned as a park, but the zoning doesn’t specify that it can be used as a dog park.

Another woman said an environmental study should be conducted before considering a dog park at that location.

Many speakers were in favour of the park. One supporter suggested a compromise by building the fences smaller to take up less space, and asked council not to hire any more consultants.

Doggy poop is a concern among those opposed to the Peach Orchard location.

But supporters like Robert Hacking, who’s a member of the Summerland Dog Owners Association and a former town councillor in Summerland, argues there will be a net reduction in poop with the dog park. Despite a few irresponsible owners who will inevitably neglect to pick up their dog’s turds, most will, and the constant presence of canines will scare away the geese that otherwise crap up the field.

Having an actual dog park in town encourages owners to be more responsible, Hacking argues.

“If you’re not picking up after your dog at the dog park, you kind of stick out,” he said.

Hacking said dog lovers have been advocating for an off-leash park in Summerland for a decade and they’ve appealed to three different councils. So after finally making it happen last year — albeit temporarily — he worries about how long it would take to find a new location.

“This location we’re fighting for because it actually exists, it’s not an idea that can keep getting kicked down the road.”

He realizes barking can be irritating, but says the District already has a bylaw against excessive barking, and it applies to homeowners and park users alike. And a dog park is one of the best places to train dogs not to bark, he added.

Hacking said Peach Orchard may not be the perfect location by every metric, but he’s doubtful that a more ideal location exists considering the limited amount of park space in the District.

The Town of Osoyoos — which has roughly half the population of Summerland — is able to have an off-leash dog park, so he doesn’t see why Summerland can’t have one too.

The Summerland Dog Owners Association also have a petition called “Save Peach Orchard Dog Park!” on change.org. It over 400 signatures at The Herald’s press deadline.

This story first appeared in the Penticton Herald and is republished as part of the Local Journalism Initiative