Image Credit: ADOBE STOCK
March 18, 2019 - 5:00 PM
KAMLOOPS - The City of Kamloops is working to bring an off-leash dog park a little closer to home for dog owners on the North Shore.
The proposal for a new dog park at the already canine-friendly McDonald Park came up at a recent civic operations meeting as the City was looking into possible North Shore locations.
"I think things are looking very positive for having an off-leash dog park in that area," Jeff Putnam, the city's parks manager, says.
Putnam estimates the idea won't go before city council for the next two months. If council approves it he says work would start in the summer and it would be ready this year.
Dog parks need amenities like fencing, benches, holders for doggy bags, and signage reminding owners to clean up after them.
Putnam says it's too early to say what the cost will be but doesn't expect it will break the bank.
"We’re not working from a brown field, there’s already existing infrastructure," he says. "So we don’t expect the cost to be very high."
The idea came after several requests from dog owners to have dog parks within walking distance of their homes, as well as a thumbs up from the McDonald Park Neighbourhood Association.
"Staff have been looking at adding an additional one on the North Shore because the nearest one on that location is Ord Road, which is the busiest one in the city."
So far there are six dog parks within Kamloops and Putnam predicts the City will continue to become more dog-friendly.
"Dog parks are one of the most highly requested and highly visited parks in our entire park systems," he says. "I see in the future the City investing more money into dog park amenities and additional parks in the coming years for sure."
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