Introduction

Given the growing dog population in New Westminster and limited land base for parks and open spaces, the Parks & Recreation Department is leading an interdepartmental team to develop a city-wide Strategy called People, Parks and Pups:  A strategy for sharing parks and open space in New Westminster.

Underpinned by a comprehensive analysis and the current best practices for accommodating dogs in urban environments, the Strategy will aim to provide a 10-year framework to deliver parks and open spaces that accommodate park users with and without dogs and minimize conflict.  Starting in March 2020, city staff will be working with a consultant team to engage the community in developing a Strategy that will considers issues such as:

1. Planning- Size, location + adjacencies, service areas and distribution of off-leash areas.
2. Design- Access, surfacing, amenities, boundaries and types of off-leash areas.
3. Management- Licensing, waste management, communication + education, enforcement and stewardship of off-leash areas.

The Parks & Recreation Department will be advertising opportunities to participate in the process on our City website, social media as well as with signage in the city’s dog off-leash areas.  We hope that you will contribute to the process, and voice your opinions on how the City can better plan, design and manage off-leash areas.

Why do we need a strategy?

As demand for more off-leash areas continues to grow with the population, the City is recognizing the need for a Dog Off-Leash Area Strategy that cultivates a proactive approach to providing adequate space for dogs while balancing the many other (and often competing) recreational needs within the community. Meeting growing demand within the context of limited land base in New Westminster will require creative solutions within our City limits, as well as, a comprehensive review of existing and proposed dog off leash facilities available in municipalities that border New Westminster.

WHERE ARE NEW WESTMINSTER'S DOG OFF-LEASH AREAS?

Off-leash Dog Areas provide safe and secure spaces where dog owners can legally run their dog off-leash and are a valued service in urban settings. The City of New Westminster currently operates eight Dog Off-leash Areas (OLAs):

• Downtown Dog OLA (Temporary Location)

• Hume Park Dog OLA

• Moody Park Dog OLA

• Quayside Dog OLA

• Queen’s Park Dog OLA

• Westburnco Dog OLA

• West Side Dog OLA

• Ryall Park Dog OLA

Reports to Council

Council report March 9^th, 2020