Castlegar city council will debate a motion to close Millennium Park to dogs, at least temporarily.
A notice of motion, presented by councillor Cherryl MacLeod this week, asks that “all Millennium Park and ponds dog park areas be closed until staff have reported back to council on the feasibility of relocating the fenced off-leash dog park to a non-residential area for consideration in the 2024 budget.”
Council is expected to discuss the motion at its next meeting on Oct. 10.
Council recently heard from a delegation of neighbours who said living by the park has become intolerable due to loose dogs running through yards, constant barking, and dogs and their owners fighting.
However, council has also heard from dog owners with the opposite view. An online petition calling for the dog walk to be left open has topped 1,800 names.
On Monday, resident Renee Wurz urged council not to close the park. She said she goes there often with her dog and has not experienced any serious issues.
“I think if you close the dog park it’s going to open it up to way more people letting their dogs run in areas they’re not supposed to,” she said.
While Wurz is new to the area, she said has already met people passing through town who made a point of visiting the dog park. Dog owners have not been asked for their feedback on the subject, she added.
“There are a lot of dogs in this town, and [closing] it will cause havoc,” she predicted.