Five years after it was initially proposed, Trail city council is again considering the idea of an off-leash dog park.
Residents Jennifer Watkin and Barb Leavitt raised the matter last week. They came with a digital petition of more than 400 names and offered to spearhead the project if the city can dedicate a space to such a park.
They said they would apply to the Columbia Basin Trust’s ReDi grant program next year to offset some of the costs, unless other funding could be found sooner.
Their preferred location is between Gyro Park and the skatepark, which Watkin said is ideal because it is accessible and “slightly underused.” She said about all that is needed is fencing and a garbage can. “My little hound dog is itching to go play with some friends,” she quipped.
Leavitt told council that a previous petition in 2021 collected about 600 names, but while council was open to the idea, it never went anywhere. “It doesn’t look like it was ever like denied,” she said. “It just kind of stagnated. So we’re just wanting to move things along.”
Leavitt said she often takes her dog to the designated park in Castlegar and finds other people there from Rossland, so there is a potential economic impact to providing such a space. She said many other communities have dog parks, although some are small, and she feels Trail is lagging behind.
Mayor Colleen Jones said a dog park is mentioned in the draft of the new official community plan and she was pleased to see there is still support for it. “It’s good to have you back here,” she said. “It revitalizes the conversation.”
Councillor Nick Cashol introduced a notice of motion that is expected to be discussed at council’s next meeting on May 11, which calls on city staff to do a feasibility study on identifying suitable locations and explore the estimated capital, operating, and maintenance costs.
The motion also asks for staff to explore collaborating with the Regional District of Kootenay Boundary on land and cost sharing, “recognizing that a dog park may serve as a regional recreational asset.”
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