When it comes to finding more space for our four-legged furry friends, this Bradford resident is a bit like a dog with a bone.
Bradford resident, Luisa Coquim, started an online petition on May 20 to ask the town for a new off-leash dog park, preferably more centrally located than the existing Bark Park at Scanlon Creek Conservation Area, which is accessible off Yonge Street just south of Line 10.
That’s where Coquim has been taking her three-year-old Dalmation, Odie, for as many years.
“It’s a beautiful park, it really is, and it was a very thoughtful idea,” she said, but added that it’s not without issues, as she’s seen how much ice builds up in winter, how muddy it becomes in spring, and in the summer it’s “infested” with mosquitoes.
Still, the biggest issue Coquim noticed is the lack of walkability for those without a vehicle.
“If I want to take my dog to the dog park, I have to get him in the car and drive him out, and it’s just very inconvenient considering we have all these open spaces in Bradford that could benefit from a dog park,” she said.
It’s an issue that was brought front of mind for Coquim more recently as she sat in traffic caused by ongoing construction for the Bradford Bypass, which she feels makes it difficult to safely enter or exit the park even with a vehicle.
She’s tried getting together with a group of other dog owners to meet at existing parks in town, but found the pooches weren’t getting enough exercise because they’re required to stay on leash, and some other park users weren’t happy to see so many dogs there.
Coquim said she and others in the group also tried organizing play dates for some of the dogs in each other’s backyards, but found there wasn’t really enough room. Like most residents, she lives in a subdivision where the yards are “tiny.”
“The fact that I can’t allow Odie to run and play and just be a dog — it’s not fair to the dog,” she said, adding that most people can’t afford to move to a larger property. “There needs to be some place around here that these poor animals can run around and just be animals.”
That led Coquim to discuss the issue with Mayor James Leduc who recommended she start the petition to help gauge how many other residents agree.
“I’ve heard it from many people, but I thought ‘Let’s get it all in one spot, and see how many actually want it in our community,’” he said, estimating most homes in Bradford have dogs, based on his experience campaigning.
Depending on the number of people who have signed the petition by the time it’s presented to council, Leduc hopes to ask staff to review the options and report back.
“If there’s any opportunity that we can provide a dog park, I absolutely will support it,” he said. “I would support a dog park if it works — if it’s correctly located and it doesn’t bother people.”
While not currently a pet owner himself, the mayor said he has friends and family with dogs and understands the desire for more opportunities to let them exercise and socialize off leash.
When Coquim gets together with her group to let the dogs off leash at Bark Park, she said “they’re just like kids,” running and playing together. Plus, when they get back home “they’re more relaxed because it gets some of that energy out.”
In terms of location, Coquim suggested the new dog park could be added near the baseball diamonds behind the Bradford and District Community Memorial Centre at 125 Simcoe Rd., since there’s already parking, lighting and open space.
“It would just be the cost of the fence — nothing elaborate,” she said.
Barking up the wrong tree?
However, community services director Terry Foran said the process is a bit more complicated.
“Dogs park are tricky,” he said. “There’s a lot that goes into it.”
That includes finding a large enough spot (typically about one acre) which has the correct grading and drainage, as well as access to potable water and parking.
On top of that, it needs to be free from conflicts with any nearby residences, with other park users and even different types of dogs, with separate areas and double gates to accommodate large, small, passive and more aggressive dogs.
As a result, Foran said most dog parks tend be located away from other uses. Even once a suitable site is chosen, considerations need to be made for installing shade structures, the volume of pet waste and the impact on the turf, which would likely need to be replaced with wood chips.
Those challenges could help explain why most comparable municipalities only have one dog park — including Newmarket, Innisfil, King, and Whitchurch-Stoufville — with mostly larger municipalities being the ones to have more, like Barrie and Richmond Hill at two each, and Markham with four. New Tecumseth and Georgina are exceptions with two each, while East Gwillimbury has none.
Still, Foran and his team have taken the time to look into what would be required to add another dog park based on 1,379 responses to a public survey which ran from January to February 2022 as part of consultations for the town’s leisure services master plan.
It showed dog walking ranked 10th out of 26 activities with support from 35 per cent of respondents, putting it just below pleasure ice skating and just above organized children’s programs.
However, when it came to support for investing funds in those facilities, off-leash dog parks ranked 23rd out of 28 options, with 19 per cent opposed and 45 per cent in favour, putting it just below a skateboard/BMX park and just above pickleball courts.
For now, Foran explained the town doesn’t have suitable land to add another off-leash dog park and there are currently no plans to include one in the second phase of the Henderson Park expansion (which is set to lose some land to the bypass), nor at the redesigned Centennial Park and future town hall near the community centre.
However, Foran also said staff could consider the idea for any future parks, if council desires.
“We do put a lot of focus on what our residents have told us about what their priorities are and what their appetite is on spending, but if we do see opportunities for any other amenity to go into a park that can fit within the plan, of course it’s always under consideration,” he said. “Just because it didn’t rank in No. 2 or No. 3 doesn’t mean it’s not under consideration.”
Coquim says a dog park would "really bring the community together, especially for dog owners to be able to meet and just build those relationships and that community as well.”
“I know that it’s not the most important thing that Bradford needs right now, but it definitely is something that is needed,” she said, adding she’s heard of dog owners trying to make use of baseball diamonds or sports fields in lieu of another off-leash dog park, leading to damaged surfaces, holes dug and pet waste left behind.
“There’s a lot of people letting their dogs run loose in places that they shouldn’t be and it’s putting their pets in danger and it’s also damaging property so it would be best if we had something,” Coquim said.
At the time of writing, the petition had more than 150 signatures and Coquim plans to present it to council later this summer. In the meantime, anyone interested can find it online at Change.org.
Foran welcomed any residents with suggestions or concerns to reach out to staff directly by using the feedback option on the town’s website, or by calling the municipality at 905-775-5366.
