A new off-leash area (OLA) for dogs is coming to Gihon Spring Park, proposed to be located at the north end of the park. The OLA will be designed with the help of community feedback and is planned to include a fence with a double-gated entrance/exit, durable dog-friendly surfacing, seating and picnic tables, an accessible pathway to the OLA and a bottle filler with a dog bowl.
Project Timeline
- Summer 2024: Hire a design team
- Fall 2024: Community engagement
- Winter 2025: Design development and detailed design
- Spring 2025: Hire a construction team
- Summer 2025: Construction starts
- Fall 2025: Construction complete
The timeline is subject to change.
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Project Updates
Summer 2024
Online Thought Exchange Activity
From July 22 to August 7, an online thought exchange activity collected 232 ideas and 3,677 idea ratings from 263 participants.
Review a full summary of the results in the Online Thought Exchange Activity interactive report.
Feedback Summary
When asked about the proposed location of the off-leash area:
- 63 per cent of participants liked the proposed location
- 37 per cent of participants disliked liked the proposed location
If an off-leash area was added at Gihon Spring Park:
- 65 per cent of participants would use it
- 35 per cent of participants would not use it
- Six per cent would start visiting the park
- 59 per cent would visit the park more
- 19 per cent would visit the park less
- 10 per cent would stop visiting the park
- seven per cent would not change how often they visit the park
When asked if they were in favour of adding an off-leash area at Gihon Spring Park or had any objections or concerns:
- 63 per cent of participants were in favour of adding an off-leash area
- 26 per cent of participants were not in favour of adding an off-leash area
- 11 per cent of participants shared other feedback
The most popular thoughts that are in favour of adding an off-leash area included:
- The lack of off-leash areas nearby
- The large number of dogs in the area
- A place for both dogs and their owners to socialize
- A safe space for dogs to exercise and stay healthy
- A fully fenced area will make the park safer for all users
The most popular thoughts objecting or sharing concerns about adding an off-leash area included:
- It will make the park less safe for other park users, especially kids
- Dog owners are irresponsible and do not clean up after their dogs
- It decreases the cleanliness of the park and adds health risks
- Dogs are unpredictable and many are not well trained
- Dogs can attack and injure other park users
- Gihon Spring Park does not have enough space
- Dogs can run away if they are not leashed
Other popular thoughts included:
- The proposed location is too close to a school
- The off-leash area must be properly fenced
- The off-leash area would be better at a different location
- There should be separated off-leash areas for big and small dogs
- Dog owners need to be responsible when using the off-leash area
