The City of Toronto is running a study to find out how the City’s existing Dogs Off-Leash Areas (OLAs) can be improved to accommodate an increasing human and dog population.
There are three phases:
This timeline is subject to change.
With the number of people and dogs in Toronto growing, the use of dogs off-leash areas (OLAs) continues to grow. The Parks & Recreation Facilities Master Plan (2017) recommended the City develop criteria for improving existing dogs off-leash areas.
As part of the study process, the City will choose and review ten (10) case study sites (pup-ups) to understand how local challenges and opportunities could help inform the Study’s recommendations, which will apply to all OLAs city-wide.
The 10 sites are:
The City considers:
The design of an OLA and its maintenance are interconnected. As each OLA has its own challenges and opportunities, tailoring design elements and maintenance programs will be an important consideration of this study.
Design considerations:
Operations and maintenance considerations:
Staff are reviewing the results of the case studies and public consultation in the consultant’s final report.
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Download the:
Review the summary of feedback received from the Pup Ups.
The Pup Ups were drop-in sessions where park users learned about and shared feedback about the Study and its Preliminary Recommendations.
A number of factors informed the scheduling and timing of the Pup Ups, including
The Study’s Preliminary Recommendations were presented. Feedback was collected, including recommendations about design operations, maintenance and administration.
Approximately 12 people attended the meeting, including representatives of Dog Owners’ Associations and commercial dog walkers.
The first public survey asked for feedback from the broader public on common issues, potential strategies to address issues, and draft recommendations related to the improvement of OLAs city-wide.
This meeting provided an update on the project and presented and gathered feedback on:
Approximately 30 people attended the meeting, including Dog Owners’ Associations, dog walkers’ groups, and others.
This meeting introduced stakeholders to the Study and presented and sought feedback on:
Approximately 30 people attended the meeting, including members of Dog Owners’ Associations, dog walkers’ associations and others.
Your ideas, opinions and knowledge will help us improve the City’s existing Dogs Off-Leash Areas.
The City and its consultant team will meet with representatives of Dog Owners Associations and organizations that have an interest in OLAs design, operations, and maintenance. The purpose of these meetings is to discuss common issues, potential strategies to address issues and draft recommendations. The fourth and final stakeholder meeting is expected to be held in early 2020.
In February 2020, the City launched a second city-wide online survey that presented and collected feedback on the Study’s Final Draft Recommendations.