Vermont Square Park - Dogs-off-Leash Hours

(Midtown)

The Toronto Community Council recommends that the dogs off-leash hours in Vermont Square Park be amended as follows:

(1)Dogs be permitted off-leash from 6:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. and from 7:30 p.m. - 11:00 p.m. from April 1 - October 31;

(2)Dogs be permitted off-leash from 6:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. and from 6:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m. from November 1 - March 31.

The Toronto Community Council submits the following communication (December 9, 1998) from Mr. Gary Lichtblau, Chair, Seaton Village Residents Association, addressed to Councillor Adams:

As you are aware, on the 2nd of December 1998, the SVRA held a second 'follow-up' public meeting at Palmerston School to review the trial "off-leash policy" put into place in Vermont Square Park at the beginning of the summer.

The follow-up meeting was announced by newsletter, poster and word-of-mouth in the neighbourhood. People who had expressed concern about the policy and wished to attend to follow-up meeting were informed personally.

The meeting was well attended. In addition to you, myself, and representatives from the City's Animal Control Division and Parks and Recreation Department, about twenty concerned residents attended. The majority of people attending were dog owners concerned that the trial policy would not be renewed. There were several non-dog owners also in attendance.

Reports were made regarding the success of the trial "off-leash" policy to date. Animal control representative Paul Michalik stated that his Department was complaint driven and that in the last 6 months, he had received no complaints with regard to dogs in Vermont Square Park. The Seaton Village Residents Association received two complaints at the beginning of the summer. Complainants were contacted prior to the meeting but no further complaints were registered. Generally informal inspections in the park at critical times showed that, with minor exceptions, the off-leash rules were followed. Non-dog owners, other users, particularly children, were about to use the whole park without fear of dogs. The SVRA announced that it would distribute the Animal Control Division's phone number in its next Newsletter. If can be stated that to date the off leash policy has been successful in managing conflicts between dogs, their owners and other users in the park.

The issue of park maintenance was discussed. It is clear that even moderate dog use of the park wears the grass badly. Bare patches were confined mainly to the central area of the park. It was suggested that a system or rotation might be instituted whereby dog owners would move to different areas of the park during the year to reduce wear and tear on the central area. The suggestion was generally accepted.

The final major issue involved the modification of "off-leash" hours. The majority of dog-owners in attendance wished to request an extension of "off-leash hours" during the winter season when park use by other users was not as intense. There was no objection, in principal, to the extension of hours. There was however, a long discussion about specific times. The majority of dog owners agreed to defer to the few non-dog owners in attendance, when they expressed a concern that extended "off-leash hours' not include the time of day just before dinner. There was also some concern about the brief time of day that children are going to school "Off-leash hours' were not to be extended on weekends as non-dog owner park use during the winter is more intense on the weekends. The winter season was generally agreed to be the time of year that Standard Daylight Time is in effect. Ultimately consensus emerged at the meeting about modified "off-leash hours". These times are shown below.

Besides summarizing the content of the meeting, this letter is also to request that Community Council consider a proposal to adjust the "Off-leash" hours in Vermont Square Park on a trial basis to be reviewed at another community meeting in the early summer of 1999. I make this request in view of the fact that complaints about the current have been minimal, and that all users have been positive in trying to deal with maintenance-related issues in the park.

The proposal involves a time-sharing arrangement that would allow dogs to run off-leash in the park at prearranged times as outlined below. At all other times dogs would remain on-leash as required by the existing by-law.

Off-leash hours for this revised proposal would be:

SUMMER HOURS

From April to October

Weekdays and weekends

Mornings 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.

Evenings 7:30 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.

At all other times dogs must remain on-leash.

WINTER HOURS

From November to March

Weekdays and weekends

Mornings 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.

Evenings 6:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.

At all other times dogs must remain on-leash.

As I mentioned above we would like to institute this proposal as a pilot project for a period of 6 months. The success of the policy would be reviewed by the community.

In order for the above described modifications of the policy to be put into place, we understand that it would require support from the City and an special exemption from the municipal by-law. We also understand that the proposal could be introduced onto the Community Council's agenda for their next December meeting. We would appreciate your support for the modifications to the "off-leash" policy in Vermont Square Park outlined above. Thanks for your continuing support.