The dog park in Rocky Mountain House is looking for a new location.

In March 2022, council approved the location of the future Pump Track at the site of the current off leash dog park. This has resulted in a search for a new location for the dog park. Town administration has reviewed several possible locations which are being presented to council for discussion and selection.

As plans progress for the new bike park, however, town officials note it is also necessary to find a new location for the dog park. According to Town officials, finding a new location has been met with several challenges as the Town does not have a lot of vacant land that would meet the needs of a dog park.

Town administration says it has received correspondence from a local company that specializes in dog training that offered several suggestions of points to consider when choosing a new location.

Some of the suggestions included:
• A larger space to reduce the potential of dog-to-dog conflicts.
• Location off of the main thoroughfares like the highway or bike path, as busy roads can be stressful visual stimulus for dogs and can promote unhealthy habits like fence running.
• Access to water (pump or natural occurring body of water).
• Trees for shade.
• Benches and sitting areas for owners.
• Poop bag dispensers and waste receptacles would improve owner follow through on waste collection.
• Washrooms.
• A large parking lot.
• Rudimentary obstacles or playground type equipment.
• Walking trail within the park for owners to be active and pets are spread out more as they move throughout the park.

Officials note administration has taken these suggestions into consideration and has come up with three potential options for council consideration. The current dog park location is .8 acres in size.

1. Recreation Park Location – 1.33 Acres. Pros: Larger site than current dog park, offers both grass and treed area. Site is currently unutilized space in a designated recreation park. Off of the main thoroughfares. Not in a residential area. Access to water from the ballpark irrigation system. Space for tables and benches. Washrooms nearby. Large parking lot. Cons: No natural body of water. Approximate cost of fencing – $30,000.

2. North End Retention Pond Location – 8.1 Acres. Pros: Identified in the Recreation Master Plan. Large site – potential for walking trail within the park. Off of the main thoroughfares. Access to water (natural body of water). Space for tables and benches. Area surrounded by trees. Cons: Area gets very wet and will be hard to maintain. Grass maintenance equipment has gotten stuck on several occasions. Backs onto residential lots. No current access to pumped water. No washrooms nearby would require additional expenses to upgrade road and create a parking area. Approximate cost of fencing – $60,000.

3. Lochearn Park Location – 1.42 Acres. Pros: Larger site than current dog park. Trees benches and tables already on site. Access to water (pump currently used to flood basketball court in the winter. Ample on-street parking. Area would be easy to maintain. Recreation Master Plan identifies the park for lifecycle removal due to proximity to other playgrounds. Cons: In a residential neighborhood. Close to traffic from the street. Would require removal of existing playground and basketball court. Approximate cost of fencing – $23,000.

Town officials say considering the pros and cons of each location, administration would recommend Option 1 – the Recreation Park.
It’s noted that administration would include this project in the 2023 capital budget discussion package.

Councillor Marley Capraro said, “Just looking at the three here, my opinion, I do like number one best. It has pretty much everything that we need. I know it doesn’t have a natural body of water but there is still the possibility of bringing water in, with the ball diamonds being right there.” Capraro adds, “Just from what I’ve heard from residents, shade and water seem to be the biggest items people want to see, so we can have that with this one. I think the location is the best.”

Councillor Len Phillips notes, “ I also like option number one, just for the fact that there’s washroom facilities there and option number three, we’re using residential streets to park. With option number one being much easier to park at, it is probably safer for the dogs going into that facility.”

Councillor Dave Auld made a motion that council approve the Recreation Park location for the new dog park and instruct administration to bring the project forward for consideration in the 2023 budget deliberation.

The motion was unanimously carried by council.