Coal Harbour Petition for Off Leash Dog Park

We are petitioning the City of Vancouver and the Parks Board for an off-leash park in Harbour Green Park (Coal Harbour). In the past three years, more than 15 residential towers have been constructed and occupied in this downtown core. Most of these buildings allow for dogs.

The official charter of the parks board was to have an off-leash area for every community within six blocks of their residence. The nearest one to Coal Harbour is more than seven plus blocks away and currently under review to revoke the off-leash privilege.

However, there has been no city planning or look into shared spaces for an official dog park in Coal Harbour with off leash areas.

We are petitioning for an all-year round, full time off-leash dog area in Harbour Green Park. We would like the area clearly marked as an "Off Leash Dog Park." We do not want the park near any children's park/play areas.

We would like the park area to be clearly signed and defined as a dog-friendly area. The space needs to be adequate to throw balls for the dogs, have a game of chase/tug.

The area currently has many garbage cans for waste and is central to all the new buildings that have been recently occupied. It is a fabulous dog area as it is not surrounded by streets/cars and traffic. It is located on the sea wall. For more than eight months out of the year, the park is empty - only used by die-hard dog owners who are out rain or shine.

Shared space and use of our parks is one of the most beautiful things about Vancouver. We appreciate that some people have fears of dogs (large or small) or worry about their children (or their toys) when dogs are around and by creating a separate and clearly marked space we can ally those concerns.

In many areas across the country, cities like Calgary and Toronto have defined processes and successful off-leash park areas for their dog population. Further, examples in California through to Philadelphia, PA demonstrate that when a group of concerned and responsible dog owners work for a leash free area, additional benefits result for both community and dog owners:
-increased adherence to dog licensing
-increased improvement in picking up after dogs
-increased sense of community, where people meet their neighbours
-happy dogs who have 'free' time to run and play

"...The daily dog walk gives people a chance to exercise, to be out in nature, to meet with others and to create a community. Dog walkers find friends at off-leash parks; they also monitor each other and spread the word about courtesy, clean-up and control. A strong argument in favour of creating off-leash spaces is that availability of legal off-leash areas cuts down on illegal off-leash use, making dog-averse people more comfortable in public spaces because there is less chance of encountering off-leash dogs in unauthorized places." www.caldog.org

General Rules We Propose for the Off-Leash Space:
-Dog feces must be cleaned up
-Dogs must be leashed to and from the off-leash area
-Dogs need to be under voice or hand-signal control
-Dogs showing signs of aggression must be leashed or, removed from the park
-People should carry a leash at all times
-Dogs must be licensed
-Dogs should not interfere with wildlife
-Holes dug by dogs must be filled
-Barking must be monitored and kept to a minimum
-Female dogs in heat are prohibited
-Young children must be closely supervised and accompanied by an adult
-Owners will assume responsibility for their dogs and their actions.

This petition is not only for a dog park but also a commitment of the dog owners to create a clean, safe and fun environment within the determined space.

Please help us create a dedicated space that allows our dogs to have a place to run and enjoy their beautiful city.

If you would like to be more directly involved in our efforts, you can email jw0205@hotmail.com. We can update you on our next steps and see how you may be able to help out!