Chestermere’s new off-leash dog area was opened on Oct. 5 in celebration of Chestermere Dog Day.
A “Paw Party” was held Saturday afternoon, where Chestermere’s four-legged residents had an opportunity to try out the new off-leash area.
“Here in Chestermere, creating amazing parks, and amenities in our community is a priority. Our City Council has a new vision, we don’t want just to be good, we don’t want to be great, we want to be amazing,” said Mayor Marshall Chalmers.
“Part of that vision includes offering this fantastic multi-use space where pedestrians, cyclists, and our furry friends can get out and explore our beautiful lakeside city,” Chalmers added.
The off-leash area redevelopment project began in 2016, when the city’s Parks and Recreation division presented an off-leash area and dog management study to the then council.
Chestermere City Council wanted to truly know how residents were using the park, and what they valued the most about the area.
“This understanding really helped us create a space that honoured the spirit of the park while improving its functionality,” Chalmers said.
City staffers conducted a survey, an interactive open house, and offered public workshops to gain feedback from the users of the park.
“The feedback indicated that residents wanted the beauty and natural environment to be preserved, and suggestions were made for the inclusion of natural and physical barriers to separate uses for pedestrians, cyclists, and those walking their dogs off-leash,” Chalmers said.
Through the duration of construction, new features were added to the park, including a secondary gravel pathway, corrected stormwater drainage, berms between pathways, picnic tables, garbage cans, and a shade sail.
For more information on the off-leash area and redevelopment project please visit the City of Chestermere website at https://www.chestermere.ca/633/Off-Leash-Space.
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