The city's proposal to create up to 30 pop-up off-leash dog parks earned an endorsement from noted cat-lover Troy Pavlek in Episode 205 of Speaking Municipally.
"There's definitely a bang-for-buck argument there," Pavlek said, agreeing with Coun. Michael Janz's assessment that spending $150,000 to $300,000 on dog parks could have a greater impact than much bigger-ticket items like recreation centres. "There's a huge community aspect. If you're at the dog park, you have an in-built socialization network in the same way that other community bases that force people together have. So I see the value of it."
Community and public services committee received a report about community-initiated off-leash dog parks on Jan. 16. The pilot continues the city's Dogs in Open Spaces Strategy.
It would be even better if the dog parks had water and were equipped with washroom facilities, said co-host Mack Male, echoing comments made by Harvey Voogd to the committee.
Hear more on that topic, as well as our city hall observers' fond remembrances of CBC reporter Janice Johnston, their takes on a contract to build the 103A Avenue pedway, and Pavlek's victory lap for successfully christening a snow plow on the Jan. 20 episode of Taproot's civic affairs podcast.
Photo: A dog explores a trail at the Callingwood off-leash park on a September day. (einat.ravid/Flickr)