The community of Eckville will celebrate the grand opening of a new off-leash dog park on July 26, to coincide with The Communities in Bloom competition.
The idea for the park was initiated by Deputy Mayor Colleen Ebden, after discussions with local townspeople. Town Council began to investigate the idea of a dog park for the community back in 2017.
With support from the local chapter of Communities In Bloom, Council adopted the idea to utilize a water retention pond as the foundation for the park.
A portion the Town’s 2018 budget was set aside for the park and utilized to add signage and a fence to the park area, with further amenities to be added at a later date.
Eckville’s Chief Administrative Officer Jack Ramsden said the budget for the park was $25,000.
“The majority of the budget was used up by the fencing,” Ramsden said in a recent phone interview.
After visiting dog parks in the local area, including one in Sylvan Lake, Ramsden said off-leash dog parks are somewhat different than he originally thought.
“They are different facilities than I originally envisioned,” he said, adding, “they are places for both canines and owners to enjoy.”
Ramsden is optimistic about the social aspects of Eckville’s new park will bring to the town.
“I am quite excited about it. It may bring people to town to visit neighbours and friends.”
Mayor of Eckville Helen Posti believes the park will be a welcome and attractive addition to the Town of Eckville and area.
“People look for these kinds of things when they are considering living somewhere. We know there are a lot of people with dogs and it’s a good thing to have a place where they can run free,” she said.
Though the park is currently only accessible by foot, plans are underway to add an approach to the park that will allow visitors to drive their vehicles closer.
However, the Town’s immediate concern as the park also operates as a storm overflow, is to make sure the park has a strong fence, a proper gate and adequate signage.
“The park will be dry 95 per cent of the time, but we are concerned with safety,” Mr. Ramsden said.
The grandopening of Eckville’s off-leash dog park commences at 1:30 p.m. on July 26 and will consist of a ribbon cutting ceremony followed by refreshments provided by volunteers from Communities In Bloom.
The Eckville off-leash dog park is located on 54 Avenue on the west side of town, across from the Eckville Firehall.