Opinion: You belong in Vancouver, and so does your dog

A dog on the Stanley Park seawall. (Shutterstock)

Written for Daily Hive Urbanized by OneCity Vancouver’s Park Board candidates Serena Jackson and Caitlin Stockwell. Jackson is a lawyer at Indigenous legal firm First Peoples Law, and Jackson is the co-chair of Vancouver’s 2SLGBTQ+ Advisory Committee and a case manager for at-risk youth.

In an election dominated by big issues, it’s important to not forget the smaller ones.

At the doorstep, we hear so many stories from our neighbours about the day-to-day challenges they face with access to parks and recreation. Not finding a public washroom or water fountain nearby. Not being able to register a child for swim lessons. Or entire neighbourhoods that have no off-leash dog parks. We can address these issues too.

In 2017, the City of Vancouver released the People, Parks, and Dogs strategy, which identified underserved neighbourhoods for off-leash dog parks. Five years later, Vancouver dog owners are still waiting for a place to play.

The City’s goal is to offer residents access to an off-leash dog area within a 15-minute walk. In some areas, however, it can take almost an hour to get one. These areas — including Mount Pleasant, Kitsilano, and Grandview-Woodland — are also those with more apartment buildings. This means that people and dogs without private outdoor space also have less access to public amenities.

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The more we delay improving park spaces to meet the actual needs of underserved areas, the more we’re seeing conflict pop up in our communities. When pets frequent school yards because there are no designated dog areas, it puts them in conflict with their neighbours, with parents and teachers who are doing their best to keep schoolyards clean and safe, and park stewards protecting the sensitive habitats they have carefully restored.

This conflict is happening because people don’t have the infrastructure they need near them. We can address this by improving park locations, upgrading fencing, adding amenities like water fountains that include dog bowl features, and building physical infrastructure to address concerns about impacts on nearby natural areas for the benefit of everyone. The way our city has been built creates and perpetuates these conflicts between neighbours.

When these issues come before the Park Board, this cycle only continues due to the under-resourcing of committees and the divisive “for or against” public consultation process further entrenches people in their positions.

The next Park Board can take immediate action

First, the Park Board must work collaboratively with the School Board and communities with the least access to park infrastructure.

In the absence of leadership on the Park Board that has not prioritized funding for off-leash dog parks, dog owner community groups have already been stepping up to communicate responsible park use and work together with schools. This could be an opportunity to leverage relationships that have already been built and formalize the use of schoolyards as dog parks outside operating hours in exchange for maintenance support.

Second, upgrade existing off-leash areas to divert problematic off-leash activity between other neighbours and the environment.

Not only will dogs and their owners benefit from this enhanced infrastructure, but this also means school yards will be well-maintained for the kids who use them, and sensitive habitat areas will be better protected.

Third, build off-leash dog parks in the most underserved neighbourhoods quickly, and build them to last.

Building complete communities

This isn’t just about building the off-leash dog parks that are missing in communities across Vancouver. It’s about creating complete communities where everyone can live and benefit from the nature the city has to offer. As we build up the housing stock needed in the city to ease the housing shortage and we welcome more neighbours, we need to ensure we’re also creating enough green space for everyone to enjoy and that it has the necessary infrastructure for everyone to use.

OneCity knows access to nature is fundamental to our well-being and parks are critical infrastructure to building a city that all can live in and enjoy. We have a comprehensive plan to make it happen.

Early voting has begun and October 15 is Election Day. If voters send OneCity candidates to Park Board, School Board, and City Council, we’ll work to build that city for everyone.

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