Tails wagging in southwest Winnipeg as new off-leash dog park opens

CBC

6 days ago

A new space for dogs and their people opened with tail wags and ball-chasing in Winnipeg's Whyte Ridge neighbourhood Saturday.
The new off-leash dog area at the Whyte Ridge Community Centre, on Fleetwood Road just east of Brady Road, was opened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Saturday, replacing a space for dogs that operated seasonally at an outdoor hockey rink.
Whyte Ridge Community Centre president Kirill Pirgalin said until now, there weren't a lot of options for residents in the fast-growing residential area to take their pets.
"Now, we're just at a walking distance or short drive, and it's just perfect," he said.
The all-season park is fully fenced in and spans over a quarter of a hectare, the city said in a news release. It has seating areas, sealed pet waste containers and a gated entry vestibule, and is close to other community facilities like the playground and soccer fields.
Although other off-leash dog parks are bigger, Whyte Ridge resident Ian Rumbolt said he's happy to have one that's closer to home.
"I feel like [dog parks] are kind of spread out, so to have one in our neighbourhood now is just fantastic," said Rumbolt, who visited the new park with his Jack Russell terrier, Mose.
"We just knew we would use it."
The new park was also welcome news for Anne Grewar, who would often drive to Kings Park in southeast Winnipeg, about 15 minutes away, to take her dog, Amber, off-leash.
"It's nice to have something that's just accessible," she said.
"This is really, really great. It's not just a big field with a fence.… There seems to be some thought" put into making an open and safe space for dogs, said Grewar.
Area Coun. Janice Lukes is hoping the park will also offer an opportunity for residents to meet their neighbours and build community.
"This may not be the largest park, but I know it's going to be very well used and loved," she said.
The city invested $80,000 in the new park, which brings the number of designated off-leash sites in Winnipeg to 15, according to the city's website. In addition to those, a number of community centres open up their hockey rinks for pets between April and November.
But Lukes wants more amenities like the Whyte Ridge off-leash park in the city.