Heritage Hills dog park fetches council support to become permanent

One Sherwood Park neighbourhood is so doggone sold that their temporary dog park is a great addition, they’re willing to lobby county council to make it a mainstay.

A group of fur parents filed into county chamber during the June 18 priorities meeting to make the Heritage Hills dog park a permanent fixture in their community.

Leading the charge was Fiona Beland-Quest, who stated she only missed going to the park two days this year and that was only because of the frigid winter temperatures.

“It has become a community gathering place, not only for the friends of Heritage Hills, but by residents all over Strathcona County, there are even some rural residents who come in to use it because it is a nice, safe place,” she said. “We’re building a community.”

Dennis Werbicki brings his one-and-a-half-year-old chocolate lab, Tobi, to the park sometimes multiple times a day. His family had adopted the dog after the unexpected passing of Werbicki’s father. While they make use of the trails, he learns how to behave by picking up on social cues from his fellow dogs at the park, in addition to interacting with strangers.

“I have no doubt that the park has molded Tobi into the gentle creature that he is today. It would be remiss to ignore the fact that it has also brought us humans together like no other initiative. I have no doubt met hundreds of people through the park and more often than not, end up speaking to them for long periods of time,” Werbicki told council. “Many of us have come to know each other on a first name basis and us regulars know that 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. is usually prime time to meet the standard crew. We know each others’ dogs and we have come to rely on each other to train and when needed, regulate their behaviour.”

Dog lover and resident, Jeff Day, who also owns Lola, a chocolate lab, reminded council of the county’s goals; to provide a community that feels support, safe and connected through an intentional shift in things that matter in the community; to make programs and services affordable; and to create a sense of connectedness and inclusion. The group would like to see further improvements made such as benches, lights, fencing, and a community board.

“Removing the Heritage Hills dog park would limit the opportunities for some individuals to make use of the unique service this space provides and thus greatly contradicts the (county’s) goal of accessibility. Not all families have access to a car to drive to one of the other parks,” he said.

Other residents in favour of keeping the dog park noted the land wasn’t used for much before and many frequent the park nearly every day.

Resident Robin Hudyna discovered the park last September and now she visits twice a day with her dog Finley. At first, he was shy and quiet, but over time he has come out of his shell and plays with all sizes of dogs, even the Newfoundlanders.

“Please don’t take it away from us, we love this park. It’s amazing,” she said.

A county sign posted near the park states the park should have closed last year.

Mayor Rod Frank agreed the park aligns with the county’s goals and asked administration what it would take to make it permanent; “It sounds like it’s a hit and it’s well-used.”

Representing that area, Ward 8 Coun. Katie Berghofer noted it was temporary because it was formerly the location of a baseball diamond and outdoor rink, but she would like to see the process sped up to create a permanent dog park.

“We have a group who didn’t know each other and now have come together. This is what we want to do in order to build our communities — this is the number one goal in our strategic plan,” she said.

Administration said they’re waiting on the new Heritage Hills Elementary to be completed in order to do a traffic study and there are plans to continue public engagement with the Parks and Recreation Department this fall before budget.

“We are acutely aware of the community interest and how highly utilized this dog park has been,” said Gord Johnson, the county’s associate commissioner.

Berghofer committed to asking for an information request about how to move this forward at the June 25 meeting, followed by a notice of motion; “I’m fully behind this initiative, obviously.”

Source: Sherwoodparknews.com

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