CHAT News File Photo

By Chris Brown

Public can have their say

City wants everyone to feel safe using off-leash areas

Apr 12, 2022 | 3:20 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – During public engagement sessions for the Parks and Recreation Master Plan, one issue came up time and time again, says a city manager: conflicts between people and dogs on and around the city’s heritage trail system.

Those conflicts ranged from dogs wanting to be friendly and jumping up on people to not listening to recall from their owners.

The city is undertaking a review of the trail system and off-leash areas to meet the needs of the whole community, not just one particular user group.

“I think ultimately we want everybody to feel safe, including dog owners and people who are you know out here walking their dogs either on-leash or off-leash for them to feel safe too,” says Dave Young, special projects manager with the City of Medicine Hat. “That they’re not running into a conflict situation and really make it you know friendly for everybody you know for bike riders, for walkers, for families, like I said, to be out here and feel comfortable.”

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Young says that technically under the responsible animal bylaw, owners need to have their dogs under control even when using off-leash areas. He says people can become fearful around dogs that aren’t under control.

“I’m not a dog expert but just my own experience is dogs are unpredictable and I don’t think you can always tell exactly what they’re going to do,” he says. “And so I think people fear that when they’re on a trail either on a bike or running or walking with their kids or whatever the activity is.”

Young says any area that’s in an uncut environmental reserve – basically alongside the trail system – is technically off-leash. Manicured areas like Kin Coulee, Echo Dale and other parks are on-leash.

He says the majority of the complaints come from off-leash area conflicts but some do happen in on-leash areas.

The review will engage stakeholder groups like the SPCA, APARC, kennel clubs and other groups to get the differing opinions and set criteria and policy for off-leash areas in the city. Young says opportunities for the general public to have their say will be announced in the coming weeks.

Young says they hope to have it done and ready to go to council around late May or early June.