Aurora's leash-free dog park to get $72,000 in upgrades
New fence, mulch that is more paw friendly and grading for the muddy parking lot in plans
Yorkregion.com
July 10, 2017
By Teresa Latchford
Aurora dog park improvements are coming in the shake of a dog’s tail.
The Town of Aurora recently approved more than $70,000 to be used to upgrade its only leash-free dog park - known as Canine Commons on Industrial Parkway North - and volunteers who are maintaining the park are nothing less than thrilled.
“We are so excited,” dog walker and park volunteer lead Helen Clarke said.
“We are especially excited to see the town’s renewed commitment to the park and the level of responsiveness we have received for our requests.”
It has been 15 years since the town has reinvested in the park that has been primarily cared for by volunteers and users like Clarke since it opened.
In the past, Clarke has cleaned up the grounds, cut the grass and mended the fence and gate as best she could.
“I have already seen the new fence and it looks absolutely great,” Clark added.
Along with a new fence, the town dollars coming from a parks and recreation reserve will also be used to find a solution to the chronic muddy parking lot and replacing the current ground mulch with a mulch that is easier on pup paws.
The park attracts thousands of dogs and owners throughout the year and the owners have been eager to see some upgrades for years.
Councillors supported the funding.
Fellow Canine Commons advocate Bobb Lepp has suggested on multiple occasions that the town’s dog licensing fees should be treated like revenue for the dog park along with fines served for unlicensed dogs.
Councillors have inquired about the possibility of the dog park generating revenue from licence infractions but town staff are focused on educating dog owners about the town’s rules regarding the registration of their dogs.
The bylaw department has confirmed it intends to increase bylaw officer presence at the park to ensure users have the required licences. If dogs are not registered with the town, staff advise owners to keep them out of the park until they are.
