Dog-park supporters are doing more than just barking.
The issue of setting up a park where dogs can run off leash has resurfaced in Flin Flon and will soon be part of the city council budget discussions.
Coun. Tim Babcock has been an ongoing supporter of the idea and is putting together a proposal for the project, which will be brought to council during budget deliberations.
“Right now we are putting together our wish lists for capital projects and the dog park is some-thing I support 100 per cent,” he said. “I’ve been fighting for this since I joined council five years ago.”
Finding a suitable location that does not need extensive landscaping in an effort to keep costs down is important and something that is being considered.
However, Babcock said the city has “a lot of park space” and he’s confident a suitable location could be found.
“We would work with the community to make sure it was a good fit,” he said.
The other main hurdle for the project is the cost of fencing. When a proposal was brought forward by the Town of Creighton’s recreation department a few years ago, it was estimated that fencing would cost $15,000. It is thought that those expenses have increased since.
Babcock said city administrative staff are currently getting quotes from various businesses to be added to the proposal.
A budget meeting date has not been set, but Babcock thinks the project is worth considering.
“There are a number of dogs throughout the community, and giving them a designated place to run off-leash is important,” he said. “This is something our community needs.”
While support from council and a monetary commitment is needed, assistance from the community is also important.
“If a community committee was formed and was able to do some fundraising, that would help move the project forward,” Babcock said.
There has been significant interest in establishing a dog park in the past, but the project was unable to move forward due to a lack of funding.
Spearheaded by the Creighton recreation department three or four years ago, the work involved a study to determine if there was public interest.
“Everyone who filled out the survey was in favour of having a dog park,” said Crystal Banting, who led the initiative.
Councils in Flin Flon, Creighton and Denare Beach were each asked to contribute $5,000 to cover the costs of fencing for the project, but the requests were denied at the time. Research was conducted on possible grant funding, but that was also not available.
“We were looking at a location that all the communities could use and we felt there was a strong need for the dog park,” said Channa Senyk, Creighton’s recreation director.
“There was a lot of public support, but without financial support from the councils we were unable to move forward.”
While the park did not come to fruition in the past, Babcock is hopeful there will be funding available for the project in the near future.
“It’s definitely a possibility,” he said.
