Cold Lake council settled on a spot for the new off-leash dog park, opting to place the amenity at Imperial Park, south of the pickle ball courts.
“This has been a long-standing request from the community that we are happy to move forward on,” Mayor Craig Copeland said. “Staff members will work out the details of the facility based on the budget, but council was able to find a location that will allow for a quick, successful start, as well as some opportunities to expand the park and add amenities in the future.”
Council settled on the location due to its proximity to ample parking, the ability to scale the park’s size to suit budget, its central location, and the ability to include other amenities at the site. The final size of the park will depend on the amount of fencing that can be purchased with the budget available.
Basic features of the park will include fencing, signage, waste bag stations and receptacles, as well as a staging entrance. Additional features which may be included if the budget allows, or if future phases are approved, could include separate areas for small and large dogs, benches, shade features, water services extended to the park, lighting, and agility obstacles.
The off leash dog park was set in the 2020 Capital Budget at $50,000.
“This is a great start to a facility that we are certain will see a lot of use,” Copeland said. “It will give us a chance to see how far the budget goes and, once we receive feedback from the public, council can consider if another phase could become a reality, depending on what future budgets might allow.”