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Dogs invited to new park in Langford

Dogs are welcome to take a dip in the lake at the newest leash-optional park in the capital region. “People have to have somewhere to take their dogs for a swim because dogs like to swim. They’re just like kids,” said Langford Coun.
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Thursday: Langford Coun. Lanny Seaton and his eager dog, Maggie, check out Langford's newest dog park, carved out of Glen Lake Park. Away from the beach area and over the bridge, there's a dock where dogs can take a cool dip.

Dogs are welcome to take a dip in the lake at the newest leash-optional park in the capital region.

“People have to have somewhere to take their dogs for a swim because dogs like to swim. They’re just like kids,” said Langford Coun. Lanny Seaton as he watched his dog Maggie cool off in Glen Lake, Langford’s newest dog park.

The city divided Glen Lake Park in half. Dogs are still prohibited from the beach between June 15 and Sept. 15, but cross a foot bridge from the beach and there’s a boat launch and dock where dogs are welcome.

The makeover cost about $480,000 and was helped by a $384,000 provincial recreation grant, said city park planner Jane Waters. Langford added washrooms, showers, a rain garden, improved beach access, landscaping and playground equipment.

Glen Lake Park is a leash-optional area and dogs must be under control at all times. Langford has also been looking at creating an off-leash park, said Seaton, who chairs the city’s parks committee. He’s been working with Colwood to establish a fenced dog park on surplus highway land near David Cameron School.

“It seems like people in condos have dogs and there’s just nowhere to take them, especially if school grounds are not available any more,” Seaton said, noting that dogs are prohibited from school fields.

“We have our trails. They can run on our trails off-leash as long as they’re under control. The dog has to come back when you call it. But there’s more and more pressure.”

As the West Shore’s population continues to grow, so does the need for places to walk dogs.

Sooke is looking into creating a fenced dog park in the Ponds Park corridor, off Church Road.

“The idea is, instead of having dogs running around all over the place, you would have a dedicated park area or a dog-run area,” Sooke Coun. Rick Kasper said.

The district gets complaints about dogs running loose and people not picking up after their dogs in Whiffen Spit, Kasper said.

“Personally, I will never go down to Whiffen Spit because of all the dog s--- that’s down there. And secondly, I won’t take my dog down there because there’s too many other dogs running around off leash.”

With hundreds of new condo units proposed within the City of Victoria, a dog park could also be needed downtown.

Victoria Coun. Charlayne Thornton-Joe pointed to Nanaimo’s Beban Park. A fully fenced dog park is separated into an area for small dogs and a general off-leash area. It’s equipped with water, a dog tunnel, shelter, lights, pickup bags and garbage cans.

She also noted some condo developers have proposed “woof-top” areas for people to walk their pets.

Victoria Mayor Dean Fortin said a large number of condos are going up in the downtown’s north end, where there’s also a paucity of green-space.

“If not now it’s certainly something that needs to be part of our future,” Fortin said about the need for a dog park. “As we move through the next two to three years and get another 3,000 to 5,000 people living downtown, we’re going to need that kind of park space.”

bcleverley@timescolonist.com