BOYLE — Village residents who expressed concerns over adequate recreation opportunities for their four-legged friends now have a light at the end of the tunnel after councillors picked up the topic again.
During the Sept. 5 meeting, councillors voted 5-0 to toss the dog park discussion to the Nov. 1 council meeting, noting the group needs more time to chew on the subject. The concept was first considered during the June 7 meeting, where councillors voted to defer further talks to September to glean more information on how often the diamond was used.
CAO Warren Griffin told council ball diamond three wasn’t used more than three times over the course of the summer, in comparison to the other diamonds which were used for league play and tournaments throughout the season.
He also noted diamonds one and two need ground-leveling and other necessary maintenance before the next ball season begins; upkeep that might complicate the timeline of opening a dog park. If diamond three is converted, materials like shale and possibly sod can be used in the remaining diamonds to further reduce maintenance and upkeep costs.
“I think it’s a great idea for the community to explore having a dog park,” said Derko in a Sept. 8 interview, adding, “my concern is that I don’t want to see us get rid of a facility to add another one, I just want to see us add another one.” He noted although the project likely won’t be finished next year, an early start on preparation wouldn’t hurt.
Coun. Mike Antal suggested building the park in the area surrounding the diamond, which would utilize the existing fence and reduce construction costs, but councillors Barb Smith and Shelby Kiteley noted the area is below the recommended size of at least one acre for a dog park. Kiteley also pointed out the area in question is home to a walking path, and some path users might not be fond of or comfortable with dogs.
Despite the uncertainty around the exact location of the dog park, councillors agree the established recreation area would be a suitable location, given the proximity to the campground, available parking, and other recreational facilities like the spray park, skate park and ball diamonds.
However, some prime real estate around the park is privately owned, and while administration took direction to explore the possibility of purchasing a portion of the property, Derko said another option is to explore village land and green spaces in other areas of Boyle.
“All of council is in agreeance that it would be a nice addition to our community,” Derko noted, “now the chore is to find the spot that it would work at the least expense and most benefit.”
Kiteley expressed her eagerness to get the tennis ball rolling as soon as possible, noting the benefit to current and potential residents of the village.
“I don’t think this is something we should put off,” said Kiteley. “I know it seems like a small thing but people want to move out of the cities into smaller communities, and they’re looking at the amenities. We don’t have the movie theatres, the swimming pools, and its adding reasons for people to come here, and it’s free recreation, which is huge.”
