With an increasing population of dogs in cities, there is growing demand for municipalities to accommodate residents and their dogs in public places and provide sustainable and safe off-leash opportunities.
Currently, there are over 60 Dogs Off-Leash sites within the City of Edmonton. The City's initial guidelines for dogs off-leash were created in the 1990s, and over the years most off-leash areas have been created as a result of requests from community groups or citizens.
About the Strategy
The Strategy created guidelines to help shape and update the City of Edmonton’s current planning, design and management practices regarding off-leash areas.
Strategy Recommendations
- Planning recommendations include access and parking, site uses, types of off-leash areas and funding
- Design recommendations include boundaries, amenities, environmental protection, winter considerations, waste management, vegetation and public health and safety
- Management recommendations include best practices for general maintenance, education and communications, community stewardship, enforcement and monitoring
- The City of Edmonton will consider recommendations from the Dogs in Open Spaces Strategy when planning, designing and managing current and future off-leash sites
Upon approval of the Strategy, the off leash project team began to develop the Dogs in Open Spaces 10-Year Implementation Plan.
Public consultation will occur with changes to current parks or the planning of future parks.
Goals of the Implementation Plan
- Smart planning, design and management of off-leash areas that take into account user experience, safety and environmental sensitivities
- Better adoption of rules and bylaws by users through education and enforcement
- Increased safety for people and dogs in off-leash and adjacent areas
- Establishing new off-leash areas in Edmonton where the need is identified
- Processes for establishing and decommissioning off-leash areas
- Increased educational opportunities in off-leash areas, as well as enhancing the volunteer stewardship program that currently exists
- Established a base level of amenities for off-leash areas, and develop a cost-sharing model for community groups interested in enhancing off-leash areas with additional amenities
Some highlights of the implementation have included:
- Eight new fenced off-leash areas have been established within high-need areas:
- Three by developers in Manning Village, Paisley and The Orchards
- Five by the City in Alex Decoteau Park, Braithwaite Park in Garneau, Alberta Avenue, Pleasantview and Glengarry
- Two new off-leash areas (Warehouse Park and Ottewell), funded in coordination with neighbourhood and park development and neighbourhood renewal programs, will be built by 2026
- Lauderdale and Inglewood off-leash areas received enhancements that addressed users’ safety concerns
- Buena Vista Park off-leash area has been enhanced through the Buena Vista Park Master Plan
- Royal Gardens off-leash area and Montrose off-leash area have been enhanced through the Building Great Neighbourhoods program
- Hermitage off-leash area was enhanced through Hermitage Park Renewal
- Boundary and etiquette signs have been updated and replaced in all off-leash areas
- Off-leash areas have been added into the City of Edmonton’s Landscape Design Construction Standards so that all new off-leash areas use the same planning and design principles
- Guidelines for developer establishment of off-leash areas have been created
- Community Groups are now able to establish ongoing off-leash areas through the Community-Led Projects on Parkland process
Contact Us
311 Contact Centre
Phone 311 | Outside of Edmonton: 780-442-5311 | TTY 711