Yellowknife dog park gets long-awaited improvements

After several residents complained about the conditions of Yellowknife’s only dog park, the city decided to give it a bit of a facelift.

The dog park, which some residents previously described as “disgusting,” has undergone some beautification, including new fencing and even a garbage bin in the vicinity.

Before the park received the improvements, residents had complaints about cleanliness, concerns about access to clean drinking water, and worries about the fencing, which could not be properly locked.

Mayor Ben Hendriksen told Cabin Radio the park has been improved in exactly the ways for which the city had budgeted.

The city replaced the fencing, which now has a double-door gate. The park received all-new signage, and a dumpster bin has been placed nearby, labelled for dog waste only.

Doggie bags have also been provided within the park.

Hendriksen said an entirely new dog park isn’t in the city’s immediate financial plans for the year ahead but is “something that is definitely a potential option for the future.”

He added that residents who are interested in the potential development of a new dog park should continue to speak with city councillors and Hendriksen to express their interest.

“Changes like this never happen immediately, but stay engaged and keep talking about their interest and if they have ideas on where it could be, or if they’re interested in participating in how it could be developed,” he said.

Katie Lessard, a resident who has been advocating for improvements to the dog park for several years, said the dog park upgrades – the facility reopened last week – were “not what I had imagine, but I am still appreciative of the few positive changes.”

“The fencing and broken entry-way was fixed, which is appreciated. However, I feel like what was done was just a band-aid solution to a neglected, hidden park,” she told Cabin Radio.

Every spring, Lessard tries to clean up the park and collect as much dog waste left over the winter as she can. She said the dumpster outside the park is not sufficient, as she “cannot be lugging bags and bags of dog poop up the hill.”

Lessard hopes the city will consider developing a new dog park in a “more populated, safer area of town.”

Nadia Lindsay, a dog owner who previously refused to visit the dog park, had a different opinion about the changes.

Having previously referred to the park as a “cesspool,” she was not a fan. “We took our two large dogs down to this supposedly wonderful dog park and when we got there, it literally looked like 300 dogs had done their business,” she recalled of her opening visit a decade earlier.

When she revisited the park last week with her two dogs, Maggie and Ranger, she had a “much better experience.”

“It’s a big difference from when I was last here,” she added, “I would definitely come back and I would bring more toys and just let them have a good run.”

She said the park would be a great spot for her high-energy German shepherd, Ranger, to “tucker himself out,” as the dog park is the only fenced off-leash area in the city.

Another resident, Nathan Ferguson, said while he doesn’t come to the dog park often, he does appreciate the improvements.

“I know the dogs love it and it’s a nice, safe space for anybody to bring their animals,” he said.