Whether you support or oppose the People, Pets and Parks strategy, as a Saanich resident you should be worried.
Thousands expressed concern over the strategy as it was presented – through letters, a petition, and presentations to council. Council acknowledged the majority were opposed, yet they proceeded to approve it. Even if you are happy with the outcome, I urge you to consider what this means for your community – beyond dogs. What if the majority and outcome were reversed? I believe we can all agree on one thing, concern is needed when democratically elected leaders blatantly ignore the voice of the majority.
I attended the council meeting and heard a common theme emerge from the over 90 per cent who opposed the strategy. Most of them didn’t oppose it as a whole, merely the incredibly restrictive off-leash bylaw changes proposed. Many expressed the need for a balanced approach to accommodate all park users – dog or no dog.
Navigating the terrain through PKOLS with a leashed dog is dangerous and ill-advised. For those with mobility challenges, holding a leash while trying to navigate trail terrain isn’t even an option. This means a large number of park users will no longer be able to use PKOLS every day to maintain their physical and mental health – those with medical conditions/concerns who rely on their daily hike up PKOLS, seniors or others who rely on walking sticks, and people with disabilities.
If balance was the goal, why didn’t council vote to hold off on the bylaw component to explore truly balanced options? All I can think is they decided well before that meeting as many brilliant and creative ideas were brought forward.
According to Saanich, 74 per cent of park users have dogs and PKOLS has over 21 kilometres of trails. The new bylaw restricts off-leash dogs to 2 km or 9 per cent. Strategy aside, if municipal leaders can so easily ignore the voice of the vast majority, there is no stopping them on any other strategy or matter before them. Is this the Saanich you want to call home?
Mel Murray
Saanich
