A park on Vancouver’s downtown waterfront could soon boast a pooch park that would make the SuperDogs drool.
The City of Vancouver has opened consultation for a planned upgrade of the off-leash dog area in Cooper’s Park adjacent to the Cambie Street Bridge on the north side of False Creek.
The proposal is part of a wider renewal for the park, which includes a controversial $645,000 public toilet, along with a playground and fitness area.
It’s also in line with the city-wide dog strategy the Vancouver Park Board rolled out in 2017.
At the Cooper’s Park site, the board has flagged a number of elements of the existing dog area as problematic, including poor lighting, a lack of fencing, no covered areas and a lawn that hasn’t been able to stand up to heavy use by rowdy dogs.
Instead, the city is looking at a synthetic turf designed for dogs in a fenced and gated area with a designated spot for pups to do their business.
A number of flashier amenities are also being proposed, ranging from agility and water play features, to a designated digging area, to a separate zone for shy dogs.
Tunnels, ramps, boulders, logs, climbing blocks and agility poles are all on the drawing board, as are a wide array of water features such as runnels and jets.
The park board did not immediately respond to a request for an interview and budget estimate.
Park users Global News spoke with on Wednesday called the concept “super cool” and “wonderful.”
But at least one critic said the proposal sends the wrong message.
“There are people who are in misery who are living (in) parks,” Canadian Taxpayers Federation B.C. spokesperson Kris Sims said.
“The government needs to figure that out right now before they start focusing their energy and taxpayers money on a SuperDog park.”
The city is asking for public feedback on the proposal through an online survey.