An off-leash dog park inside Heritage Park has been approved by Smithers town council on the condition that it be at no cost to the town.
The park will be located at the corner of Highway 16 and Manitoba Street, with access off Manitoba.
The location was one of seven proposed sites. The motion to approve the Heritage Park option passed unanimously at last Tuesday’s council meeting.
“The tiny little run that they have in Houston attracts an enormous amount of RV traffic for people who just want to stop their RV and get their dog out and stretch its legs; so having it visible on the highway is probably not a bad thing,” said Coun. Phil Brienesse at the meeting.
Future plans for water features to quench the thirst of man and beast can be accomplished by accessing the existing waterline running through the park at an estimated cost of $9,300. But the first step is to fence in the area between the playground and skatepark already in the park.
Jesse Taggart is excited about the location. She has been advocating for an off-leash park for the last two years, first approaching town council with the idea last May. She said her group will become an official non-profit to fundraise for improvements.
“It’s easy for a lot of people to get to who can’t drive,” said Taggart, adding visitors would boost the economy by shopping, and eating in town.