City of Winnipeg invites dog owners to 'Bark for your Park'

Planning is under way for a downtown Winnipeg dog park and the city wants to hear from you.

An open house, Bark for your Park, is set for Feb. 24 for the public to get an update on the project. The city will also provide results from an online survey conducted in January and provide feedback on possible locations for the dog park and its potential features.

"A neighbourhood dog park in downtown Winnipeg will help build stronger community ties by fostering social meet-ups for dogs and people," the city stated in a news release.

"It will also be an amenity that will encourage downtown living and help make dog ownership in the downtown more accessible."

The open house goes from 4-7 p.m. at the Carol Shields Auditorium in the Millennium Library.

Just as the city is planning that park, it has shut down the Brenda Leipsic dog park near the Winnipeg Humane Society.

The extension of the Southwest Rapid Transit Corridor is being constructed to cut through the park, which will is also being eyed for residential development.

• City highlights homes to be expropriated for rapid transitway
• ​Province orders Winnipeg to study BRT impact on Parker Lands

Parker protest

The Parker Wetlands Conservation Committee (PWCC), a group opposed to that development, is holding a protest Wednesday evening of the controversial plan for the area and its aspen forest.

They are meeting from 5-8 p.m. in front of the Holiday Inn Winnipeg South on Pembina Highway, where developer Andrew Marquess is hosting an open house about the residential complex he wants to build.

It's important for Winnipeggers to "show they care about their green space" and want it preserved for future generations, said Cal Dueck, PWCC member.

"The Parker wetlands and aspen forest is a green jewel, both for Fort Garry and all of Winnipeg. In addition to providing habitat for plants and animals including owls, deer, frogs, and foxes, the space offers citizens a retreat from the city's busyness and an opportunity to reconnect with nature and each another," said PWCC member Jess Woolford.

"The relationship between exposure to nature and improved mental health cannot be overstated. The wetlands also provide chances to learn about nature and our history, given that it contains a remnant of super-rare tall grass prairie and that it was part of the Rooster Town site, an all but buried part of Métis and Winnipeg history."