9. Streets, Parks & a Riverside Dog Park
Why This Matters
They are all part of the everyday public realm residents experience constantly. People notice broken pavement, neglected park amenities, poor maintenance, and missing neighbourhood facilities because these things shape daily quality of life.
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I want consistent attention to the basics while also advancing a long-standing community request for an appropriate off-leash dog park in Riverside. I would work through the proper process to identify a location that is accessible, safe, appropriately buffered, and compatible with surrounding uses.
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What City Hall Can Do
Streets, parks and municipal recreation amenities are core City responsibilities. A dog park is possible, but a specific site requires land, compatibility, consultation, design and budget approval.
Who Needs to Be Involved
Residents, dog owners and non-dog owners, parks and recreation staff, planning/engineering where needed, nearby property users and Council.
Cost and Funding
Routine street and park work belongs within existing maintenance/capital programs. A dog park would require site-specific costing for fencing, access, drainage, waste, parking or other amenities.
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Money for these projects could come from parks and capital budgets, grants where eligible, and potentially community or sponsorship partnerships consistent with City policy.
What I Will Do
Keep pressure on everyday maintenance while asking administration to identify viable Riverside dog-park options, criteria and costs, consult affected residents, and bring a defensible option to Council rather than naming a site prematurely.
My Action Plan
1. Maintain a visible Ward 6 list of recurring street, sidewalk, park, tree and maintenance concerns and use it to distinguish one-off service requests from chronic problems that need capital or policy attention.
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2. Walk parks and streets with residents and City staff where useful so maintenance priorities are based on actual conditions: pavement, drainage, lighting, benches, play areas, trees, waste, and accessibility.
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3. For the dog park, ask administration to identify several technically viable Riverside locations using transparent criteria: adequate size, setbacks from homes, parking/access, drainage, shade, accessibility, environmental impact, and compatibility with other park uses.
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4. Consult both dog owners and nearby residents before selecting a preferred site. A successful dog park needs community buy-in and responsible operating rules, not simply a fenced piece of land.
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5. Obtain a full lifecycle cost - fencing, gates, surfacing/drainage, waste stations, water if appropriate, maintenance and eventual renewal - and explore grants, sponsorship or community partnership consistent with City policy.
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6. Bring the strongest option to Council only after the site, costs and neighbourhood effects are known. My promise is to do the work to get a defensible Riverside option, not to predetermine a site for political convenience.