Trail residents renew push for accessible waterfront dog park

High-energy dogs in Trail still have almost nowhere legal to stretch out along the waterfront, and that is why Jennifer Watkin and Barb Leavitt went back before city council with a new petition on April 27. Their latest push carried nearly 400 names and revived a request that has been building since a 2021 petition drew 614 signatures.

The proposed site sits along the Columbia River near Gyro Park, between Gyro Park and the city skatepark. That strip of land is attractive for a simple reason: it would put an off-leash park where residents already walk, gather and recreate. The ask is not for a major new facility. Watkin and Leavitt said the city only needs to provide the space, and volunteers could help with fencing, garbage cans and other basic needs.

Access was a central part of the pitch. The residents said the park needs to work for disabled residents and seniors who walk their dogs regularly, which makes the proposal bigger than a fenced play area for a few regulars. It is about who can use the waterfront, and whether a city can make room for dog exercise without pushing people with limited mobility to the margins.

That issue matters in Trail because the city’s current rules are strict. Trail says dogs must be on a leash in all city parks and in the downtown area. Off-leash dogs are allowed only while contained in the city’s boat launch area near Gyro Park. The city also says owners must clean up after their dogs, and violations can lead to fines and impoundment under the Animal Control Bylaw. For owners of dogs that need real running room, that leaves few legal options.

The location itself carries extra weight. The city describes Gyro Park as a popular Columbia River waterfront park used for families, gatherings, weddings, fireworks, events and everyday recreation. Trail also says the Columbia River is vital to the area’s recreational, ecological, economic and cultural life. Any off-leash park there would sit in the middle of one of the city’s most visible public spaces.

Council has heard versions of this argument before. Trail’s dog-park survey closed on August 23, 2021, and the city said council and staff would review the results to decide whether the project should go into the five-year capital plan. The issue was also carried to the Greater Trail community advisory group in 2021, when the earlier petition drew 614 signatures. This time, Mayor Colleen Jones said the city was looking for a space for the dog park and would review the new information, keeping the idea alive but still unresolved.