The town of Comox finally has an official off-leash dog park.
Located on the site of the former Comox Elementary School (Rodello Street and Fairbairn Avenue), the space has four-foot-high fencing that surrounds a 32,000 square feet area, doggy doo-doo bag dispenser and collection bin, as well as picnic tables for owners to watch and enjoy their dogs off-leash. The location was selected because of its central location that required few site amendments to enable a dog park to be located there.
The park is a collaboration between the Town of Comox and School District 71 - a pilot project, based on a five-year agreement that will allow time to test the space and potentially establish other improvements to the area, as well as to monitor demand levels for off-leash dog park space in Comox.
“As our population has grown, so too have the number of dogs in the community,” said Mayor Russ Arnott. “The town wanted to establish a space for residents to exercise and socialize their dogs in a controlled environment, and this site offered a good solution. On behalf of Comox council and residents, I extend our thanks and gratitude to School District 71 for their terrific collaboration on this pilot project.”
“The School District is pleased to collaborate with the town on the new dog park,” said Brenda Hooker, secretary-treasurer, SD 71. “The school district had a portion of the Comox Elementary site that was excess to our current needs, which complimented the Towns desire to establish an off-leash dog park. As with numerous other partnerships throughout the Comox Valley, the District facilitates community enhancement projects where possible. Our students benefit significantly from living in robust communities that offer diverse recreational opportunities.”