WHERE DOGS CAN RUN FREE
New park opens in East Village
With 11,000 people expected to live in Calgary’s East Village by 2027, it’s not far fetched to think there will also be a lot of condodwelling dogs — all hounding their owners for daily exercise.
Knowing a few hundred of them will be sniffing around the neighbourhood, Calgary Municipal Land Corp. (CMLC) recently opened a permanent 12,000-square-foot off-leash dog park on 6th Street S.E.
The wheelchair accessible park is fully fenced with a double-gated entry, seating, agility elements and is landscaped with a combination of natural materials and maintenance-free artificial turf.
“We studied a couple of different options. With the way dogs use grass, it can just become a muddy area, so turf is more efficient than replacing grass every year,” says Clare LePan, CMLC director of marketing and communications. “It’s a cleaner approach.”
Pet owners must follow the posted rules and use the provided bins for waste bags, in compliance with City of Calgary bylaws.
As necessary as it is for dogs to burn off energy and do their business, it’s equally important for inner-city residents to get out of the house and meet people. Dogs are notoriously good icebreakers when it comes to striking up a conversation with new people.
“We hope this dog park will not only be a convenience, but also a place for community building, where people can connect and meet their neighbours,” says LePan.
The urban dog park is south of the George C. King Bridge in Crossroads, a popular spot in East Village with a playground and community garden. Dogs are a frequent sight along the nearby river pathways and St. Patrick’s Island, but the off-leash park is convenient for a quick romp when time is tight.
LePan says there are about 3,500 people living in East Village, an amenity-rich, mixed-use community in the downtown core.
On the heels of the dog park is the completion of two condo towers by the end of 2018. Verve by FRAM+Slokker and Ink by Battistella have 407 residential units, each with a small selection of units available for sale, LePan says.
Ink is completely on board with canine residents, upon the approval of the condo board, and has installed a dog-washing station on the main floor of the building.
Other developers are watching the Calgary market as they prepare for the launch of new buildings next spring.
“Bosa’s next project is Arris — a 500-unit residential complex with two towers, built over an urban retail podium, which should be ready in early 2020. This development will include the first grocery store in East Village — Loblaws City Market,” she says.
As Verve wraps up, FRAM+Slokker turns its attention to another 150-unit building on the same block, called Vibe. Still in pre-construction mode, Vibe fronts the pedestrian RIFF between Fort Calgary and the new 5th Street Square, a neighbourhood plaza on 7th Avenue S.E. and 5th Street S.E.
Directions to the dog park and residential offerings in East Village can be found at evexperience.com.