New westside dog park opening soon
Much of the park will have chain-link fencing
Four-legged furry friends and their owners will soon have access to a new fenced-in, off-leash dog park in west Lethbridge. The RiverStone Dog Park will open in the next few weeks, located at the corner of University Drive West and RiverGlen Link West (the southernmost entrance to the RiverStone subdivision).
About two of the 2.77 acres of the park will have chain-link fencing so owners can let their dogs run without worry.
It will be the first fenced off-leash area in Lethbridge, and the fourth off-leash dog park in the city. The others are located at Peenaquim Park, Popson Park or west of Scenic Drive and 11 Avenue South.
“We don’t have anything like this in Lethbridge currently,” said Michael Kelly, the City’s Manager of Real Estate and Land Development. “We have a few offleash areas around the city but this is the first, we’ll call this a micro dog park or mini one, and there’s plans for a larger one up on the north side in the future.”
The area was designated for greenspace, but developers wanted to dress it up a bit and fulfill something the community was asking for.
The park has been under construction for close to a year, and was originally slated to open in the spring. However it’s taking awhile to establish the nonirrigated dryland grass inside the fencedin area due to the hot weather. Temporary irrigation has been installed to help speed things along.
“We’re getting closer,” said Kelly. “We thought we’d have it open earlier, but again because of the hot weather it’s been quite a struggle to keep it green and get the grass going.”
They are also waiting on another shipment of amenities such as stumps and tree tunnels.
The park will feature a sally gate entrance and include pathways both in and outside the fenced area, accessible seating areas, play equipment for dogs, water fountains for both pets and people, doggie bag dispensers and a dedicated parking lot.
“It’s almost like a kids playground, except for dogs,” said Kelly.
The city will release details soon about a special grand opening event planned for September.
“It’s a really good thing and you can see by all the responses and phone calls that we get that it’s highly anticipated,” said Kelly. “They want it and they want it open, but they’re being patient with us and they can appreciate that if you don’t do it right, it could be ruined for next year.”
A similar off-leash dog park is in the works for the northside near the Stafford Drive and Scenic Drive intersection. Funding of $600,000 was recently approved through the Capital Improvement Program, with construction to begin next year.
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