City opens one-of-a-kind off-leash space in Beltline

The City of Calgary has opened its first fenced inner-city off-leash area at Connaught Park. The area offers a one-of- kind off-leash experience to Calgarians and their four-legged friends right in the core of the city.

“There are almost 650 dogs licensed in the Beltline, and during public engagement we identified a need for a safe and dedicated off-leash space in the area,” says Doug Marter, development manager for Calgary Parks.

Connaught Park, located at 11 Street and 14 Avenue S.W., was selected for its central location and because it was originally designed as a multi-use park.

“From a design perspective, the green space in the eastern part of the park was an ideal area to transition into a fenced, off-leash area,” says Marter. “Using the space allowed us to compliment the multi-use intention of the park, retain the park’s passive function found on the west side as well as attracts a variety of new park users.”

The new fenced off-leash space is about the size of a hockey rink. Nineteen new trees and a handful of shrubs have been added to the space to act as a landscape buffer between the different areas of the park as well as the condos adjacent to the park.

Benches, a concrete seat wall and additional grassed sections were also incorporated into the design to provide more seating areas for people to rest and enjoy the park’s scenery. There are even drinking fountains for park users and their dogs to use while visiting the park, and a foot pedal garbage can to make it easier for people to throw out their dog’s waste.

“With over 22,000 residents in the Beltline living in a high-density urban community, this new park is a great way for people to get outside and enjoy the neighbourhood with their pets,” says Ward 8 Councillor, Evan Woolley.

The design of the new off-leash space was inspired by other successful urban off-leash areas in cities like New York and Chicago. Local residents and other Calgarians had the opportunity to give their input on the park’s design in 2014, and construction started last fall.

For more information about the new off-leash space in Connaught Park, visit calgary.ca/newoffleashareas.