Leash-Free Mississauga - Discussion points for Criteria for new Leash-Free areas

Mississauga's Leash-Free Zones Garner World Attention

Mar 16, 2004

According to Leash-Free Mississauga, Mississauga's leash-free zones serve as a model of success world-wide. Queries about the Mississauga model, originally launched as a pilot project in 1996, have come in from all across Canada and the globe.

"Municipalities such as Kitchener-Waterloo, Burlington and Ottawa have shown interest in our model, but we've also had calls from as far away as Australia, Maryland, Buffalo, Ottawa and Prince Edward Island," said Community Development Co-ordinator Hazel McColl.

"We get a lot of interest because of the way in which the zones are operated. Leash-Free Mississauga, a local community group made up of dog lovers, have a sense of ownership of each zone and take pride in maintaining them," added McColl,

McColl explained that Leash-Free Mississauga is a City-affiliated volunteer group. The umbrella organization's goal is to provide areas where you can legally walk your dog off-leash. Each zone is fenced in. Local volunteers oversee the day-to-day operations.

"Membership has risen from 500 to 1,000 residents in the past year and continues to grow" said Leash-Free Mississauga Chair, Rick Driffield. "In fact, a new zone in the Kennedy and Eglinton area is scheduled to open this year."

"We should all be proud of our leash-free zones and the accomplishments of Leash-Free Mississauga," said McColl. "It's important for these animals to have a safe and fun environment to exercise and socialize off-leash."

Memberships for leash-free zones are $10 for one dog and $15 for two or more dogs. Membership application forms can be picked up at all new leash-free zones or online at www.caninefriends.com.

Mississauga's leash-free zones are located at: Totoredaca Park, Gartnetwood Park, Etobicoke Valley Park, Quenippenon Meadows, Jack Darling Park, Lakeside Park, South of Iceland Arena (Park 357 - COMING SOON). All costs associated with the set-up, maintenance and operation of these zones is the responsibility of Leash-Free Mississauga.

LEASH-FREE MISSISSAUGA FACT SHEET

In 1995 three different groups of dog owners contacted the City of Mississauga in regards to setting up Off Leash Parks.

They asked that the by law would be amended to permit the existence of designated Leash Free Zones within the boundaries of Mississauga. Six Pilot parks were set up in the City's Parkland of various sizes, different fencing types etc.

Public meetings were held after the 12 month pilot and surveys were sent out to adjacent residents. Four of the six pilot zones were kept and one was relocated.

A report went to Mayor and Council in 1997 in which both the Parks By-Law and the Animal Control By-Law were changed to allow designated areas in certain parks to be off-leash areas.

Also in this report was the stipulation that all costs associated with the set-up of the Leash-Free Zones be incurred by the Volunteer groups, and that the day to day operation of the zones be maintained by these groups.

An interim committee with representatives from each of the groups was set up so the City of Mississauga, Recreation and Parks would deal with one group as opposed to 5 individual groups.

This is how Leash Free Mississauga was formed. The Group was assigned a City Liaison person who assisted them with the set up of their group, fund-raising opportunities and dealing with other departments within the City.

Leash-Free Mississauga is an affiliated volunteer group with the City of Mississauga. They are the "umbrella" group that is responsible for Fund raising, sponsorship, overall operations and liaising with the City. There are individuals groups located at each location who oversee the day to day operation of the zones. The volunteer groups try to supply poop bags. clean up days and run fund raising events. Leash-Free Mississauga is responsible for all costs associated with the set up of zones and the maintenance of the zones. Any new zones also are paid by the group. The City assumes the up-front costs and Leash-Free Mississauga pays the City back. When a new zone is opened the Parks By-law is changed to allow for off-leash dogs in the specified area.

The set up of the original 5 zones was $24,000 in which the City of Mississauga paid for with the understanding that the group would pay these costs back in a 5 year term. Leash-Free Mississauga agreed to charge a $10.00 membership fee for one dog, in which 70% of this fee would be put towards paying the debt. The group managed to pay this off in just under 3 years and set up two more zones in which another $16 000 was spent. The group has paid off all of these obligations to the City of Mississauga in 5 1/2 years. The group has sponsors (one being Ralston Purina) and do a number of fundraising activities.

All in all we have had very little incidents within the Leash-Free Zones, they are well maintained and there is a great relationship with Recreation and Parks and Animal Control.

	Leash - Free Mississauga
	PO Box 52541 1801 Lakeshore Road West Mississauga, ON L5J 4S6
	(416) 761-POOP (7667)	www.caninefriends.com
	Promoting responsible dog ownership and the well-being of dogs.

What is Leash-Free Mississauga?

Leash-Free Mississauga (LFM) is a non-profit, volunteer organization, which promotes, through education and example, the responsibility of every dog owner for the behaviour and well-being of his/her dog(s). We work in conjunction and affiliation with the City of Mississauga to find, establish, maintain and organize specific areas where dog owners can safely exercise and socialize their pets without infringing on the rights or sensibilities of people without dogs.

The existence of Leash-Free Zones enables us to communicate with the many dog owners who frequent these areas. Owners can share experiences and training techniques to expand their knowledge and ability to better understand their dogs' needs.

How is Leash-Free Mississauga funded?

LFM is a strictly volunteer organization. We rely entirely on memberships, donations, corporate sponsorship and fundraising efforts to establish and support our Leash-Free zones.

When leash-free zones were first approved and established, the City of Mississauga covered the initial costs of fencing and the necessary improvements, with the understanding that all costs would be repaid over an agreed period of time. To date, we have repaid the funds for the development of 6 parks.

Membership costs $10 per year for one dog or $15 per year for two or more dogs, with 70% of the funds going to LFM and 30% going to the local zone to cover maintenance expenses.

Why become a member?

We need as much support as possible to keep the zones fully functional and safe for our dogs. Your membership shows the City that we have the support, both in numbers and dollars.

Your membership entitles you to use all leash-free zones in Mississauga, representation at the Annual Meetings and receipt of our newsletter, Dog Tales (usually twice a year).

How does LFM work?

Each leash-free area has its own organizing group, which is responsible for the day-to-day maintenance of the park, as well as local fundraising. Each park has a liaison to the Leash-Free Mississauga Committee, which meets the first Wednesday of every month (except July and August) at the Mississauga Central Library. There are 4 elected members of the LFM Committee. This committee has overall responsibility for the leash-free zones, is the liaison with the City of Mississauga and is responsible for the finances of the group. Corporate sponsorship is done through the Central Committee.

Please be aware that Leash-Free areas still require you to have your dog under control at all times.

Where can I find the Mississauga Leash-Free Zones?

Name of Park	Size	Organizing Group	Location	Description
Etobicoke Valley	3 acres	None	South Creek Road (South of Dundas Street, near West Mall) Ward 1	A walk on the wild side... The area is not fenced, nor is the grass cut, so be prepared for some burrs and be careful of the poison ivy. The area borders on Etobicoke Creek so dogs can swim.
Garnetwood	1.5 acres	Pause for Paws	Burnhamthorpe Road at Ponytrail Drive (east of Dixie Rd) Ward 3	A fully fenced park, located within a larger, public park. Information is posted on the Bulletin Board. Due to the size of the park, it is unneutered dogs NOT use this area.
Jack Darling	20 acres	Responsible Dog Owners Group (RDOG)	South of Lakeshore Road, between Lorne Park Road and Silverbirch Ward 2	A large park area located by the Water Treatment Plant. There are restricted hours in the summer (not available 11 am to 7 pm, Sat. Sun & Holiday Mondays from Victoria Day to Labour Day weekends) as well as closed off areas during the winter for tobogganers. Check Bulletin Board for information.
Lakeside	1.6 acres	Responsible Dog Owners Group (RDOG)	Lakeshore Road, west of the Petro Canada Refinery (between Southdown and Winston Churchill) Ward 2	This is a temporary park (until future decisions are made regarding the area). It is fully fenced, and faces the lake.
Quennippenon Meadows	1 acre	None	Erin Centre Blvd, opposite Erin Mills Town Centre Ward 9	This is a small, fully fenced park. Is currently a temporary zone and will be relocated in Fall 2005
Totoredaca	3 acres	Totoredaca Club	Meadowpine Blvd, west of Mississauga Road, north of Derry Road. Ward 9	This park is the relocated home from Battleford Park. It is fully fenced (chain link), and lit. There is a separate area for small dogs as well as a separate area for agility training.
Parkway Belt	3.2 acres	TBD	Kennedy & Eglinton Ward 5	Park, is fully fenced. It is located about 100 yards from the parking lot.

According to Leash-Free Mississauga, Mississauga's leash-free zones serve as a model of success world-wide. Queries about the Mississauga model, originally launched as a pilot project in 1996, have come in from all across Canada and the globe.

"Municipalities such as Kitchener-Waterloo, Burlington and Ottawa have shown interest in our model, but we've also had calls from as far away as Australia, Maryland, Buffalo, Ottawa and Prince Edward Island," said Community Development Co-ordinator Hazel McColl.

"We get a lot of interest because of the way in which the zones are operated. Leash-Free Mississauga, a local community group made up of dog lovers, have a sense of ownership of each zone and take pride in maintaining them," added McColl,

McColl explained that Leash-Free Mississauga is a City-affiliated volunteer group. The umbrella organization's goal is to provide areas where you can legally walk your dog off-leash. Each zone is fenced in. Local volunteers oversee the day-to-day operations.

"Membership has risen from 500 to 1,000 residents in the past year and continues to grow" said Leash-Free Mississauga Chair, Rick Driffield. "In fact, a new zone in the Kennedy and Eglinton area is scheduled to open this year."

"We should all be proud of our leash-free zones and the accomplishments of Leash-Free Mississauga," said McColl. "It's important for these animals to have a safe and fun environment to exercise and socialize off-leash."

Memberships for leash-free zones are $10 for one dog and $15 for two or more dogs. Membership application forms can be picked up at all new leash-free zones or online at www.caninefriends.com.

Mississauga's leash-free zones are located at: Totoredaca Park, Gartnetwood Park, Etobicoke Valley Park, Quenippenon Meadows, Jack Darling Park, Lakeside Park, South of Iceland Arena (Park 357 - COMING SOON). All costs associated with the set-up, maintenance and operation of these zones is the responsibility of Leash-Free Mississauga.

Leash-Free Mississauga - Discussion points for Criteria for new Leash-Free areas

The purpose of this document is to begin to outline all the elements which need to be considered in developing new leash-free areas. This builds on the experiences the various leash-free areas have had, and is in sections of "Necessary to Ensure Success', 'Important to Have" and "Nice to Have" and takes into consideration all parties who may be effected by having a leash-free zone.

It is also realized that finding an area that meets all criteria may not be possible; therefore, the Leash-Free Mississauga Committee needs to discuss the "minimums " which would be acceptable for a new area. It is acknowledged that any new area will need to be fenced.

Necessary to Ensure Success

1. Demand for area

• (i.e., not too close to existing one, except Jack Darling which due to restrictions in both summer and winter needs alternative sites)

• needs to be a minimum of ____ people / dogs (may be related to cost of development)

2. Demonstrated volunteers to manage the area

3. Start-up Costs

• need to coordinate estimates of fence costs + any other costs( i.e., trees/grass, parking area, etc., with LFM sponsors and individual parks' fundraising activities
4. Acreage (size)

• suggested minimum size be at least 2 acres (note bigger areas attract more dog walkers and help to minimize congestion; however, fence cost is a factor)

5. Proximity to other park users

• the amount of seasonal activity in any park and the amount of direct interaction with leash-free area impacts the success of the park

• consider where "cross overs" of traffic will occur, how close to picnic areas/bbqs, sports areas, natural or woodlot areas

• ideally, area should be apart from other park users to minimize possibility of conflicts and also so that other park users have a level of comfort to use the park

6. Proximity to residents

• the bigger the buffer zone between the leash-free area and local residents, the better

• probably better to have area close to major roads (limit local traffic)

• Recommended that area not back on to backyard fences

• Time restrictions in order to alleviate noise complaints

1. Parking access

2. Garbage collection

3. Proximity to road

• as dogs can find their way out through a fenced area ( i.e., gate left open, access points), being removed from busy roads is important

4. Environmental

• Wear and tear on grasslands. where there is a lot of users, paths are made and grass wears away; thereafter there can be a mud problem (bark chips), etc.

• Both good and bad plants, i.e., poison ivy vs. prairie grass

• wildlife habitat

5. Topography

• depends on the area's size

• depends on stream, ditches, number of trees, etc.

1. Shade (trees)

2. Water availability

3. Bulletin Board