It took a rather dogged effort to come up with a name for a park in 91原创 City on Monday, April 27, after several members of council decided one of their colleagues was barking up the wrong tree with his recommendation.
During a 15-minute discussion during the meeting, Councillor Dave Hall, who chairs the City鈥檚 Parks Environment Advisory Committee (PEAC), told council that committee members had come up with several options for naming the off-leash dog park, located under the Hydro transmission lines off 208 Street at 44 Avenue.
With a second dog park scheduled to open in the City this year, PEAC had been tasked with deciding whether a name was needed for the existing park and, if so, what it should be.
Noting that one suggestion, 鈥淐entral Bark,鈥� didn鈥檛 make the final cut, Hall offered the four names that had made PEAC鈥檚 short list: Uplands, Happy Tails, Dogwood Park and Pleasantdale Dog Park.
Hall recommended that council go with Dogwood Park 鈥� both because of the play on words and because of the dogwood鈥檚 significance as B.C.鈥檚 provincial flower 鈥� and the potential for the City to one day have its own arboretum in the park.
鈥淚n treeing, what used to be a wasteland, a Hydro cut 鈥� dogwoods, the symbol of British Columbia, could be added,鈥� Hall said.
Naming the park gives it an identity rather than simply calling it dog park number one, or the very confusing Brookswood dog park, he added.
However, council quickly unleashed its veto power, with some members declaring the park鈥檚 name should reflect its neighbourhood 鈥� Uplands 鈥� and another questioning whether the green space even needed a name.
Councillor Rudy Storteboom said that while he appreciated the levity involved with naming a dog park, it is important that it be identified as a City of 91原创 park because it sits on the municipality鈥檚 border with the Township.
鈥淚鈥檓 sorry I鈥檓 not as inspired as you about that name,鈥� Storteboom told Hall.
Councillor Gayle Martin suggested the name Dogwood could cause confusion among emergency responders because it included no indication of where the park is located.
鈥淚鈥檓 not in favour of naming it,鈥� she said. 鈥淣o matter what it鈥檚 called it鈥檚 going to be, 鈥楿p in the dog park in Brookswood.鈥欌��
鈥淚f I had a choice of these four names I鈥檇 call it Uplands, because that鈥檚 the neighbourhood it鈥檚 in.鈥�
While questioning the need for a name, Martin noted that the sign at the park鈥檚 entrance clearly indicates it is located in the City.
She also wondered what it would cost to replace or change the six-foot sign.
City engineer Rick Bomhof said he would look into the costs, but added that any change to the park鈥檚 designation should be advertised.
鈥淚鈥檓 not necessarily inspired by Dogwood,鈥� said Councillor Paul Albrecht, while acknowledging the effort that PEAC put into the project.
鈥淚鈥檓 more inclined to go with Uplands.
鈥淚 like the name Uplands,鈥� said Mayor Ted Schaffer. 鈥淚t states where it is and adds to neighbourhood promotion.
After Hall鈥檚 motion to adopt the name Dogwood Park failed 鈥� with only Hall in favour 鈥� Schaffer moved that the park be called Uplands Dog Park. The motion passed with Martin and Storteboom opposed.
A second 91原创 City dog park will open this year in Linwood Park. It is intended to cater to the owners of smaller dogs, who live in condominiums and townhouses 鈥� a growing number of which are being built in the City.
