THUNDER BAY — Worries about the future of a well-used off-leash dog park have diminished for the time being.
Users of the park on Winnipeg Avenue, opposite the Community Auditorium, became concerned earlier this year when a draft plan emerged for the proposed indoor turf facility.
The drawings showed the potential to expand an existing parking lot by downsizing the dog park considerably.
"It would be a real shame, I think, to shrink this park just in order to put in a few parking spots," user Mike Shannon told TBnewswatch at the time. "It's very popular. It's a good facility, a good location. There are only two fenced-in dog parks in Thunder Bay, and it's the only one that's kind of in the centre or north side" of town.
Shannon collected signatures to attach to a letter to city council.
He and another dog park supporter also lobbied for the park at a stakeholder meeting with city officials in April.
Now, Shannon is feeling a lot better about the situation.
In a social media post Tuesday, he wrote that the updated plan for the indoor turf facility doesn't budget for additional parking.
"If the city sticks to this plan it is my understanding that there is no immediate threat to the dog park," Shannon stated.
He couldn't be reached Wednesday for comment, but he explained in his post that city officials have recommended that parking requirements for the new facility be assessed over the first two years of operation to determine the extent of any conflicts between large events where additional parking may be needed.
The potential for a parking squeeze exists because the indoor turf complex will be situated in the vicinity of not only the auditorium and the dog park, but also the Port Arthur Stadium and Canada Games Complex.
Thunder Bay city council voted this week to proceed with the $42 million project.
