The public input on the waterfront concept from 2022 never included a fenced dog park at Peach Orchard Park. On the contrary, the overall public feedback emphasized improving amenities and the landscape, enhancing trails for walking and biking, and improving the environment. Specifically for Peach Orchard Park, respondents wanted to see improvements to the swimming beach, more trees and habitat, amenities for food trucks, shelter from the sun, and improved accessibility at the dog swimming beach. (https://www.castanet.net/news/Penticton/369638/Summerland-residents-push-for-upgrades-environmental-protection-in-future-of-waterfront-areas 

In the Summerland review article dated May 18, 2023, the mayor said: “We know there are concerns about the suitability of the turf, scarcity of parking, impacts on other park uses, and disturbances to nearby residents. This is why it is being run as a trial.” (https://www.summerlandreview.com/opinion/column-making-sure-we-bark-up-the-right-tree-with-dog-parks-4230201

Trial is a trial! Why did the fenced dog park remained at Peach Orchard Park when it was voted against in September 2023? After the Lutheran Churched declined the offer to have their property used for a fenced dog park there was  zero effort by the District of Summerland (DOS) to find another, more suitable location. Instead, it stayed at the unsuitable location impacting the typical park users, angering the nearby residents, and the taxpayers.

If you are just as concerned about the DOS decisions to make the fenced dog park permanent, please email your concerns to:

CAO – Graham Statt gstatt@summerland.ca

Parks and Recreation – Lori Mullin lmullin@summerland.ca 

Mayor – Doug Holmes dholmes@summerland.ca

Councillors

-          Janet Peake jpeake@summerland.ca

-          Doug Patan dpatan@summerland.ca

-          Adrienne Betts abetts@summerland.ca

-          Richard Barkwill rbarkwill@summerland.ca

-          Martin Van Alphen mvanalphen@summerland.ca

-          Erin Trainer etrainer@summerland.ca