Emery Barnes Park dog off-leash area renewal & proposed expansion

Share your thoughts about a renewal and proposed expansion of the off-leash area at Emery Barnes Park.

The Vancouver Park Board approved the People, Parks and Dogs (PPD) Strategy in 2017, to help deliver carefully designed parks that accommodate park users with and without dogs. The strategy identified Downtown as being in need of additional and renewed off-leash areas (OLAs) to support the high number of licensed dogs in the neighbourhood. Improvements to the OLA are necessary to withstand the impacts of daily use and to accommodate the growing number of dogs in the area.

Thank you to everyone who participated in the survey. The survey for the first round of engagement is now closed and results will be posted in November.

Why renew Emery Barnes dog off-leash area?

The People, Parks & Dogs Strategy identified Downtown as a high priority neighbourhood in need of new and renewed dog off-leash areas. As one of the most highly used OLAs in Vancouver, it is essential to improve the Emery Barnes OLA to withstand frequent and heavy use. Due to a growing population of dogs in Downtown, an expansion of the OLA is also being proposed in order to further accommodate the high number of dogs using this space.

The following information in the PPD strategy helped to identify Emery Barnes Park as an off-leash area in need of renewal:

• Prioritize under-served and densely populated neighbourhoods
• Downtown was identified as a high priority neighbourhood
• Provide access to neighbourhood dog off-leash areas within an approximate 15 minute walk of most Vancouver residents
• Provide a variety of dog off-leash areas
• Compatibility with existing park uses

Given the limited space in the downtown core for new off-leash areas, it is important to renew and enhance existing facilities to accommodate the growing number of dogs in the city. With your feedback, we hope to create a safe and engaging park space for people with and without dogs.