EDITORIAL – Please, no dog park at the McArthur Island golf course

An ArmchairMayor.ca editorial by Mel Rothenburger.

WHAT TO DO with the golf course on McArthur Island?

Owner Bill Bilton has decided to shut it down and end his lease with the City, which will hold open houses to get the public’s opinion on what to do with it.

Here’s my input: keep the grass mowed and the weeds pulled. That’s it.

I’ve heard the idea of a dog park mentioned. Do not, for heaven’s sake, put in a dog park. We have more than enough of them.

Whenever I drive by a dog park, there are at least a few people standing around as their dogs tear back and forth having a good old time.

But dog parks have problems. Dog-park violence is on the rise, and if it hasn’t happened here yet it’s no reason not to be concerned. Aggressive dogs are theoretically banned from Kamloops dog parks but who pays any attention to signs?

A Nova Scotia town has banned children under 12 from dog parks for their own safety, and for hygienic reasons.

So what about a nature park? Not a bad idea, but costly. If the place was kept tidy, and the golf-cart tracks maintained, it would be a swell place to walk around in and look at the Canada geese as they deposit their fertilizer everywhere.

If the City wants to spend money on giving people more places to be outside, how about extending walking trails, and doing something serious about bike lanes?

Bicycles are everywhere, but safety is a major concern as they compete with the automobile.

The Peterson Creek Multi-Use Pathway is an excellent project.

And maybe it’s time to renew the idea with the TIB of closing the loop on the Rivers Trail and extending it down the east side of the river between the Halston and Yellowhead Bridges.

Work on those things, but at the old golf course — just mow the grass and keep it green and tidy.

Mel Rothenburger’s Armchair Mayor editorials appear twice daily Mondays through Thursdays on CFJC- TV. His Armchair Mayor column is published Saturdays on ArmchairMayor.ca and CFJC Today. Contact him at mrothenburger@armchairmayor.ca.