Change the dog park into a kids’ park in Highlands

Garibaldi Highland resident, Nikki Johnston Beaudoin, recently wrote to the Mayor and council about converting the dog park on Glacier View Drive into a kids’s park. 

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​I am a resident of Garibaldi Highlands, and I am writing to ask you to re-consider the intended use of the existing dog park on Glacier View Drive which seems to align well with the 2019-2022 Strategic Plan priority to “connect citizens through facilities, programs and gathering spaces to create community”.

Like many young couples in this town, I recently had a baby in September 2019. Since then, I have spent many hours walking Glacier Drive with our son, and have noticed that most of the time, the dog park is empty.

Seldom I have noticed a person there with a dog, and sometimes families are in there, allowing their kids to run around. As you are aware, there are no playgrounds in the Highlands, off Thunderbird Ridge.​​

As our son has grown and we have started to seek out playgrounds since they have reopened, it is apparent that existing playgrounds in the Highlands are inconvenient to walk to, whether it is at Quest, Porcupine Park, Jura Park or Braemar park.

I know many other parents and care takers in our neighbourhood make the trek down to these parks with their kids just so they can bring them to a playground.

For this reason, I would like to propose that the existing dog park at Glacier View Drive be considered as the site of a new playground.

It would allow the families in the Highlands, who live off Thunderbird Ridge, to be within closer walking distance to a playground. Not only would this be convenient, but I sincerely believe that it would improve social connections in our neighbourhood, which as we know due to Covid-19, are crucial to the health and well-being of our communities.

In addition, I believe a playground on Glacier View would transform the existing dog park into a frequently utilized space. I know many of the families on Thunderbird, Tobermory, and Glacier View would absolutely love to have an inclusive and accessible playground within a reasonable walking distance to their homes. (I also believe that many of the dog owners I see in the neighbourhood walking their dogs do so in the woods off the access road on upper Thunderbird, as do I.)

While we love our neighbours and neighbourhood here on Tobermory, it would be wonderful to have a social and play-filled destination in the Highlands that contributes to the walkability and social connectivity of our neighbourhood.

After reviewing the District’s Strategic Plan, it seems that this request aligns with the priority to increase multipurpose utilization of space assets and public spaces. With this in mind, I would like to propose that some allocated funds be considered for this project in the 2021 budget for playground improvements. As a Squamish resident, I truly believe that one of its best attributes is its “small town, big heart” quality. I think that residents, both young and old, would appreciate the opportunity to play and interact closer to home, helping us grow our “heart” in the Highlands.