An off-leash dog park with permanent fencing has opened at Peach Orchard Beach Park in Summerland.

The 0.4-hectare park had earlier been operating at the same location on a trial basis, with modular fencing in place.

 鈥淲hile we鈥檝e recognized the need for a large off-leash dog park for some time, it has been a challenge finding an ideal location given that the District only has a limited amount of suitable land,鈥� said Summerland mayor Doug Holmes.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 why we trialed the Peach Orchard Beach Park location on a temporary basis, and there鈥檚 no doubt it has proved popular with local dog owners. With the permanent fencing, the new dog park will be a great amenity for pet owners for years to come and make Summerland a more dog-friendly community.鈥�

The trial basis began in May 2023.

On June 11, council decided to establish the park as a permanent facility with black chain link fencing.

The municipality said the response from dog owners had been positive, but at times, the facility had been a divisive issue in Summerland.

Earlier in the year, when council was considering the future of the park, Robert Hacking of the Summerland Dog Owners鈥� Association said the park had been beneficial.

鈥淭he park brings our community together, and that is a very good thing,鈥� he said.

However, some who live near the park said the location was not appropriate.

鈥淭he noise from the park should not be tolerated any longer,鈥� Lisa Slizek told council in June. 鈥淭here are other areas where dog owners can go.鈥�

Holmes said public feedback on the location was mixed, with people strongly in favour and strongly opposed.

The park is now open for public use with winter hours from 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. An accessible pathway to the southeast entrance to the dog park will be added in 2025.

With the permanent dog park in place, dogs are no longer allowed off-leash outside of the fenced area. The south end of the park will remain open for general passive use and events.

In addition to the dog park, the municipality has upgraded the washroom building at Peach Orchard Beach Park with two accessible year-round washrooms. Future park upgrades include an improved volleyball court in 2025 and new playground equipment in 2026.

The dog park at Peach Orchard Beach Park is the third off-leash fenced park in Summerland. The first was the dog beach at Peach Orchard Beach Park, which has long been a feature in the community. The second was a 0.14-hectare park at the Dale Meadows Sports Complex. That park was installed in 2023, following a two-year trial.

While the Dale Meadows location is seen as something suitable for smaller dogs, council said the park at Peach Orchard Beach Park was created for larger dogs.