Perth's new dog park site has become a bone of contention

The site of Canada's last fatal duel is now the flashpoint for a new, somewhat less lethal dispute: whether it should house the first off-leash dog park in Perth, Ont.

Town council has been chewing on the idea of such a park since at least 2009, when a motion to study the feasibility of building one was defeated.

Five years later, the concept was approved in principle. Then this April, town staff issued a report that ranked seven potential locations owned by the community southwest of Ottawa.

Of the recommendations, one has stood out for dog lovers: a swath of land on the south side of Last Duel Park, where 23-year-old John Wilson shot and killed 20-year-old Robert Lyon on a sunny June morning, 190 years ago.

But according to the town's mayor, the park — prized by those dog lovers for being close to downtown — has a few metaphorical fleas.

"It's right beside the Tay River. And if you visit the park right now, a significant amount of it is underwater," said Mayor Judy Brown in an interview with CBC Radio's All In A Day last month.

"That would prevent the park being used as an off-leash dog park ... not only for when it's flooded, but when the land will be mushy."

The fact the land sits in a flood plain means it falls under the provincial Conservation Authorities Act, which limits what can be done to keep the water at bay, Brown added.

While those are valid observations, they also shouldn't disqualify the park, said Linda Anderson, secretary of the Perth Dog Park Committee.

"The last couple of weeks of flooding was fairly unusual, I think, for Perth. I've been here since 2013 and that's the highest I've seen it," Anderson said in her own interview with All In A Day earlier this week.

"And it's perfectly fine now. Our thought is that it would be dry and usable way more than it would be closed."

No perfect site

In its favour, Last Duel Park — in addition to being centrally located — is accessible for people with scooters or motorized wheelchairs and has ample shade and water, Anderson said.

The town's top choice, a few hectares of greenspace near Darou Farm, is on the town's outskirts and a known hangout for both ticks and bears, she added.

"Just a week ago, someone was out there and there was a mother bear and three cubs," she said. "It's not walkable."

What's more, Anderson said the committee — which will likely be asked to kick in half of the park's final cost, pegged at around $60,000 — has received several "significant pledge amounts," but only if they get Last Duel Park.

According to the staff report, the Darou Farm site scores highly for its dry soil and the fact that putting a dog park there won't create conflicts with other users, which could be the case at Last Duel Park.

Another problem with Last Duel, Brown said, is that it's surrounded on three sides by homeowners, many of whom don't want barking dogs in the immediate vicinity.

Brown admits none of the sites are perfect, and if the Darou Farm site — which comes up short for things like shade, water and electricity — is chosen, those who don't drive would be facing a "bit of a hike" to get there.

The town is currently soliciting feedback from residents, and people can fill out an online survey until 4 p.m. on May 17.

Council has committed to making a final decision by August, Brown said.