Barrie’s two off-leash dog parks aren’t just for our canine friends.
“We don’t have to worry about people approaching who are not fans of dogs,” said Barrie resident Tamika Orser, with her friend Andrew Reddish, at Sunnidale Park, after leaving the fenced-in pooch area with Tia, her 10-year-old Labrador-Newfoundland mix.
“And she can get proper exercise,” said Reddish.
“It’s just that it’s such a nice area,” Orser said. “It’s such a treat for her.”
Nevertheless, it was their first time at the Sunnidale Park dog off-leash recreation area, as the city calls it.
Jason Ellis, also of Barrie, has visited there many times with Sully and Tim, who are about four years old.
“I love it,” he said of the area. “It was a life-saver during COVID. The dogs needed to get out for a run.”
Both are rescue dogs, Ellis said, Sully from northern Ontario and Tim from Barbados, and are well-suited to the park.
“I haven’t had any issues,” he said. “My dogs are pretty well behaved. These two are sweethearts.
“Usually your dogs are pretty good or you don’t bring them to a dog park,” Ellis added.
Barrie has two dog off-leash recreation areas — one at Sunnidale Park, between Coulter Street and Sunnidale Road, and the second at 555 Bayview Dr., to the north and east of Sadlon Arena.
The Sunnidale Park off-leash area is 7.15 acres of natural, rolling setting with earth footpaths. It is double-gated with four-foot high wire mesh fencing. In 2020, the city completed upgrades to trails, added two permanent bridges and new benches, and co-ordinated the regeneration and restoration of vegetation and soil.
The Bayview Drive off-leash park offers two separate, fenced areas. One quarter-acre area is reserved for small dogs, to a maximum weight limit of 30 pounds. The other 1.8-acre area is open to all dogs regardless of size or weight.
Dogs are also permitted off-leash here in the natural area beyond the pens. Perimeter fencing is installed, but the area is not secure due to gaps under the fence line, as a result of uneven terrain, overland water flows and movements of small animals.
These off-leash areas are not supervised facilities. People and dogs visiting Barrie’s dog off-leash recreation areas do so at their own risk.
Owners will be held liable for all actions of their dogs, which must be leashed when entering and exiting the off-leash areas.
Owners must be present, with a leash for each dog, and in view of their dog or dogs at all times.
For more information, click here.
