Long Lake Provincial Park Documents

1. Which law or regulation or policy stipulates that dogs must be on a leash at Long Lake?

Long Lake Provincial Park is designated under the Provincial Parks Act. Section 24(1)(a) of the Regulations adopted pursuant to the Act states: "No person who owns or is in control of a domestic animal shall permit it to be at large in a park." Section 24(2) expands on this: "For the purpose of subsection (1), a domestic animal is deemed to be at large unless the animal is on a leash which does not exceed six feet in length and which is handheld or securely tied and restricts the animal from running loose."

2. Assuming there is such a law, is it true that this law has not until recently been enforced at Long Lake?

This law has not been enforced until recently at Long Lake Provincial Park (see #3).

3. Assuming the law hasn't been enforced, what happened to cause DNR to decide to enforce it now?

Until the last year or so DNR staff had a very limited staff presence at Long Lake Provincial Park as no facilities or services were provided and public use was not promoted. With the significant increase in park usage in recent years, however (due in part to the new parking lot constructed by HRM and the growth of new residential development in the immediate vicinity), the Department felt it necessary to increase patrols there. With that increased presence, enforcement staff became aware of the numbers of people who were in violation of the Parks Act with respect to off-leash dogs.

4. If there were complaints from the public about dogs being off-leash, how many were there?

I am not sure whether or not there were complaints about off-leash dogs. Irrespective, however, staff have an obligation to enforce regulations when they are aware of non-compliance.

5. Assuming it's correct that DNR has only recently decided to enforce that particular law at Long Lake, what steps did DNR take to advise the public that a policy change was imminent?

DNR staff posted signs and spoke with a number of people advising of the requirement to have dogs on leash.

6. Is the enforcement of the leash law related, in any way, to development of a park management plan?

The enforcement of the leash law is in no way related to the development of a park management plan. It is simply a matter of an increased staff presence at the park and the consequent enforcement of existing regulations.

Hon. Richard Hurlburt
Minister of Natural Resources
1701 Hollis Street, 3rd floor
PO Box 698
Halifax NS B3J 2T9

Dear Minister:

Re: Off-Leash Dog-Walking – Long Lake Provincial Park

As you know, I have been contacted by a number of citizens from all over HRM who are concerned about your Department's recent decision to enforce the "dogs must be on a leash" rule at Long Lake Provincial Park. The most-used portion of that park is in my constituency.

My understanding is that your Department is holding or is contemplating discussions with the Halifax Regional Municipality about whether Long Lake, or some other suitable place, can be designated as an off-leash area. Such a designation would be most welcome to the many dog-owners who have for years been using Long Lake as an off-leash area.

I would be obliged if you could advise me of the status of any discussions and when you expect a resolution to this issue.

Yours sincerely,
Graham Steele, MLA
Halifax Fairview

Dear Mr. Steele:

Thank you for your letter of November 7, 2003 regarding the issue of off-leash dogs at Long Lake Provincial Park.

Long Lake Provincial Park is designated under the Provincial Parks Act. Section 24(2) of the Regulations pursuant to that Act requires that dogs in a provincial park be on a leash which does not exceed 6 feet in length. This provision is included in our Regulations for a variety of reasons, including the desire to protect wildlife from free-roaming dogs, concerns from non-dog owners who sometimes feel intimidated by dogs on the loose, and the desire to better ensure dog excrement is picked up by the owner.

In recent years, it has become a significant challenge for this Department to manage the increasing number of people visiting Long Lake Provincial Park. In response to the increased usage, DNR enforcement staff have begun more frequent patrols within the park. Due to the above-noted concerns about the impact off-leash dogs may have on park values, and given that the law requires dogs to be on a leash within a provincial park, staff felt it necessary to begin to advise park users of the provisions of the Parks Act as they relate to off-leash dogs.

Staff are currently working with the Long Lake Provincial Park Association to develop a management plan for the park. The plan will address a number of management issues, including off-leash dogs.

Thank you for your continued interest in this matter.

Yours sincerely,

Richard Hurlburt
Minister

Hi Susan. I've just left a voicemail for you, so you can ignore this message if you've already replied.

I saw the news release today on provincial parks. By coincidence, a constituent inquired today about the status of Long Lake Provincial Park, which is partly in my constituency. The "Park Closed" signs are still up.

I was wondering what you could tell me about the status of Long Lake, and what needs to happen before it's re-opened. Any information you can offer would be much appreciated.

Best regards,
Graham Steele, MLA
Halifax Fairview

Hello Mr. Steele,

In response to your question about Long Lake, we have no large scale clean up plans at the moment as we are working our way through our developed and managed parks. We have carried out some work to secure the water control structures. As a result we will be leaving the closed signs up because we haven't had an opportunity to go through and assess the property and damage from the hurricane.

Susan Mader Zinck
Communications Advisor
Department of Natural Resources

Thanks for the information, Susan. Since Long Lake does not have a management plan, our fear is that it will remain closed indefinitely, perhaps for a very long time. I was wondering if DNR can offer even an approximate timetable for the assessment and possible consequences? Any information would be helpful.

Best regards,
Graham

Susan passed this on to me to ensure you receive a timely response.

We have not set a specific timeline for the assessment, however, I suspect we will conduct one as soon as our resources allow, hopefully over the next couple of months. Until that is completed it is impossible to provide any comment as to the consequences.

Hope this helps.

Harold Carroll