Community pressure continues to mount over the future use of Field 3 at the Chemainus Ball Park as dog owners and baseball advocates remain divided on how the space should be used in the off-season.
At its March 19 meeting, North Cowichan council received a petition requesting that Field 3 remain an off-leash dog park during the off-season (Sept. 1 to March 15).
There was no discussion on the issue as council does not vote on petitions when they are first presented, but several residents addressed it during the public input period.
Kathleen Hepburn from Ladysmith said she is a former longtime resident of Chemainus and Saltair. Speaking to council, Hepburn noted that she, her husband and their daughter have all been involved with the Chemainus and District Baseball Association (CDBA) for many years. Her daughter now volunteers as a coach with the organization.
Hepburn asked council to consider that both parents and dog owners are taxpayers and urged the addition of new community resources, rather than reallocating existing ones. She argued the park was built specifically for baseball and proposed that council consider an alternate location for the dog park.
Victoria Mahon is the vice-president of the CDBA. Mahon acknowledged the importance of a dedicated dog park but maintained, “our ball field is not the right location for this.” She noted that the CDBA is growing and their season is expanding from March through to the end of October and, possibly, into early November, weather permitting.
“The reality is that, even with responsible pet ownership, you can never fully remove all fecal matter from the grass,” Mahon said. “And while clean-up efforts are made, one thing that rarely gets mentioned is the urine. It too is not something we want our children to touch and is untraceable in the grass and in the infield. Our players dive, slide and spend hours on this field.”
Crofton resident MJ Kronberg emphasized the value of baseball and sports in developing children's motor skills, fitness, teamwork, discipline, confidence and sportsmanship. She took a different approach to convincing council that the dog park should be relocated.
“I ask that we not embarrass Chemainus again by having a repeat of fall 2024 when somebody let their dogs run loose during a baseball game because it was after Sept. 1,” Kronberg said. “And what happened in 2018 when a community in Chemainus made the news for not wanting children to play outside a quiet residential area.”
Jon Aaron Hop Wo is the president of the CDBA and his family has a long history with the ball park, playing baseball there from the early 1960s. His uncle, Larry Hop Wo, was president of the CDBA for decades before Jon Aaron took on the role in 2022.
Hop Wo told council that the land the Chemainus Baseball Park sits on was donated to the district in 1965 by MacMillan Bloedel with the stipulation that it be used primarily for baseball. He said documentation of this agreement has been lost so can no longer be verified. A dog owner himself, Hop Wo said an ideal outcome would be a year-round dog park elsewhere in Chemainus.
Paulette Chamberlain presented the petition that was started by fellow dog park user Michele Yeoman. The petition had collected 299 signatures and requested that dog park use of Field 3 be retained for the off-season, from Sept. 1 through March 15 each year.
Chamberlain expressed concerns on behalf of dog park users that their access to Field 3 would be reduced or that, if the dog park were relocated, the new space would be drastically reduced in size. She stressed that size matters when it comes to dog parks, with sufficient space needed so dogs can run and chase and so that dogs of varying sizes, ages and abilities can have enough space to interact safely. She added that the space also supports social interaction among dog owners.
Chamberlain noted that the current dog park location offers established parking, access to water, a safely enclosed area and regular maintenance as it falls under the care of North Cowichan Parks staff and is already part of their routine service route. Users fear these features would be lost if the dog park is moved. Chamberlain described the dog park as “an integral part of our Chemainus community.”
While the petition was not voted on, the matter was reflected in the 2025-2029 Financial Plan Bylaw No. 3996 which was voted on at the March 19 meeting. The budget includes a $20,000 allocation to explore relocation options, factoring in accessibility, infrastructure needs and community input.
The bylaw, which received three readings on March 5, was adopted on March 19 by a majority of council, with councillors Bruce Findlay and Tek Manhas opposed. Next steps will include a staff-led assessment of potential dog park sites, guided by community feedback.
