By David Carrigg
Staff writer

The Greater Vancouver Regional District is considering inviting businesses to help fund Pacific Spirit Regional Park through ventures such as a restaurant.

The plan emerged during last weekend’s workshop examining dogs running off-leash in the park, prompted by an attack last November in which an off-leash dog in the care of a licensed professional dog walker attacked a horse and rider.

Last year, 17 professional dog walking businesses paid a $25 fee to use the park, though some park users have complained no one should be allowed to use public parks to conduct business.

But Richard Hankin, manager of regional parks, said the GVRD is looking for more opportunities to bring money into its regional parks. Other commercial enterprises may eventually be allowed to operate as "visitor services," including a restaurant in Pacific Spirit Park. A revenue development sub-committee has formed to come up with money-making plans such as food service, accommodation and eco-tourism, although the sub-committee has not yet come up with specific plans

Hankin said commercialization of GVRD parks is the most difficult issue the parks board has had to deal with, though a small amount of money is already raised through the professional dog walkers, renting parks buildings and permitting movie shoots. "There is not a lot of comfort level with this; it’s a thorny issue, but the concept is approved by the GVRD," said Hankin.

The GVRD now spends $17 million yearly on 23 parks, but more money is needed to maintain existing parks and add new ones to the system, said Hankin. The GVRD will have to contribute $8.4 million if the provincial government strikes a deal to buy part of Burns Bog.

Plans to open the parks for business have prompted anger from people like Terry Slack, a founding member of the Save the Endowment Lands Committee, who argues taxpayers would be willing to pay an extra few dollars to avoid commercialization in GVRD parks.

"The commercial dog walker issue is allowing the GVRD to address what they were going to anyway. It’s the tip of the iceberg," said Slack.

Gayle Martin, chair of the GVRD regional parks committee, said the GVRD does not want to follow the Vancouver Park Board’s corporate sponsorship policy that gives corporations like Coke and Kodak exclusive rights to sell their wares in city parks.

Meanwhile, Mitch Sokalski, superintendent for west area parks, said nine temporary licences have been issued to professional dog-walking companies this year for a fee of $25, pending the outcome of the review.

Licensed dog walkers are allowed to bring eight dogs into the park, including up to six off-leash. Sokalski has previously recommended that the number of dogs allowed off-leash in the park be reduced to two and the permit fee be upped to $600. The Vancouver Professional Dog Walkers Alliance is opposed to restricting the number of dogs allowed in the park off-leash to fewer than six.