Photo of Authors
Please note that the photo of the authors which appears in the book and on these web pages was taken by the same photographer who took the cover photo;
Marcel Williams.

BURNABY

Barnet Marine Park Park No. 1 City of Burnaby Parks & Recreation has recently designated two more (seasonal) off-leash areas. The first is at Barnet Marine Park. Here an old road follows the shore, with a fence on the upper side where the train tracks are. Off-Leash October 1st to March 31st.
Fraser Foreshore Park Park No. 5 The second is at Burnaby's Fraser Foreshore Park. It is not the same as the trial off-leash area on the west end of the main trail at this park, but a section of grass near the parking lots. Note that there are picnic tables right below this area and that your dog is not allowed there. Off-Leash October 1st to March 31st.

NORTH VANCOUVER

North Shore Mountain Trails
Should read; for the western part of the Baden-Powell see under this heading in West Vancouver.

The Grouse Grind
Park No.  54
No, of course you canít do the Grouse Grind in 30 minutes. But if you take your dog, you are not allowed at the top and thus must turn back half way or so. Frankly I didnít get too finicky on the trail time here (or anywhere else in the book for that matter; as I said, people travel at markedly different speeds). Beyond making sure you get back before dark, only jocks actually clock themselves on a trail. The rest of us are (hopefully) trying to enjoy the scenery and our dogs. Frankly, I really didnít really think anyone would be going on this trail with their dog after reading the entry. Itís an outdoor stairmaster, for crying out loud!
As for the sign at the bottom of the mountain, the inside scoop is that the Grouse Mountain folk just donít want dogs on the developed portion of the mountain, which is at the top. But it would be silly for them to tell you this after you hiked up the hill with your dog, wouldnít it?

Rice Lake Road Trail / Varley Trail
Park No. 72
On page 124 I refer to the Rice Lake Road Trail as being beside the Seymour River. It is not, of course, but follows the banks of Lynn Creek. This trail has been officially named since the publication of the book. It is now a section of the Varley Trail, named after one of the Group of Seven Painters who used to live in an old house on Rice Lake Road. The Varley Trail includes the section mentioned in the book, which has been vastly improved, then travels through the Lynn Headwaters Park along a trail that goes into the Seymour Demonstration Forest and past Rice Lake (dogs prohibited) to the parking lot, then over the footbridge back to Rice Lake Road. There is enormous confusion as to which areas of this trail are off-leash. Different people from different levels of various organizations have different stories. I would say that the section described in the book as the Rice Lake Road Trail is still safely off-leash. Lynn Headwaters is officially on-leash, although unofficially I've heard from people that the rangers won't hassle you on the trail to Rice Lake. Seymour Demo Forest is just plain confused (see below).

Seymour Demonstration Forest / Lower Seymour Conservation Reserve
Park No. 73
Lately the Lower Seymour Conservation Reserve (formerly the Seymour Demonstration Forest) has instigated a program where dog owners volunteer to patrol the area for off-leash and poop violations. It's a nice, non-confrontational (hopefully) way of trying to get dog-walkers in line without handing out tickets. However, to confuse matters, in an article in the North Shore News, the reserve Manager Mike Mayers is quoted as having "...said the reserve is not designated 'off-leash', but said people may choose to let their dogs off the leash if they are capable of controlling the dog from a distance."

I'm confused. Anybody else? Please try not to bark at the volunteers if one hassles you about being off-leash. (If they get after you for not scooping poop then you deserve it). They are just trying to keep the GVRD from kicking dogs out entirely. Just say that "Mike said it was OK."
 

RICHMOND
In addition to the off-leash trails mentioned in the book, Richmond is in the process of zoning several more parks off-leash.

McDonald Beach Park
Park Number 84
Please note that the parking lot is NOT off-leash. Common sense people! No parking lot is a good place to let your dog run loose. Apparently there have been some unfortunate accidents in this lot, however. Another concern is that people sunbathe here. Scuttlebutt is that if there are too many problems, dogs will be the ones to lose out, so try and not harass the suntanners.

Shell Road Trail,
Park Number 89
Use extreme caution when letting your dog run free on this trail. Every few blocks a major road crosses this trail.

Old Cambie School Field.
This is a new park for the book. More on this any day now.

McCallan Road.
Another new park. More on this any day now.

Vacant Lot on Thompson Road east of Hwy. 91.
Another new park. More on this any day now.
 

SURREY
Semiahmoo Park
At the time I was researching this book the Semiahmoo Native Band had just taken over this park, which used to be leased to the municipality, and a sign had been posted informing all that there was no access to this park. I am glad I simply left it out of the book, because sure enough, things have calmed down and dog walkers are apparently making good use of this park, which sports a beach. There is still a problem with dogs not being officially allowed on the beach, however.
 

VANCOUVER
Vancouver Parks Board is expanded their policy of allowing dogs off-leash "early & late".
Here is a list of the parks they are looking at. Note that this list is unofficial at the moment.
Watch for signage telling you that the park has been officially declared off-leash, and for what times.
 

Park	Off Leash Times	Where	Comments
37th Avenue and Oak Street Park	6 am to 8 am and 5 pm to 10 pm	Why, 37th & Oak, of course.
Balaclava Park	6 am to 10 am and 5 pm to 10 pm	See book.	This one is in the book. It was part of the original trial run.
Burrard View	6 am to 10 am and 5 pm to 10 pm	Off Wall Street, just west of New Brighton Park.
Charleson Park	6 am to 10 am and 5 pm to 10 pm	See book.	This one is in the book. New off-leash regulations.
Connaught Park	6 am to 10 am and 5 pm to 10 pm	12th & Vine
Coopers Park	6 am to 10 am and 5 pm to 10 pm	Pacific Blvd. under Cambie bridge
Falaise Park	6 am to 10 am and 5 pm to 10 pm	Rupert & Grandview Hwy.
Fraser River Park  (formerly Marine Drive Foreshore Park)	6 am to 10 am and 5 pm to 10 pm	See book.	This one is in the book, listed under Marine Drive Foreshore Park. New off-leash regulations.
George Park	6 am to 10 am and 5 pm to 10 pm	George & 65th (off Fraser & Marine)
Heather Park	Heather Park	19th & Heather
Hillcrest Park	6 am to 10 am and 5 pm to 10 pm	See book.	This one is in the book. It was part of the original trial run.
Jones Park	6 am to 10 am and 5 pm to 10 pm	Victoria & 38th
Killarney Park	6 am to 10 am and 5 pm to 10 pm	See book.	This one is in the book. It was part of the original trial run.
Kingscrest Park	6 am to 10 am and 5 pm to 10 pm	27th & Knight
Locarno Beach	6 am to 10 am and 5 pm to 10 pm	This park is the beach just west of Jericho.
Musqueam Park	6 am to 10 am and 5 pm to 10 pm	See book.	This one is in the book. New off-leash regulations.
Nelson Park	6 am to 8 am and 5 pm to 10 pm	See book.	This one is in the book. It was part of the original trial run.
Portside Park	6 am to 10 am and 5 pm to 10 pm	On the waterfront just east of the seabus terminal. Access the ramp at the foot of Main St., follow it as it curves to the left, turn right (west). Watch out for no parking signs, the big lot is reserved for buses and such.	There is a lawn and a beach, but the dog-walkers I spoke to there said the water was really dirty.
Quilchena Embankment	6 am to 10 am and 5 pm to 10 pm	33rd & Pine
Spanish Bank (West of Concession)	6 am to 10 am and 5 pm to 10 pm	This park is the beach just west of Locarno, just west of Jericho.
Sparwood Park	6 am to 10 am and 5 pm to 10 pm	Arlington, south of 49th
Sunrise Park	6 am to 10 am and 5 pm to 10 pm	Rupert & 5th
Sunset Park	6 am to 10 am and 5 pm to 10 pm	Main & 53rd
Tecumseh Park	6 am to 10 am and 5 pm to 10 pm	45th & Bruce
Trout Lake Park  (North End of Park Between Parking Lot and Lake)	24 hours/day	See book.	This one is in the book. New off-leash regulations.
Valdez Park	6 am to 10 am and 5 pm to 10 pm	22nd west of Balaclava
Vanier Park (West of Maritime Museum Parking Lot)	6 am to 10 am and 5 pm to 10 pm	See book.	This one is in the book. New off-leash regulations.

While the above hours are subject to change, site signage will identify park specific information to ensure the public is aware of the rules related to the program.
 

WEST VANCOUVER
Typographic error. Ambleside Beach is an open-air ocean-side walk, not an open-air, ocean sidewalk.