Regina’s off-leash parks a welcome reprieve from pandemic for dog owners

The City of Regina opened the gates at its two year-round dog parks this weekend, to the delight of pet owners itching to get out during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I guarantee it. One hundred per cent, you get out there, you just feel alive. Instead of sitting there going, ‘what am I going to do,'” said Rick Balch, at the Cathy Lauritsen Memorial Off-Leash Park.

While seasonal dog parks remain closed, the Cathy Lauritsen Memorial and Ross Industrial off-leash parks were opened on May 15.

It has been a long wait for Breanna Wouters, whose dogs have been cooped up.

“We live in an apartment so our two big dogs are always running around. It’s nice to let them run free here,” Wouters said.

“It just refreshes the brain. Because you get all those cobwebs in your head and then you come outside and you’re like, finally it’s nice out here.”

Public health measures remain in effect. There’s signage reminding users to practice physical distancing of two metres, avoid touching surfaces like fences, benches and handrails and to stay home if sick.

But for Samantha Barden, it was still good to get out. She’s a newly-employed nurse who started working just as the pandemic began.

“I don’t really know what normal is. This is normal to me so it’s kind of weird,” Barden said about her job so far.

“My routine has been just work and then going home and it’s kind of boring. So it’s nice to be out, even though we’re still social distancing, just seeing people out and not being alone.”

Residents will soon have more places to go to, as Phase 2 of the province’s plan to re-open the economy starts on Tuesday. Personal services and retailers will be allowed to resume services.

The mood at the park was optimistic.

“I do have some concerns because it’s not very far away where we do have some numbers,” said Rhonda Garratt.

“Overall, I’m feeling confident that people around us here in Regina are doing what they can to keep people safe. We do care about each other and that is one thing we’ve got going for us. We’re a caring community and we want make sure everybody’s safe here.”