Editor:
I fail to see why Oppe Cosijn in his letter “Growth has led to negative human-wildlife interactions, not dogs off-leash” in the March 21 edition of the Outlook is so upset at receiving a fine for having a dog off leash while cross-country skiing when clearly not at an off-leash dog park.
Rules and bylaws are made for a reason, and this bylaw states in simple language that all pets must be kept on a leash unless at a designated off-leash dog park. The principal reason there are negative human-wildlife encounters in Canmore – and elsewhere for that matter – has nothing to do with what councils have decided in other matters, but is due to dog owners not obeying the rules.
Just because you want something doesn’t necessarily mean that you can have or do it. So the next time you visit Canmore, please respect our bylaws – and save yourself some money at the same time. And by the way, I am very pleased to note the increase in fines for off-leash dogs. Hopefully, this may help in time.
Susan Ediss,
Cochrane
