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Skiers let dogs run free, too

River Bend Golf and Recreation Area is not exclusively for the use of golfers in the summer, nor is it exclusively for the use of skiers in the winter! It is a 420-acre public parkland jewel in the Red Deer River Valley and we believe there is room for everyone in Red Deer, and indeed in Alberta and beyond, to find enjoyment at year round.

River Bend Golf and Recreation Area is not exclusively for the use of golfers in the summer, nor is it exclusively for the use of skiers in the winter! It is a 420-acre public parkland jewel in the Red Deer River Valley and we believe there is room for everyone in Red Deer, and indeed in Alberta and beyond, to find enjoyment at year round.

It is true that Red Deer Nordic Ski Club members volunteer countless hours and club equipment in the winter months to set tracks on the property, in collaboration with our management and staff. It is also true that nordic skiers this year, for the first year in several years, are being asked to pay a day or season pass fee to offset some of the operational costs associated with having the parkland and clubhouse open in the winter for everyone’s use. Those fees do not, however, come close to covering all the costs of clearing roads and parking areas, maintaining clubhouse access and services, keeping lights on in the parking lots and on the grounds in the evenings, or providing bathroom services for park users.

I think it is appropriate that Brian Johnson has asked in his recent letter to the editor for those who do use the park in the winter months to respect the hundreds of hours that go into setting and maintaining the tracks by not walking on or across those tracks. The set tracks themselves are less than a foot wide, so if it becomes necessary to cross them, a stride over them rather than on them does not seem too much to ask and indeed is the respectful thing to do.

It is also true, however, that in the three years I have managed the nordic ski season at River Bend, the biggest abusers of the “dogs on-leash only” bylaw of this public park have been nordic skiers, whether members of the nordic ski clubs in the city or not, who allow their dogs to run freely while they are skiing with family and friends on the property.

Whether skiers or otherwise, park users need to remember that, year round, this park is designated as a “dogs on-leash only” area and those who choose to ignore the law and the signage are subject to hefty fines under City of Red Deer bylaws for the common usage and enjoyment of this public parkland.

One of the greatest pleasures to be found at River Bend is the abundance of wildlife that can be seen using this corridor of the Red Deer River. Allowing dogs to roam freely in such an area is disrespectful of fellow park users, irresponsible in the care of both the dog and the wildlife, and potentially negligent and dangerous if encounters with wildlife are agitated into aggressive reactions.

I believe a retractable leash gives a dog ample freedom to roam within a care-and-control distance from its master and is not too much to ask of dog owners who would like to enjoy River Bend with their canine companions.

Keeping dogs off the set ski tracks is not too much to ask either.

I think it is not appropriate, however, for Brian to encourage others who enjoy the fantastic Waskasoo Park System available to the citizens of Red Deer and the surrounding region to go elsewhere and to feel in any way unwelcome here at the River Bend Golf and Recreation Area. This parkland area is for everyone’s enjoyment and I am a firm believer that, through respect for one another’s uses of it, it can become an even more well-utilized and vibrant winter playground for the people of Red Deer! There is lots of room on this property for skiers, snowshoe enthusiasts, hikers and dog walkers to enjoy the parklands in harmony with one another.

The solution is a simple one — when you are at River Bend, regardless of how you are enjoying the parkland, remember that you are only one of tens of thousands of people who come to enjoy this parkland gem every year. Respect your fellow park patrons, do not take risks by disturbing or endangering the wildlife, and use the parkland responsibly by being unobtrusive and non-abusive when you are here. I believe that is not too much to ask of all Friends of River Bend, regardless of your activity of choice!

River Bend Golf and Recreation Area has just celebrated its 25th Anniversary and we are excited about the years ahead! We are looking for ways to encourage more people in Red Deer to enjoy the amenities this public parkland has to offer year round. Toward that aim, this winter we are offering a skating rink, located on the pond, just north of the Discovery Canyon concession building. An area has been cleared for shinny hockey and another area has been cleared for skating. The trail that has been cleared to the pond starts at the northwest corner of the clubhouse parking lot.

The River Bend clubhouse is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily to warm up in or to use the bathrooms. We also offer banquet and private function booking space throughout the year for families, organizations or companies that want to share a meal or spend a day in this winter wonderland environment. So, in this holiday season, come one, come all, and enjoy together, and respectfully of one another, the beauty that is abundant throughout the 420 acres that is the River Bend Golf and Recreation Area!

If anyone has an inquiry, concern, comment or accolade they would like to convey to me, to the staff, or to the board of directors of the River Bend Golf and Recreation Society, I welcome them to contact me.

I know Brian from having worked with him on a few events at River Bend now and I am certain that his heart is in the right place. He cares, as do many of us, about this awesome public parkland. If everyone enhanced their decorum when using the park I am sure that Brian and others who share his frustration will feel much less cause for it and we can expand the multitude of possible uses for this recreation area without ruffling one another’s feathers or stepping on the skier’s tracks!

Andrew Gilchrist

General Manager/COO

River Bend Golf and Recreation Society

Red Deer