Dogs at Crescent Beach

I am writing this to see if anyone else is frustrated and angry about Surrey's no dogs at Crescent Beach bylaw from May 15 - Sept 15.  I contacted Surrey Parks and Rec to confirm where my dog was allowed.  Dogs are allowed in Blackie Spit Park and east of there, including off-leash at the dog park and dog beach.  They are not allowed on the Wickson pier or west of the pier, all the way around the beach past where the walking path ends and then goes to the Christopherson Steps.  According to the person I spoke to, it’s both the walking path and the beach that dogs are not allowed.  I asked why and she said it was about limiting traffic and nothing about dogs!

I asked who I could submit a complaint to and she said I could tell her.  This is what I said:

1.  Why is Crescent Beach the only park in Surrey that doesn’t allow people to walk their leashed dogs?   I imagine if any other community park said no dogs for 1/3 of the year the locals would not stand for it.   I am a local at Crescent Beach, my car is parked there regardless.

2. Why doesn’t Crescent Beach get the same arrangement as White Rock, dogs are now allowed on the promenade until 9 a.m. during the summer?  

3. Why May 15 for a dog cut-off date when kids are in school to the end of June?

4. I pointed out to her that locals can only walk their dogs up and down asphalt streets and lanes in the heat of summer - this is no good for the dogs or the walker.

5. I am a senior and walking my dog at the beach is good for my health.  I get fresh air, socialize with people I meet, and exercise to keep me healthy.

6. I pointed out that this rule is keeping families, people wanting a healthy walk for themselves and their dog away from Crescent Beach.  It really isn’t discouraging traffic.

I find it interesting the Surrey By-law officers ride around on their carts giving tickets to people for walking their dogs, but there doesn’t seem to be any By-laws handing out tickets for parking infractions.  Tonight I headed along McBride and had to walk on the road as cars were parked on the new gravel “sidewalks”.  If you feel the same as me, please contact Surrey Parks and Rec and voice your complaint.  Hopefully there are enough of us that we can make a difference.

I thought that Susan made some valid points about the exclusion of dogs at Crescent Beach, especially after learning it was more for crowd control than dog control.  For comparison, here are the rules now in place for White Rock as taken off the City website at https://www.whiterockcity.ca/799/Dogs-in-White-Rock .

Dogs at the Waterfront

• Leashed dogs are allowed on the Promenade from 5:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. from April 1 to September 30

• Leashed dogs are allowed on the Promenade any time between October 1 to March 31

• Dogs are NOT allowed on the White Rock Pier at anytime

• Dogs are permitted on the beach with a leash of less than two metres. The Wildlife Act does not allow off-leash dogs on the beach

The Province of B.C. has jurisdiction for the beach, which is part of the Boundary Bay Wildlife Management Area.  The beach is a critical, internationally significant habitat for year-round, migrating and wintering waterfowl populations, along with important fish and marine mammal habitat.  Violations can be reported 24/7 to the Report All Poachers and Polluters (RAPP) hotline at 1-877-952-7277.

Dogs Pet-iquette 

• Dogs in White Rock must be leashed and licenced

• Owners walking their dogs must pick up after them and dispose of the feces in garbage cans

• Dogs should have up-to-date vaccines

• Dogs are allowed on-leash in most parks year-round

• Dogs can go off-leash in the off-leash dog park located in Ruth Johnson Park

What I do find mystifying about the difference between these two cities with dogs at the waterfront is that logically White Rock would make more sense to ban dogs in the summer.  The reason is that when the tide is in, there is no beach, only a line of rip-rap rocks in most locations.  The Promenade has a grassy strip where people can lay down on, if they don't mind sharing the same area where countless dogs have gone pee or poo  Even if properly cleaned up, the poop often leaves a residue and the pee  waters and fertilizes the lawn.  I have seen people sitting down on the ground and leaning against the trees there, which is something I would ever do.

At Crescent beach the walkway from the Wickson Pier to the end of Maple St. is well defined and the lawns by the houses are not an area where people usually put down a blanket and suntan or have a picnic.  Crescent Beach always has a sandy beach available in most areas regardless of the tide and these could easily be kept for people and not for pets.  This would also include the stretch of shoreline from the end of the walkway to the Christopherson Steps that is part of the marine park.  If White Rock can have dogs on the promenade in the mornings, I see no reason why Surrey could not easily do the same in Crescent Beach.  Just like in White Rock, or San Clemente for that matter, keep the pier in Crescent Beach off limit for dogs as well.

It would be interesting to see this topic discussed on the many community social media sites we have for the South Surrey and White Rock region.  I hope I'm not barking up the wrong tree, but I'd like to hear what other residents have to say about this issue.  Knowing how pugnacious this dog-gone topic can be, I'd expect some lively conversation that will really get the fur flying.  I have a few items to discuss with my contact at the Surrey Parks Dept. this week and will make sure to add this idea to the list.  

Naturally yours, 

Don Pitcairn.

I wish to acknowledge we live work and play on the traditional lands of the Semiahmoo People