Canada Post stops delivery to Victoria neighbourhood over concerns about off-leash dogs
Residents living on the 1800-block of Gonzales Avenue have been without mail service for more than a month after Canada Post suspended delivery due to safety concerns about off-leash dogs.
When residents were notified by Canada Post of the service cut in early September, they were forced to travel almost six kilometres to the Canada Post sorting facility on Glanford Avenue in Saanich to get their mail.
The national postal service has since moved the pickup location to a Canada Post outlet on Fort Street which is more than 20 blocks away from their Fairfield neighbourhood.
“It is somewhat inconvenient, but in all honesty, we support the Canada Post on this issue because we see the unfenced dog area as unsafe for dog owners, children using the public pathway, and of course the postal people,” said Gonzales Avenue resident Margaret Kavanagh.
“We’ve never been told if a postie was actually bitten, but we assume something like that must have happened to have them feel unsafe,” she added.
Canada Post confirmed there is a health and safety concern regarding off-leash dogs at Pemberton Park.
“Our joint local and health safety team did visit the park and witnessed occasions when dogs were off-leash, which is a serious cause of concern for our delivery agents who deliver mail in the area," said Canada Post in an emailed statement.
“Many of our employees are dog lovers and dog owners, but they can still experience threatening dogs, bites and other injuries that can be quite serious," Canada Post said. "The reality is that it's impossible to know how any dog will react – protective, playful or otherwise – when our employees are delivering the mail."
'THE PARK HAS OPERATED THIS WAY FOR YEARS'
Kavanagh, who is a dog owner and lives across from Pemberton Park, says the issue of dogs running loose from the off-leash area can be remedied by fencing the park on the Gonzales Avenue side.
“I see the issue as the unfenced last 40 feet of Pemberton Park,” said Kavanagh. “We probably get one or two dogs in our front yard every few days, the owners are always apologetic, but the dogs can be distracted by a squirrel or something and they’re off.”
Kavanagh says she has spoken with dogs owners who would also like to see the off-leash park enclosed. She says they are concerned for their dogs' safety now that there is more traffic on Gonzales Avenue as a result of bike lanes being added to Richardson Street, which is adjacent to the park.
“What’s happened with westbound traffic at Richardson not being able to cross over at Foul Bay Road, we’re getting more car traffic on our street and that’s a worry for dog owners,” said Kavanagh. “Really all you need is 40 feet of chain-link fence.”
Kavanagh says she has written to the City of Victoria about fencing the Gonzales Avenue border of Pemberton Park. She says the only response she received was a form letter acknowledging her inquiry.
“I’m hopeful with Canada Post taking this stand maybe finally the fence will be finished,” she said.
CTV News reached out to the City of Victoria for comment on Canada Post’s safety concerns.
“This is the first we are hearing about concerns at this dog park," a city spokesperson said. "The park has operated this way for years.
“We understand that they are concerned about a perceived risk to the carrier of an off-leash dog leaving the park area or being in the area,” the city said in a statement. “To our knowledge, there has not been an aggressive incident of any kind.”
City staff say they are working with Canada Post towards a resolution to the safety concern in an effort to restore mail delivery to the affected residents on Gonzales Avenue.
“We have also worked closely with city representatives and animal control on this issue,” said Canada Post.
“We try not to fence up city parks, it’s not our first choice and can bring with it other barriers, particularly for people with disabilities,” the city said. “This dog off-leash area is also a general sports playing area and our goal is to make it as inviting as possible.”
City staff say that the 1800-block of Gonzales Avenue has not been identified as an area that requires fencing for the safety of dogs and people using the park.
For Kavanagh, if not getting her mail means the off-leash park can be made safe for all users, it's a price she is willing to pay.
“This is the reality of the way it is and I just have to make the best of the situation,” said Kavanagh. “I just want to move forward and help the postal people solve this problem.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction overturned by N.Y. appeals court
New York's highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction, reversing a landmark ruling of the #MeToo era in determining the trial judge improperly allowed women to testify about allegations against the ex-movie mogul that weren't part of the case.
BREAKING Honda to get up to $5B in govt help for EV battery, assembly plants
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment that is banned at Queen’s Park.
CTE: Researchers believe widespread brain injury may contribute to veteran suicide rate
Researchers are working to better understand if some Canadian military veterans may be suffering from Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, also known as CTE -- a disorder previously found in the brains of professional football and hockey players after their death.
1 arrested in northern Alberta during public shelter order
Residents of John D'Or Prairie, a community on the Little Red River Cree Nation in northern Alberta, were told to take shelter Thursday morning during a police operation.
Secret $70M Lotto Max winners break their silence
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
New deep-water channel allows first ship to pass Key bridge wreckage in Baltimore
The first cargo ship passed through a newly opened deep-water channel in Baltimore on Thursday after being stuck in the harbor since the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed four weeks ago, halting most maritime traffic through the city's port.
First in Canada procedure performed at London, Ont. hospital
A London man has become the first person in Canada to receive a robotic assisted surgery on his spine. Dave Myeh suffered from debilitating, chronic back pain that led to sciatica in his right now and extreme pain in his lower back.