There are many of us but because our dogs are well-behaved, we go mostly unnoticed. Responsible dog owners will be the majority on Cortes, and unfortunately, it is the few dog owners with aggressive or unruly dogs who make it difficult for other humans and dogs.

We have lived on Cortes for 33 years and had 4 beloved canines as part of our family over that time. We now have an exuberant 2 year-old collie/Aussie shepherd who loves everyone she meets, and assumes that all humans & dogs will love her in return. We walk her off-leash daily in the Commons, and she bounds through ferns trying unsuccessfully to catch squirrels or wrens. If she were leashed, she and we would be miserable.

Many of us (perhaps the majority) have moved to Cortes partialy due to the freedom from constraints and big city regulations. Strathcona Regional District bylaws are difficult to enforce, and generally, do not change the behaviour of those people who are in contravention. We would like to think our community has the interest and human resources to self-monitor and find a solution within, rather than introduce more bureaucracy and control from an external institution.

The Whaletown Commons is aptly named, prior to and since becoming a SRD park, and it is an inspiring example of a neighbourhood forest shared by wildlife, humans and dogs who co-exist peacefully. In contrast, the Children’s Forest and Carrington lands are wilder spaces, and we personally choose not to take our dog there, even on-leash. We hope dog owners will use good judgement as to where and how they walk their dogs, enabling the Cortes community to maintain its remarkable, much-loved, rural lifestyle.
Christine, Cec & Keta Robinson - Whaletown