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www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Thursday, October 27, 2016 | 14 Flynn to look into changes at Bronte Creek Park by Julia Le Oakville Beaver Staff Bronte Creek Provincial Park is closing some leash-free and group parking areas on the park's east, campground side as of Monday, Oct. 24 for the winter. It's a decision that isn't sitting well with some dog owners. The closures affecting the campground portion of the park are for the winter, until April 7, 2017, and users of those parking lots have been asked to park in a lot across from the campground office. "This operational change has been made in an effort to reduce the number of parking lots that require winter maintenance in the park campground when we require priority maintenance efforts on the day use areas, which are fully operational year-round," said Luke Coady, park superintendent. There is no staff on the Bronte Road side of the park as the campground is closed for the winter and the difference from one parking lot to the next would be an extra 300-metre walk for users, he said. Long-time Oakville resident Wendy Hueton, who visits the park almost daily with her golden retrievers, Jazz and Juno, says the closure represents five and a half months of her annual pass that she paid $175 for earlier this April. "You're selling a service and now you're saying, sorry you can't have that," she said. Hueton noted this not only affects those who want to access the leash-free trails, but other users like cross-country skiers and families who may want to hike on that side of the park. Oakville resident Christine Ng says she and a number of other dog owners were caught offguard by the news as only a handful of people received a flyer about seasonal updates. Ng, herself, hasn't seen any notice about the temporary closure and had only heard the news through a fellow dog owner. However, Ng, who walks her shepherd/ border collie, Cashew, there four days a week, like Hueton, says they're more concerned about Oakville MPP Kevin Flynn what it means for the future of leash-free trails in the provincial park. In recent weeks, she has also learned the park is closing its outdoor rink after about 40 years of operation on Dec. 1, something she thinks could have been communicated with the public better. "Bronte is only one of 12 provincial parks in all of Ontario that has any accommodation for off-leash dogs," Hueton said. "Some of them have off-leash beaches and we feel very lucky to have this at our doorsteps." see Conservation on p.17 WIN A $250 Gift Card to your favourite Dorval Crossing Store! Enter at www.dorvalcrossing.com Contest Ends October 31st, 2016 Over 60 Shops & Services located at the QEW & Dorval Drive Visit dorvalcrossing.com for more information