durhamregion.com4 The Citizen August 21, 2014 Tim Whittaker - Publisher Joanne Burghardt - Editor-in-Chief Mike Johnston - Managing Editor Fred Eismont - Director of Advertising Eddie Kolodziejcak - Classified Advertising Manager Abe Fakhourie - Distribution Manager Lillian Hook - Office Manager Cheryl Haines - Composing Manager PH 905-579-4400 CLASSIFIEDS 905-576-9335 GENERAL FAX 905-576-9335 NEWS FAX 905-579-1809 865 Farewell St., Oshawa ON L1H 7L5 Member: Ontario Press Council, OCNA, CCNA, SNA. All content copyright A Metroland Media Group Ltd. Publication thecitizen Jobs for youth in our community As a parent of high school and university students, I appreciate the challenges faced by our youth when it comes to seeking employment. Finding a local summer job is hard. However, finding long-term jobs will be even harder with most youth from Durham Region having to look to communities across Canada for opportunities. Last year the Durham Workforce Authority launched a survey to gain insight into the challenges faced by local youth. By understanding their skills and goals, DWA's survey is being used to find solutions that can help create local programs, training and jobs for our youth. DWA is funded by the Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities to provide local labour market analysis. This information will be shared with the Ministry and many Region stakeholders. The survey asks youth questions related to employment, education, community services, transportation and future plans. It also asks youth about the types of programs and services they hope to see in the Region. If you are between the ages of 15 to 24, and want to help create local opportunities, please take a moment to complete the survey. You don't have to give your name, however if you do you will have a chance to win an iPod. Visit www. durhamworkforceauthority.ca for details on DWA and a link to the survey. The Optimist Club of Brooklin is spreading the word about this survey and many other youth activities on Twitter and Facebook. To receive updates, please follow: www. facebook.com/BrooklinOptimist and www.twitter.com/BrooklinOptimist. Rob Hanson is the president of The Optimist Club of Brooklin, a group of local volunteers that provide activities for youth in the community RoB Hanson Youth Brooklin lets the dogs out Two off-leash parks now open in the north and the south ends of town Parvaneh Pessian ppessian@durhamregion.com BROOKLIN -- Dog days of summer are here as local residents' canine companions can finally enjoy the freedom of going off-leash within the borders of the community. After years of anticipation, the Town opened its first two off-leash parks -- one in Brooklin and one in the south. "It's important to have a place where people can go that's safe and where everyone sort of understands dogs," said Kerry O'Dowd, a professional dog walker who lives in Brooklin. Ms. O'Dowd was one of several members of the public who attended meetings held by the Town over the past few years to discuss the possibility of establishing an off-leash area. She dropped by one of the two new sites, located at the southern terminus of Cochrane Street, south of Winchester Road West within the Heber Down Conservation Area. The other location is at the northern terminus of Jeffery Street, north of Victoria Street West, adjacent to the Lynde Shores Conservation Area. "There are people who have new dogs and want to socialize them or people who have older dogs and are just trying to give them exercise, and off-leash areas are perfect for both those things," Ms. O'Dowd said. "The dog community in Whitby is huge so it's really nice to have a place for people to walk their dogs together." Interest in establishing an off-leash dog park in Whitby dates back to the 1990s but council first directed staff to return with a report about potential locations based on public input in September 2011. "Every year we'd receive letters and e-mails from people interested in having off-leash areas so it was a fairly common request," said Steve Edwards, manager of parks, marina and long range planning with the Town of Whitby. One of the reasons many cited for the need was the fact that Whitby was the only lakeside municipality in Durham without an off-leash dog park, added Mr. Edwards. "People were indicating that they were driving to other municipalities for that service and we were well aware of that so there clearly seemed to be a demonstrated need for it in our municipality." After a lengthy review process and subsequent discussions with residents on several different sites, council approved staff's recommendation in April 2013 for two off-leash dog parks. Construction began last fall and the two fully-fenced sites, both approximately three acres, opened last month. The Town is currently recruiting volunteers to join a group of community members who will help with the general upkeep of the parks, educate park users about park etiquette, and assist with special events and fundraising activities. "One of the things they can do is help monitor and see how people are behaving and notify us of any problems," said Mr. Edwards. "Usually they are people with dogs who are there on a daily basis so they're great to have because they visit so frequently." Those interested in volunteering are encouraged to send an e-mail to parks. rec@whitby.ca or call 905-430-4310. Dog handlers are legally responsible for the safety, conduct, and any injuries or damage caused by the dog(s) under their care while in the off-leash parks. Visit www.whitby.ca/dogparks to view the code of conduct. The parks will be patrolled by Whitby Animal Services. To report any violations or incidents, call 905-655-0283. CHOOSING THE PARK SITES In September 2011, council directed staff to return with a report about potential locations for one or more off-leash dog parks based on input from the public. Staff approached council in June 2012, recommending the south-east corner of Lyndebrook Road and Country Lane. Several residents at that meeting raised concerns with that site and after some discussion, council instead opted for Cullen Central Park, due to its central location. Shortly thereafter, several people residing near the Cullen property notified council that they had only recently heard a dog park was being planned for the area, prompting council to hold another public meeting. At a public meeting in November 2012, residents presented a petition with more than 200 signatures from those living near Cullen who strongly opposed an off-leash dog park. Council approved staff's recommendation in April 2013 for two off-leash dog parks, one in the north and one in the south Construction began on the two off-leash dog parks in fall 2013 and they opened on July 12, 2014. BROOKLIN -- Brooklin resident and local dogwalker Kerry O'Dowd walked Maizey, Ky and Marty at the Cochrane off-leash dog park, one of two recently opened in Whitby. ryan Pfeiffer / Metroland