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    MacDonald Gardens

    3.0 (1 review)

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    13 years ago

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    Fairlea Park - Art Wall

    Fairlea Park

    3.5(2 reviews)
    7.0 km

    If you are a proud dog owner, off-leash dogs are allowed at this neighbourhood park. The playground…read morerecently got a makeover and I believe there will be a splash pad for kids this summer. If the rating was based solely on the dog park side of things, I would drop it a couple of stars. The greenery & upkeep of the open dog play area (south side) are on the poor side. There is fencing on the south and east sides. The dogs and their owners bump it at least one star. It's not a very busy park. Overall the dogs and their owners are a friendly, happy bunch. You get to know everyone relatively quickly. The poopiness of the park is pretty good, but I keep an eye out where I am stepping. People who take their dogs to the park tend to scoop-da-poop. My kids are looking forward to the new splash pad opening. A couple of years ago, Fairlea Park was transformed into a natural playground in addition to the existing ball diamond, play structure and basketball court. The kids play area is in the north side of the park. In the winter months, boards go up for an ultra Canadian experience: outdoor hockey.

    I live just on the outskirts of the park here, and have been bringing my dog to this area for the…read morepast year we have had her. One thing I must mention about the previous Review is that the review describes the park, but the pictures seem to be from another park a short walk up the road. One thing I MUST bring to peoples attention about this park, has really nothing to do with the park itself, but the people living in the surrounding area. Since getting our dog, and wondering if we could run her off-leash in the park behind us, we have triple checked with the City of Ottawa website, checked numerous blogs and sites showing where the off-leash areas around us are, and spoken to many other dog owners in the area. That said, NO ONE who lives in the area who does not own a dog, believes it is an off-leash area. There are no notifications pointing one way or another as to whether you need to leash your dog in the area, and it has led to a couple confrontations. Our dog is VERY friendly, and will run up to anyone in hopes of getting some attention. She is also big (45 pounds, but big to people who don't like dogs) and she comes running up at you. She never barks, growls, or the like, just running up with a big dopey grin and gets in your personal space (we've been working on correcting this behaviour, but she forgets as soon as she learns). For other dog owners, this is not a problem, they have come to realize a happy approach versus an intimidating one, and needless to say, if she were to show ANY signs of aggression, we would not let her off-leash in the first place. As soon as she does this though, to people who are terrified of 45 lbs of tongue and fur wanting to be pet, the threats of calling by-law begin, the "put your F'n dog on a leash" begins, the "this is NOT an off-leash area!" begins, and frankly, you can't really point out the facts to these people, cause they don't care. The mere saying hello by something that isn't human, or in some ethnic cases "down right demonic" is enough that they basically come at you with everything short of "your dog will be in the electric chair by weeks end, dagnabit!". Beyond that though? Great park, friendly people, friendly other dogs, and a great community to meet new people (2 and 4 legged) and have a great time...just don't let your dogs move past the area which would be confined by leash if anyone living in the area happens to stroll right through the middle of it. And By-Law or City of Ottawa, PUT UP A SIGN!

    Photos
    Fairlea Park
    Fairlea Park - Outdoor Musical Instruments

    Outdoor Musical Instruments

    Fairlea Park - Top of the Hill Slide

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    Top of the Hill Slide

    Bruce Pit

    Bruce Pit

    4.6(18 reviews)
    15.3 km

    Bruce Pit is such a great place to bring your dog! It's an amazing off-leash space where they can…read morerun and play with other doggos. There's free parking, the walk is beautiful, and I've never had any problems there. Honestly, it's like Disney for dogs! Bruce Pit est un super endroit pour amener son chien! C'est un grand parc sans laisse où ils peuvent courir et jouer avec d'autres chiens. Le stationnement est gratuit, la marche est très agréable et je n'y ai jamais eu de problème. C'est un peu comme Disney pour les chiens!

    Still a 5 star for me and I've been dozens of times in all seasons. Grateful for it…read more The last few years, I've been hearing certain people won't bring their dogs here. Some have signed adoption consent forms promising they won't come here. ? I've yet to have a bad encounter. Most people are friendly. Some not as attentive as others, granted. Why be on your phone in here the whole time? All the dogs are adorable and make my day. It's beautiful here. I've added tons of photos. Just bring your purse with you. No valuables left in car. Leash your dog to and from the parking lot as the road/highway nearby is merciless if your unleashed dog goes after something that way. It's a dirt lot so I drive in and out slowly as to not create huge dust storms. There is a large garbage bin up front. There is also a single, large porta potty, thankfully, after the long walks but bring your own hand sanitizer. And doggie poop bags.

    Photos
    Bruce Pit - Spring has sprung! #nojacketrequired

    Spring has sprung! #nojacketrequired

    Bruce Pit - Peace and quiet!

    Peace and quiet!

    Bruce Pit - Beauty day. Many steps

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    Beauty day. Many steps

    MacDonald Gardens - dog_parks - Updated May 2026

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