Home1. What’s new in the 2002 regulations?
In the 2002 regulations, the following are the main new items:
- NCC lands are divided into three categories: areas where leashed pets are allowed, areas where off-leash pets are allowed and areas where pets are not allowed at all.
- You are permitted to bring up to two pets at a time onto NCC public lands.
- You must pick up your pet’s waste — and we ask you not to dispose of it in the on-site garbage bins, but to take it away with you.
- Pets are not allowed in permanent bodies of water that are surrounded by NCC land, and must be at least 3 metres from the shore of any body of water next to NCC land.
2. How does the NCC intend to enforce the regulations?
NCC Conservation Officers will be continuing to inform the public about the regulations and will be monitoring compliance with the regulations. Breaches of the regulations will be addressed through verbal and written warnings, the issuance of set fine tickets and, in serious cases, prosecution in court.
3. Did the NCC consult the public before adopting the regulations?
Yes, the NCC consulted the public as follows:
- It held two workshops with interest groups from Ontario and Quebec representing the various groups of people who use the lands;
- It organized two public meetings in November 1999, one in Ontario and one in Quebec;
- As a result of public reaction to the proposed regulations, the NCC held discussions with the groups that came out strongly against the regulations. The groups’ greatest concern was about the lack of space set aside for off-leash pets. The NCC worked with small groups to come to a compromise that would be acceptable to both pet-owners and residents without pets who use NCC lands.
- Finally, the NCC published the legal text of the proposed regulations in the Canada Gazette (summer 2000), and invited the public to comment on it; the comments were analyzed and taken into consideration in the production of the final text of the regulations.
4. Am I still allowed to walk my pet on urban NCC land in Canada’s Capital Region?
Yes. You may continue to walk your leashed pet on most NCC lands, including city parks, recreational pathways (including the pathways on the west and east sides of the Rideau Canal), in natural areas along the parkways, some Gatineau Park trails and most Greenbelt trails. Areas where pets are not allowed include the Mud Lake–Britannia Conservation Area. This area contains a diversified and unique urban ecosystem that is home to a wide variety of rare plants and animals as well as important wetlands and wooded areas. To protect the long-term ecology of this ecosystem, no pets are allowed there.
5. Where can I walk my pet in the Greenbelt?
In the Greenbelt, you can take your leashed pet on 90 percent of the trails — of the existing 120 kilometres of trails and pathways, there are only 12 kilometres on which you are not allowed to take your pet at any time of the year.
Year-round: You can walk your leashed pet on the Greenbelt pathways at the following locations:
- from Acres Road west to Corkstown Road
- from Corkstown Road west to Eagleson Road (Watts Creek Pathway)
- from south of Watts Creek to Robertson Road (Trans Canada Trail)
- from south of Shirleys Bay to the Watts Creek Pathway
- from Convent Glen (Orléans) to the Canotek industrial Park (Green’s Creek area)
From April 15 to November 30: You may walk your leashed pet on all Greenbelt trails managed by the NCC except the following:
- Jack Pine Trail (P9, at Moodie Drive)
- Beaver Trail and Chipmunk Trail (P8, at Moodie Drive)
- Sarsaparilla Trail (P7, at Richmond Road)
- Old Quarry Trail (P5, at Eagleson Road)
- Mer Bleue Boardwalk (P22, at Ridge Road)
- Dewberry Trail (P20, at Dolman Ridge Road)
6. Where can I walk my pet in Gatineau Park?
In Gatineau Park, you can take your leashed pet on 94 percent of the trails from spring to fall — of the 165 kilometres of trails, there are only 10 kilometres on which pets are not allowed during that period.
Year-round: you can walk your leashed pet on the following trails:
- Sugarbush Trail (Chelsea)
- Larriault Trail (Mackenzie King Estate)
- Pioneers Trail (Hull area of Gatineau)
April 15 to November 30: you can walk your leashed pet on all marked, officially recognized trails in Gatineau Park except the following:
- Pink Lake Trail
- King Mountain Trail
- Luskville Falls Trail
7. How will I know whether or not I can walk my pet, and whether or not my pet must be leashed, in a particular area?
The NCC has installed signs on its lands (including in parks, in natural areas along parkways and on the recreational pathway network) to inform users of the rules.
8. Can I take my service dog on NCC lands where other domestic animals may be prohibited?
Yes. The regulations contain exemptions for people accompanied by service dogs. If you are a blind or visually impaired keeper of a guide dog, or a physically disabled keeper of an assistance dog, subsections 6(1) and (2), section 8 and paragraph 20(1)(a) of the regulations do not apply to you while you are with the dog.
9. Am I allowed to bring my service dog on the Rideau Canal Skateway, or to attend special events such as Winterlude, Canada Day or the Canadian Tulip Festival with my service dog?
Yes. If you are a blind or visually impaired keeper of a guide dog, or a physically disabled keeper of an assistance dog, the regulations allow you to bring the dog on the Rideau Canal Skateway or to special events such as Winterlude, Canada Day and the Canadian Tulip Festival.
10. Why can’t my pet go in water that is surrounded by NCC land, or get closer than 3 metres to any shoreline on NCC land?
To protect the environment by preventing shore erosion and negative impacts on plants and animals.
11. Why can’t I cycle, in-line skate or ski with my pet?
For safety reasons. If you are in charge of a pet while on a bicycle, on skates or on skis, you are not in total control of your pet, and there is an increased risk of accident for you and for other people.
12. What are the most common infractions and the proposed corresponding fines?
Three levels of set fines are associated with breaches of the regulations. The amount of the fine varies according to the seriousness of the infraction.
- Minor infractions: $100
Examples include: having an animal not restrained by a leash in an area where it is required; having more than two pets on NCC property per person at a time; a pet in a no-pet area; too long a leash or harness; walking a pet while on in-line skates, a bicycle or skis; not picking up a pet’s waste; having an animal that is not under control in an off-leash area. - Infractions relating to the environment and damage to public property: $150
Examples include: a pet at a beach or a picnic area; a pet less than 3 metres from the shore or in water that is surrounded by NCC land; damage to NCC property; refusal to obey a conservation officer. - Serious infractions causing injury to a person or another animal: $300
Examples include: a pet biting, attacking, chasing or injuring a person or animal; a pet left unattended in a vehicle when it is very hot or cold out.
Note, however, that when a breach of the regulations is prosecuted in court, a person is liable to a fine of up to $500.
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