BURST
A new off-leash dog park will soon be coming to east Vancouver.
On Monday, the final concept plan for an expansion to W.C. Shelly Park near Commercial and Broadway will be brought before the Vancouver park board for approval.
The park occupies approximately half a block and is one block north and one block west of Commercial and Broadway. Currently, the park encompasses an open lawn area, a playground, treed areas and bench seating throughout.
The expansion was first proposed in 2024 and developed throughout 2025, after the city acquired additional land to the east of the existing park. Public engagement later took place in June 2025, with many residents calling for the addition of a dog-friendly off-leash space.
Revisions throughout the fall of 2025 fine-tuned the expansion plans, with construction expected to begin this year and be completed in 2027 once the final plan is approved.
The proposed expansion includes a new off-leash dog area complete with “natural agility elements such as logs and boulders,” as well as accessibility expansions for the playground, a community garden, a rain garden, and an expanded tree canopy.
More seating and picnic tables will be installed on the existing lawn, while current bench seating will be moved to the west side of the park, opening more paths throughout the space.
The current playground will get upgrades that will make it more accessible and inclusive, with rubber surfacing and new accessible play structures.
The playground and the dog park will be separated by a rain garden that will filter storm water, while the community garden would house food and greenery.
The W.C. Shelly Park expansion for dogs comes following last year’s opening of three dog-friendly spaces : a fenced-in, off-leash dog area in Heather Park, a dog-friendly area at Granville Park in Fairview, and another in Emery Barnes Park in downtown Vancouver.