I’ve been living in the area for 5 years and have been regularly visiting the lawn area of Abbotsford Convent for the past 2 years. However, today I had an unfortunate and unexpected experience.

While sitting on the lawn with my dog playing with his ball off-leash, I was abruptly approached by a man with greying hair, medium-length, wearing glasses, who identified himself as the manager. He walked towards me very quickly and instructed me to leave, stating that dogs must remain on a leash. Without waiting for a response or acknowledging me further, he turned away abruptly.

I was taken aback, as I’ve been a regular visitor to this area for years and had never encountered such a situation. I explained that I always keep my dog on a leash when exploring the convent grounds but assumed it would be acceptable to let him play off-leash in this specific area, given that he is well-trained. The manager, raising his voice and in an unnecessarily confrontational tone, insisted that it was dangerous as there were children around and reiterated that it was not allowed. He then walked away, pretending to be occupied while clearly waiting for us to leave.

I promptly called my dog and left the area. As I was leaving, I was approached by another staff member who had overheard the situation and kindly apologised for the incident.

After this experience, I visited the Abbotsford Convent website and found that it clearly states dogs must be on a leash at all times. While I now understand the policy, I believe it would be incredibly helpful if the physical signage in the park also reflected this rule clearly. The current wording, which mentions dogs being on a leash “when exploring the convent,” is ambiguous and could easily lead to misunderstandings, as it did in my case. Many locals, like myself, regularly use this space, and clearer signage would prevent further confusion.

Additionally, I feel it poses a greater risk to children and families visiting the space to have a public, family-friendly park littered with alcohol cans, small plastic bags of suspicious contents, and cigarette butts, which I observed during my visit on Sunday Jan 12th at 9:00 am. Addressing these issues would contribute greatly to ensuring the space remains safe and welcoming for everyone.

It’s truly disappointing not to feel welcome in such a beautiful space that is such a significant part of our community. I hope this feedback helps improve the experience for future visitors.