Improvements and Maintenance to the Pétanque courts in Richelieu park

The City is mobilizing to do some improvements and maintenance to the pétanque courts at Richelieu park. Parks Maintenance #1 priority for 2025 is to get the smaller pétanque court in good shape for playing with a refresh of new materials. 2nd priority is to remove the old wooden edgers around the larger court, which will then be replaced with new edging and materials. Parks Maintenance will also look into adjusting directional lighting to improve the court for evening play. In coordinating the upcoming work at the pétanque court, there are some necessary changes to facilitate the improvements this year and ongoing maintenance for this amenity.

The lower fence (shown in the image above) along the entrance to the court will need to be removed. The current entrance is too narrow for equipment access and material deliveries. Removal of the low fence will also curb the extensive use of the area as an off-leash dog park. This use has created ongoing tripping hazards through dogs digging holes, the material storage bin was full of dog feces this spring, unsanitary playing surface for pétanque users when picking up balls that are contaminated with feces and a health and safety concern was brought forward by staff when an aggressive dog forced them to leave the area without finishing their work.

The City has attempted to notify residents that this area is not a dog park through signage but signs have been ignored and removed by residents. They have locked the courts but this then restricts access for the general public to use the space for pickup games or use of the benches. Removal of the fence will help to address the maintenance challenges and improve the ongoing enjoyment of this public space.