Whitehorse cross-country skiers work on new dog rules

Peoplewho use Whitehorse'sMount McIntyre cross-country ski trailshave come up with some ideas to prevent conflicts involving dogs.

The Whitehorse Cross-Country Ski Club started enforcing policies about loose dogs this past winter after a number of incidents were reported. One rule required skiers to leash dogs for the first few hundred metres down the trail. Many club members with dogs fought back saying the rules, are not realistic.

Several dozen skiers turned out Thursdaynight to a public forum to talk about the issue.

CarrieBurbidgesays there were lots of good ideas at the meeting and discussion that all members have to consider other people'sinterests as well as their own.

"There's a lot of different user groups on the trail," she said. "We need to take responsibility for our own use on the trail, but also accept that skiing is an inherently risky sport."

Club president Anne Kennedy says acommon theme at the meeting was to separate skiers with dogs from skiers without dogs, "whether it's improvements or changes to the trail network or to create a staging point for people with dogs so that they'reseparated from other skiers," she said.

Kennedy says the club's directors will now decide how to implement the proposals.