St. Thomas City Council is expected to approve a new animal center and dog park on Tuesday after a massive donation from a local businesswoman.
After the city required private donations or a $ 1 million fundraiser to reach the $ 2.5 million strategic goal, Sarah Tier stepped up and decided to donate the entire amount.
“I would like to donate $ 1 million to the new animal service center,” Tier wrote in a letter to the council.
“As our city continues to grow, I believe that a facility like this will help strengthen our position as the best place to live, and we look forward to being a part of this future.”
Tier and her husband own the multibillion-dollar password management software 1Password. She adopted her former dog from a local animal shelter and believes the current center of Burwell Road. does not meet today’s standards.
“Having had the opportunity to see the new location and design, including both a new dog park and trails together, I feel that this new animal service center will be a great addition to our community,” says Tier.
Tierre’s mother, Joan Rimal, advocated for new shelter during her eight years on St. Thomas City Council.
“I don’t think the city has ever had a single $ 1 million donation at any one time,” Rimal said.
“It’s a lot of money and a gift for her. They have been successful in their business and you don’t have to do such things, so it’s very much appreciated. I am sure that all the citizens of St. Thomas will also be very pleased and appreciate it. “
St. Thomas businesswoman Sarah Tier made a private donation of $ 1 million to help the city meet its $ 2.5 million goal of a new animal shelter and dog park in the city. Tier and her husband own the 1Password password management software business. (Source: 1Password)
If approved by the council on Tuesday, the plan will be to build the center in a large wide open space south of the Doug Tarry baseball complex.
The vision includes an educational center for field trips to learn about animal care, training, biology and interaction with real animals. An upgrade from the current center would be needed.
“That means let’s do it now before we think more,” said Joe Preston, mayor of St. Thomas.
“It can be done, but the fundraising goal was quite high and it didn’t look like it would work until we left COVID and joined the fundraising campaign. Now we have succeeded and it is great to have fantastic citizens of the community like the one who helps us with the project.
Preston believes the Southdale line property is an ideal well-drained property for a dog park. He called it the “perfect location” for the park and downtown.
Rymal believes that the current center is both outdated and in a bad place.
“It’s stuck right in the middle of environmental services,” Rymal said.
“If someone wants to come in and adopt a dog or take a dog out, you walk in the middle of a noisy area where there is a plow and an excavator. There is industry on the other side of the street, so we look at it more in a residential area. ”
The city has a limited number of dog parks and none of them are located at the southern end.
“I actually have a lot of dog friends who go to Kettle Creek Dog Park, and we always talk about how we need another dog park,” said April Scheller, who was walking her dog Leo at Margaret Lake near the proposed site.
“It would be nice to have one down here because the dog parks are so full every day because everyone walks there and they definitely need an upgrade. So it’s really exciting. “
Her friend Lindsay Tremblay agrees that it would be nice, while admitting that the current shelter is outdated.
“I think it would be an incredibly large area for dogs to run, and it definitely needs to be upgraded for sure,” Tremblay said.
Preston says that after approval on Tuesday, the plans will go to an architect and an auction, and if they can get a builder and supplies, the project could begin construction soon.
The current building of Animal Services in St. Thomas, Ont. April 16, 2022 (Brent Lale / CTV London)
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