Radium Hot Springs dog leash rules and off-leash areas
Where can dogs be off leash in Radium Hot Springs, and what are the leash rules?
Short answer
In Radium Hot Springs, a dog away from its owner's property must be on a leash and under control. Sinclair Canyon Trails is an off-leash area. A dog loose elsewhere is "at large", a $250 municipal ticket.
Key facts
| Leash rule | Off the owner's own property, a dog must be on a leash and under control. A dog not leashed on public property, or on private property other than its owner's, is "at large", which is an offence. Exception: a posted off-leash area.Animal Care and Control Bylaw No. 519, 2026, s. 3 "At Large"; s. 6.4; Animal Care and Control Bylaw No. 519, 2026, s. 3 "Under Control" · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08Official wordingnot restrained by means of a Leash where the Animal is on public property or private property must not cause, permit, allow, or fail to prevent that Animal to be At Large within the Municipality is under physical restraint by hand, voice command or electronic device; and |
|---|---|
| Maximum leash length | No general maximum leash length. For a dog designated Aggressive, the leash may be at most 1.2 metres and must not be a retractable type.Animal Care and Control Bylaw No. 519, 2026, s. 8.4(b) · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08Official wordingwith a maximum length of 1.2 metres from Owner to Dog, suitable to the size and strength of the Dog, and which must not include a retractable style Leash |
| Off-leash areas | Sinclair Canyon Trails (along Sinclair Creek, reached from Rotary Park, Forsters Landing Road or the lower Sinclair Creek parking lot) is an off-leash dog area. Off-leash, the owner must carry a leash, keep the dog under control and keep a clear line of sight to it. Aggressive dogs may not enter.Animal Care and Control Bylaw No. 519, 2026, s. 3 "Off Leash Area"; Animal Care and Control Bylaw No. 519, 2026, s. 6.5; Animal Care and Control Bylaw No. 519, 2026, s. 8.4(c); Sinclair Canyon Trails · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08Official wordingmeans an area where a sign is posted by the Municipality indicating a specific geographic area where a Dog may be in a Public Place and not be restrained by a Leash. The Owner of a Dog may allow the Animal to be At Large in an Off-Leash area, so long as carries a Leash; maintains a clear line of sight to the Dog at all times. not cause, permit, allow, or fail to prevent the Dog from entering an Off-Leash area and are an off-leash dog area. |
| Places dogs are not allowed | None set. Radium Hot Springs' bylaw names no places where dogs are banned. |
| Cleaning up | The owner of an animal that defecates in a public place, or on private property without that owner's consent, must immediately remove the excrement and put it in a suitable refuse container. Exception: an owner who is legally blind, for a Special Needs Assistance Animal.Animal Care and Control Bylaw No. 519, 2026, s. 6.9, 6.10 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08Official wordingmust immediately remove the excrement and dispose of it in a suitable refuse container. Section 6.9 does not apply to an Owner who is legally blind |
| Fine, dog at large or off leash | $250 (municipal ticket, "Animal at Large", s. 6.4). Failure to control an animal (s. 6.1, 6.2) is also $250.Municipal Ticket Information Bylaw No. 533, 2026, Bylaw 533, Appendix 12 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08Official wordingAnimal at Large 6.4 $ 250.00 Failure to control animal 6.1, 6.2 $ 250.00 |
| Bylaw | Village of Radium Hot Springs Bylaw No. 519, 2026 Animal Care and Control, s. 6.Animal Care and Control Bylaw No. 519, 2026, s. 1 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08Official wordingVillage of Radium Hot Springs Bylaw No. 519, 2026 Animal Care and Control |
How it works
Under the Village's Animal Care and Control Bylaw No. 519, a dog off its owner's property must be on a leash and under control. A dog that is not leashed on public property, or on someone else's private property, is "at large", which is an offence. On unenclosed land you occupy, the dog must still be restrained so it cannot roam.
Good to know
- Off leash: Sinclair Canyon Trails, along Sinclair Creek, reached from Rotary Park, Forsters Landing Road or the lower Sinclair Creek parking lot. Carry a leash, keep the dog under control and keep it in sight. Aggressive dogs may not enter. See the Village's Sinclair Canyon Trails page.
- The bylaw sets no maximum leash length for ordinary dogs. A dog designated Aggressive must be on a leash of 1.2 metres or less, not a retractable one.
- The bylaw names no places where dogs are banned, but you must obey posted signs.
- Clean up: you must immediately pick up your dog's excrement in a public place, or on private property without the owner's consent, and put it in a suitable refuse container. An owner who is legally blind with a Special Needs Assistance Animal is exempt.
- A dog at large, or not under control, is a $250 municipal ticket. The Village page says impound fees may also apply.
- No other off-leash areas are listed on the Village pages. Ask Protective Services at 250-347-6455 ext. 6.
Official forms and pages
The same question in other places
Invermere · Canal Flats · Golden · Kaslo · Elkford · Kimberley
Sources
- Animal Care and Control Bylaw No. 519, 2026 (PDF), Village of Radium Hot Springs (read 2026-11-08)
- Sinclair Canyon Trails, Village of Radium Hot Springs (read 2026-11-08)
- Municipal Ticket Information Bylaw No. 533, 2026 (PDF), Village of Radium Hot Springs (read 2026-11-08)
- Protective Services, Village of Radium Hot Springs (read 2026-11-08)
Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 6 of 7 facts was matched to the official text; 1 is recorded as not set. How answers are checked.