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Mono council petitioned to waive noise bylaw fee for upcoming dog show

April 2, 2026   ·   0 Comments

By JAMES MATTHEWS

Organizers of an international dog show booked for last year in Mono petitioned to be exempted from a new municipal application fee.

The Saugeen Schutzhund Club of Ontario and Oneida Working Dog Club will co-host the 2026 Canadian German Shepherd Dog Championships and Sieger Show from July 28 to Aug. 2.

It was booked last summer for the Orangeville Agricultural Society Event Centre in Mono. That was before the town’s new, stricter noise bylaw, which includes a $500 application fee for council to weigh an exemption.

The show is the highest-level event held annually by the German Shepherd Schutzhund Club of Canada. The non-profit clubs are dedicated to promoting the Internationale Gebrauchshundprüfung (IGP).

That’s a sport that tests a dog’s tracking, obedience, and protection skills and evaluates a dog’s character, temperament, and ability to follow complex commands.

Julia Stemp, the event co-chairperson, said in a letter to Mono council that events won’t begin before 8 a.m. and will end by 5 p.m.

“The competitors by province are allotted time to practice on the trial field,” she said. “There may be some barking for portions of the practice time but limited to one turn for each dog entered.”

She said camping will be allowed on the property at serviced sites on the west side of the grounds. Some of the dogs will be there with their owners.

“I am not aware if campfires are permitted on the fairgrounds, but we will have all campers sign a contract that no fires, no outdoor music is allowed, and groups of no more than six people on a site after 11 p.m.,” she said.

A portion of the event centre will be open until midnight on some evenings, with music playing inside. Security will be hired to ensure overnight adherence to the municipal noise bylaw.

“We do not want to hold an event where we will be fined or shut down,” she said. “This event was booked last summer before the bylaw was enacted. For this reason, I believe the application fee of $500 should be waived as it was booked prior to the bylaw change.”

Deputy Mayor Fred Nix asked during council’s March 24 meeting how noisy the dogs can be.

“Are they going to bark all night?” he said.

Stemp said no dogs will be left unattended, and she said security will be on site.

“They will be kicked out if there is an issue,” she said.

“So you mean if one of the campers that had a dog that simply wouldn’t behave, that camper would be kicked out?” Nix said.

She said there may be barking for the few minutes it takes a participant to walk their dog to their campsite.

Nix wanted to ensure no campers would be rocking out with music and revelry at the camp sites after 11 p.m.

Councillor Elaine Capes said she was intrigued by the competition and looked into it. One of the obedience events involves gunshots.

Stemp said there will be two gunshots per dog, and as many as 40 dogs are expected to take part.

The shots are from starter pistols, she said.

“That’s not listed in your request for the exemption,” Capes said.

Council agreed to issue a noise bylaw exemption and to waive the $500 application fee.

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