Humans and dogs have a new gathering place in Winkler.

The city's first off-leash dog park officially opened on Tuesday.

"This is what we've been dreaming of," Winkler Dog Park Committee Member Martha Olfert says.

The committee held a official "leash cutting" ceremony on Tuesday

For local resident Michelle Penner, the park has been helpful for socializing their young dog, Cairo, with other dogs.

However, the socialization goes both ways at the park, "it's nice, the humans talk while the dogs play," Olfert says. "I'm meeting a lot more people in Winkler that I never would've gotten the chance to meet... people I had never even seen around Winkler before," she says.