Neighbourhood
Humans of Renfrew- Story of Renfrew Dog Squad
On most days, if you walk through Tom Campbell’s Hill Natural Park, you might see Tegan and Lev moving through the off-leash park with a lively group of dogs. Each dog has its own personality, and together they form what Tegan lovingly calls the Squad.
Big Hank, a 160-pound Lab Pyrenees cross, has a gentle giant presence and a mind of his own. And there is Heidi, a miniature dachshund who loves to sniff, explore, and disappear into the long grass. This is daily life for Tegan and Lev, the couple behind Renfrew Dog Squad, a neighbourhood dog walking service based in Renfrew.
Tegan is originally from Australia, where she grew up on a farm surrounded by animals. After high school, she joined the Australian Army, drawn to structure, challenge, and something different. After three years, she followed her curiosity across the world and moved to Canada. That curiosity has always guided her. Tegan has worked in bakeries, cafés, hospitality, recreation, and even offered human design readings, a practice she describes as understanding your true nature, letting go of who you’re not, and embracing who you are. “I’ve naturally followed what interests me,” she says. “As I’ve gotten older, I’ve become more intentional with that, seeing life as something to explore and discover.”
Lev’s path to Renfrew began in Russia. He came to Calgary to study business analytics and later moved into corporate work. He and Tegan met through mutual friends, and not long after, they moved to Renfrew.
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For two people who love travel, discovery, and new experiences, Renfrew has become a meaningful chapter: a place that has taught them about community, responsibility, rhythm, and what it means to be known by the people and animals around you.
Although Tegan had been walking dogs privately on the side for many years, the idea for group dog walking came in 2024. She started the Renfrew Dog Squad by putting up posters, and her first squad member was Kameo, a thirteen-year-old golden retriever. During one walk in May, Tegan remembers looking around at the dogs playing and feeling a deep sense of gratitude. “I had this moment where I almost stepped outside of it just to appreciate it,” she says. “I thought, this is so awesome that I get to do this.” Kameo passed away shortly after that walk, and the memory became a lasting reminder of how meaningful this work could be.
From that beginning, Renfrew Dog Squad grew into the structured service it is today. Dogs join on consistent weekly days, and each one goes through a meet-and-greet to make sure the group is a good fit. The work is joyful, but also requires awareness, responsibility, and structure. Tegan and Lev pay close attention to behaviour, recall, energy, and group dynamics.
Lev joined more fully as demand grew. Although working with dogs was new to him, he approached it with curiosity and found that dogs taught him as much as he taught them. “Being around dogs has increased my awareness of myself and others,” he says. “It’s taught me patience, discipline, and the importance of being both firm and kind.”
Together, Tegan and Lev have developed rituals that support the work: checking in before walks, reviewing which dogs are in the group, noticing what needs attention, and giving each other feedback. Some dogs respond better to Tegan, others to Lev. In the middle of movement and play, they are constantly learning to communicate and support one another.
“We’re always learning,” says Lev. “When you have that attitude, you don’t take things personally, you respond instead of react.” This connects to one of his core beliefs: that everything in life happens for a reason. “There’s always something to learn from whatever stage you’re in,” he says. “That belief has become a kind of North Star for me.”
For Tegan, the work has been transformative. “Neither of us is from Canada, and before starting the dog walking, I felt a lot more isolated,” she says. “I grew up in a small town where you know your neighbours, and that sense of community was something I really missed.”
Through the Renfrew Dog Squad, that changed. Being out in the neighbourhood each day has helped them build relationships with clients, neighbours, and other dog owners. What began as a service has become a way of participating in community and feeling at home in this chapter.
Tom Campbell Off-Leash Park sits at the centre of that story. Last summer, when there was no water source at the park, Tegan and Lev began bringing large jugs of water for the dogs. It was a simple gesture that reflected how they think about community: notice what is needed and do what you can.
When asked what keeps them coming back, both Tegan and Lev return to the dogs. “Working with dogs means it’s never really thankless,” says Tegan. “They’re constantly showing gratitude just by being themselves, happy, present, enjoying life.” Lev agrees: “It hardly feels like work. And when it does, it’s rewarding.” or Tegan and Lev, life is something to explore, learn from, and grow through together. Right now, Renfrew is where that growth is unfolding. Through the dogs, the park, and the people they meet each day, they have found something meaningful here.
Thank you for taking the time to read our new series, Humans of Renfrew. Share your story, your neighbour's story, or the story of inspiring community members with Humans of Renfrew. Contact Titash Choudhury at titash.chodhury@gmail.com to nominate…...
Stay tuned for next month's issue!
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Born and raised in Calgary, Lyle has always called Calgary his first home. He now lives in Renfrew with his wife. He is a proud community member, currently retired and involved with more than twenty organizations as a volunteer.
Lyle lived in Calgary and Toronto until his early twenties, when he joined the Canadian Armed Forces as an artillery officer. For Lyle, joining the military was something he was genuinely interested in. He enjoyed the people and the sense of purpose. At that time, it felt like the right career move and was the right place to be.
Over the next several decades, he lived in nine provinces and two of Canada's territories and served across Canada and overseas in Europe. His postings included bases in Chilliwack, Gagetown NB, Petawawa, ON, Gagetown again, Valcartier, QC, Ottawa, ON, Shilo, MB, Brantford, ON, Calgary, AB, Halifax, NS, Gande NL, and Goose Bay, NL. He was also deployed overseas on NATO missions and on UN peacekeeping missions. The experiences were exceptional, and the friendships made along the way are ones he still holds close. But military life also meant constant movement. It meant accepting the risks that come with the profession. More than anything, it taught him the importance of the people around him. "You rely on each other," he says. "That's how the military works. You build strong friendships because sometimes people don't come back. It can be a dangerous job."
After Lyle retired from the Army, he worked for Emergency Management BC for 5 years. Of all the places he lived, British Columbia left the deepest impression.
BC taught Lyle how beautiful and scary nature can be at the same time. The fast-changing climate was also a powerful experience for him. While living in the Okanagan in BC, Lyle and his family faced many months of severe weather events like overland flooding and wildfires, which reached a few hundred metres from his home. These regular adverse experiences became the push they needed to come back to Alberta, home.
Back in Alberta, he and his wife settled first in Carstairs. They eventually found their way to Renfrew. They were drawn by its central location and its neighbourhood feel. It is close to everything yet tucked into a quiet corner of the city, close to hospitals, amenities, and services that they wished to be closer to as a retired couple. A month after returning to AB, Lyle suffered a major stroke. Recovery was long, but the community, his family, resiliency, and the amazing caregivers and health professionals held him through it. Today, he has recovered and now volunteers at the Dr. Vernon Fanning Neuro Centre on 16th Ave, just North of Renfrew, a few times per week, helping fellow stroke survivors. Giving back is the most personal way he knows how.
For Lyle, community has always mattered deeply. Having lived on bases, in towns, and across landscapes most Canadians will never see, he understands what makes a place feel like one. He says that everyone is going through something and may have had different circumstances in life, but they are no better or worse than you. Treating people with a bit of common respect and kindness, and generally, you will receive the same.
He has carried that belief across every community he has ever belonged to. In Renfrew, he loves taking walks, seeing familiar faces, and also volunteering in the community. After a lifetime spent serving in uniform and in the community, Lyle has come to believe that the most meaningful things are also the most ordinary. A neighbour who waves. A street you can walk. A place where people still look out for one another. If you see Lyle in the neighbourhood, say hi.
Thank you for taking the time to read our new series, Humans of Renfrew. Share your story, your neighbour's story, or the story of inspiring community members with Humans of Renfrew. Contact Titash Choudhury at titash.chodhury@gmail.com to nominate…...
Stay tuned for next month's issue!
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The Winston Heights Mountview Powerline Committee Update:
Gaga Ball Pitt
Gaga ball is a fast-paced dodgeball-like game played in an enclosed, often octagonal, pit, where players are eliminated if they are hit by a ball below the knees. The game involves dodging, striking, running, and jumping to be the last player standing in the pit. Players must hit the ball with an open hand and cannot throw or catch it, combining elements of sportsmanship and agility
Renfrew's Gaga Ball Pitt is located in Lawson's Park, 14th Ave NE at 5th St. NE
