Dozens of Parkites and their four-legged friends filled the newly christened Ian Weinman Legacy Dog Park Sunday afternoon, July 27, for a bittersweet occasion.
Ian Weinman’s loved ones searched for ways to honor his life after he died in a motorcycle crash at 29 years old, in September 2024. They looked to the Quinn’s Junction dog park, born out of an idea Weinman brought to Park City leaders when he was a child.
Former Park City mayor Dana Williams remembered Weinman made an impression when he spoke up at City Hall in 2005.
“10 years old and couldn’t reach the mic, so he had to stand on his tippy-toes,” he said.
Three years later, Park City got its first dog park in Round Valley, and Williams and Weinman cut the ribbon together.
Rich Wyman, Ian’s father, told the crowd Sunday he was grateful for the city’s support in adding his son’s name to the park.
“When Ian passed away in September, the current mayor, Nann, reached out to me, and she said, ‘Is there anything I can do?’” he recalled. “Just blurted out, ‘You could change the name of the dog park.’ And she just said, ‘OK.’”
In December, the Park City Council voted to make the name change official. And in the months since, the city has upgraded the park with new turf, gates, trees and fencing to separate big and small dogs. At the main entrance, a bronze plaque shares Weinman’s legacy with visitors.
Park City Mayor Nann Worel thanked the public works team for making the park beautiful. She said Weinman’s life is a model for Parkites.
“When I think about that kid, I think about perseverance and a commitment to make something happen,” she said. “What a lesson for all of us.”
Williams, the former mayor, said it was heartbreaking to lose Weinman and he’s glad Park City is honoring the legacy of the bold character and big heart of the 10-year-old boy he met.
“As he grew up, he was a good, kind, decent human being, and I think, as his parents think and all of us think, that’s the most we want from our kids,” he said. “We miss him, but this is one way we can keep him alive in our memory.”
The Ian Weinman Legacy Dog Park at 600 Gillmor Way is at the south end of Round Valley.
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