Kilcona Park Dog Club is pleased to announce  the  winners of the 2014 Membership Early Bird Contest. Prizes courtesy of KPDC corporate sponsors – Alpine Animal Hospital and Sprockett’s Doggy Day Care.

The draws were made at KPDC’s Annual General Meeting on November 19th.

Ryan Smith – $50 Alpine Animal Hospital Gift Certificate

Sue Murray – $25 Sprockett’s Doggy Day Care Gift Certificate

Congratulations!

Kilcona Park Dog Club has elected the following members to serve on the 2013-14 Board of Directors.

Donna Henry – President

Kathleen Kirkman – Secretary

Ted Norrington – Treasurer

Maria Conley- Director of Fundraising

Cindy Greenlay- Director of Events

Kevin Gordon – Director of Membership

Jeff Henry – Director of Marketing

The position of Vice President is currently vacant.

KPDC is pleased to announce three Kilcona Park Dog Club members who were lucky prize winners at last week’s AGM! Congratulations!

Barb Stanger – door prize winner of a $25 gift certificate from KPDC corporate sponsor Sprockett’s Doggy Day Camp

Mary Osborne – door prize winner of a $25 gift certificate from KPDC corporate sponsor Sprockett’s Doggy Day Camp

Bob Duck – winner of the 50/50 draw.

Click on Picture to See Promo

Check it out – a great documentary for dog lovers tonight at 8pm on CBC – A Dog’s Life

A Dog’s Life reveals how our best friends perceive the world – from the moment they take their first morning walk to the time they curl up at our feet to go to sleep. The film maker follows Daisy, a Jack Russell Terrier, through an average day and on the way discovers that, while dogs are not miniature humans, they are amazingly well-adapted to life with humans.

Find out how well we know them. A Dog’s Life explores the widely assumed facts that may actually be based on faulty and out-dated research. Is your dog really like a wolf? Does s/he need you to be the “alpha” dog, so s/he knows where to fit into your pack? Do they really see in black and white? Is it true that dogs have an amazing sense of direction?

A Dog’s Life is an exploration of the senses, mind and behaviour of our four-legged friends. It’s a journey that takes us from St. John’s, Newfoundland to Budapest, Hungary. On the way we discover how scientists are exploring that, sometimes, very alien world, often overturning long held beliefs and perceptions.

On Tuesday Kilcona Park Dog Club members will elect the new 2013-14 Board of Directors. Members may run for any of eight positions – President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Director of Membership, Director of Fundraising, Director of Events and Director of Marketing. The term of office is one year.

Over the past year KPDC membership has doubled and the Board has been hugely successful in its fundraising efforts. This allowed KPDC to purchase a cigarette butt receptacle, eight new park benches and four picnic tables that are being installed, and to realize a very healthy increase in the club’s bank account at year end.

The Board plans to fund other improvements that members have requested and have discussed these proposals with the City. However KPDC cannot proceed if the Board is understaffed. We must fill all the positions on the Board.

With over 400 members, we are confident that this can happen. Seven very well qualified people have already stepped forward and offered to serve. We need one more.

We do not yet have a candidate for the position of Vice President. This will be a key position moving forward because the VP coordinates volunteers for KPDC events and fundraising activities.

Assets include prior Board or committee experience; experience as a volunteer or in coordinating volunteers. The Board provides position-specific training to new Directors and the club, in cooperation with the Volunteer Centre,  provides Volunteer Board Training.

I own a dog AND I vote!

Photo credit: Rosalyn Jones-Smith

KPDC salutes City Councillor John Orlikow for funding  the installation of a new park bulletin board in Brenda Leipsic Dog Park. The River Heights-Fort Garry Councillor has earned high praise from dog owners who use the off-leash area.

Councillor Orlikow wants dog owners to use the bulletin board to get more involved in protecting the park. Last March City Council approved a route through the Parker Wetlands for the second phase of the southwest rapid transit corridor.  The proposed route could impact the dog park.

At a Parker Wetlands rally in June, Orlikow noted that Brenda Leipsic Dog Park and others in the city like Kilcona  are “in limbo” and he encouraged dog park users to organize an advocacy group like KPDC. Orlikow said that engaged dog park users who take ownership of the land, and advocate for the park could make all the difference for the future of the off-leash area.

Brenda Liepsic dog owners have been quick to take advantage of the bulletin board and their new FaceBook group to communicate with each other.  https://www.facebook.com/groups/323470424453318/

Photo credit: Georgina Sabesky

Councillor Orlikow is one of a growing number of City Councillors who are speaking publicly about the value of high quality dog parks.  According to Transcona Councillor Russ Wyatt, “There’s no doubt we’re playing catch up as a city when it comes to dog parks, compared to other cities in Canada. Wyatt  is working to change that,  requiring Genstar to include a dog park  in its application to build the new Devonshire Village subdivision in Transcona. Wyatt also required that the developer, not the City, pay for the dog park – a first for Winnipeg.

Councillors are not only speaking up for dog parks, they’re also funding improvements to off-leash areas. In June Riel Community Committee Councillors Brian Mayes (St. Vital), Dan Vandal (St. Boniface) and Justin Swandal (St. Norbert) voted to approve a $25,000 grant to Maple Grove Park Dog Owners Association for off-leash area parking lot improvements.

In September EKT  Community Committee Councillors Jeff Browaty (North Kildonan), Russ Wyatt (Transcona) and Thomas Steen (East Kildonan voted to approve a $20,000 grant to KPDC for new furnishings in Kilcona’s off-leash area. The EKT Councillors also provide financial support to KPDC for the club’s park improvement fundraising events.

Last March, City of Winnipeg administrators and consultants presented the Kilcona Park Master Plan Stakeholder Committee with three options for the future development of the park. Of concern to thousands of Kilcona dog owners was the fact that each option proposed a significant reduction in the size of Kilcona’s off-leash area to allow for expansion of the ponds for dragon boat and kayak racing, and create space for off-road biking.

City Council was scheduled to approve the Kilcona master plan in May however the entire park planning process was delayed after Kilcona Park dog owners objected to the proposed reduction of the off-leash area and mounted a vigorous campaign to persuade the City to abandon these plans.

In April KPDC Board members held a series of meetings with City Councillors Jeff Browaty and Russ Wyatt, and the planning team to present an alternative plan approved by KPDC members.

The KPDC plan calls for an expansion, rather than a reduction, of Kilcona’s off-leash area. As a result of these meetings Councillors instructed the planning team to revisit options for the future development of Kilcona Park.

This week the City announced that the draft master plan is now complete. Two open houses are being held to provide an opportunity for the public to review the draft plan and provide input. City administrators and consultants are interested in hearing from park user groups and other stakeholders.

KPDC’s Board of Directors strongly encourages all Kilcona dog owners to attend one of the open houses and participate in the review process.

Wednesday, November 6th

4:30pm – 7:30pm at the Harbourview Complex (drop in)

or

Saturday, November 9th

10:00am – 2:00pm Kildonan Place (near the food court)

Fall Clean Up Prize Winner

Sharon Pessagno (centre) and her son Devon (left), winners of a $50 gift certificate from Alpine Animal Hospital, were among hundreds of  dog owners who participate in Sunday’s Fall Park Clean Up.

The Pesagnos are relative newcomers to Kilcona. They’ve been bringing Willow, their adorable six-month old puppy to the dog park  for the past two months and they love what the off-leash area has to offer. “It’s a great place for her to run, play and socialize with other dogs and people!”

Sharon considers the win a timely stoke of luck since Willow’s vet practices at Alpine and her spay date is approaching.