News & Updates from the park

Notice of Annual General Meeting

Posted by president@kilconaparkdogclub.ca / in Information /

KILCONA PARK DOG CLUB’S 8TH ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

Monday, November 28, 2016

Public Library at Henderson and McLeod

Doors open at 5:30pm and the meeting starts at 6:00 pm.

Join the conversation, identify priorities for your favorite dog park, have a say in setting the club’s direction for 2017, and elect the new Board of Directors.

Everyone with a 2017 membership is welcome to attend. Memberships may be purchased at the door.

Your Board will  present an update on recent discussions with the City on park improvements, and let members know what’s happening with our fundraising and lobbying efforts to bring clean fresh water into the park, and install a drinking fountain, dog rinse station and splash pad in the off-leash area.

 

KILCONA DOG LOVERS’ REWARDS –  the Early Bird Membership Contest draw we’ve all been waiting for,  50/50 draw, and lots of amazing door prizes!!

FOOD COURTESY OF KPDC PLATINUM SPONSOR – JD HOGGS!

AGENDA

• Introductions

• Adoption of Agenda

• Adoption of 2015 AGM Minutes

• President’s Annual Report

  • Highlights

    • How close are we to implementing the water features project?

      • Status report – drinking fountain, dog rinse station and splash pad.

    • What’s up with the water?

      • 2016 water quality test

    • What’s the scoop?

      • Waste bag dispenser pilot project evaluation

    • What’s new this year?

      • Purchase of 8 new park benches

    • What’s happening with the Kilcona Park Management Plan?

      • Status report

• How well did KPDC raise funds this year? What did we spend money on? What’s our bottom line?

  • Treasurer’s Annual Report

• How did KPDC members benefit and what are the plans to continue and expand those benefits?

  • Director of Marketing’s Annual Report

    • Five-year marketing plan – 2016 to 2021

    • 2016 sponsorship report, 2017 sponsorship plans.

    • Pet retailers

• Q and A – Ask Your Board

  • Open discussion and decisions on park management issues – lobbying for expansion of off-leash area boundaries, advocacy for water features project, etc.

• Proposed by-law amendments

• Proposed 2017 Goals and Objectives

• Consideration – specific motions that Members give notice of before meeting

• Election of 2015-16 Board of Directors

• Adjournment

Proposed Amendments to KPDC’s Bylaws

Posted by president@kilconaparkdogclub.ca / in Information /

Kilcona Park Dog Club’s Board of Directors is recommending several amendments to the club’s by-laws. The changes are highlighted in red. The Board will formally present the amendments to the membership for a vote at the November 28th, 2016 Annual General Meeting, along with the rationale for the changes.

proposed-kilcona-park-dog-club-by-law-changes-2016-agm

 

 

The Real Story – Kilcona’s Coyotes

Posted by president@kilconaparkdogclub.ca / in Information /

IMPORTANT UPDATE ON COYOTE SIGHTINGS AT KILCONA PARK

Over the weekend Winnipeg media reported that a Kilcona Park visitor was “swarmed” by a pack of coyotes.

Like most rumors, there’s a germ of truth in this story.

As the story went, the unidentified man and his dogs were in a very dangerous situation. The man was walking with his dogs after sunset when the coyotes allegedly began to circle him and his pets.

News reports indicated that the coyotes followed the man and his dogs from the park to their vehicle and that the coyotes continued to follow the vehicle as it left the park. Some authorities even speculated that the animals could be “coywolves” – despite fact that no coywolf populations have been identified in Manitoba.

Today the dog owner confirmed to authorities that these reports were inaccurate.

Authorities conclude that the coyote’s behavior was not at all predatory and the incident cannot in any way be described as “swarming”.

WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED IS QUITE A DIFFERENT STORY.

THE DOGS – TWO IRISH SETTERS  AND THE COYOTES INTRODUCED THEMSELVES WITH ALL THE USUAL BUTT-SNIFFING BEHAVIOR THAT WE SEE AT THE DOG PARK EVERY DAY.

Then they spent some time PLAYING TOGETHER.

THE COYOTES DID NOT FOLLOW THE VEHICLE AS IT LEFT THE PARK.

MB CONSERVATION HAS NO PLANS TO TRAP OR DESTROY KILCONA’S COYOTES.

MB Conservation reminds us that every major city in North America, including Winnipeg, hosts a large urban coyote population.

When coyotes move into the city, most blend seamlessly into the urban environment. Wary of people, they stick to the edges of developed areas, remaining largely unseen during the day.

Studies show that the most successful coyotes are nocturnal—an adaptation they’ve developed to avoid humans. Most rely neither on family pets nor garbage for food. Instead, they stick to rodents, berries and other fruit, deer, and rabbits.

 

Coyotes have learned how to co-exist with us.  Now it’s up to us to do our part.

There are three types of behaviors that people may mistake for aggression in coyotes: following, staring and howling and yipping.

1. Following: Coyotes are highly intelligent, curious creatures, very much like our own dogs. It’s not uncommon for them to follow hikers, joggers, or cyclists, particularly if they have a den nearby. This behavior is curiosity, not aggression.

1. Staring: Perhaps the most intimidating thing a wild animal can do is simply stare. Those big eyes watching you can seem very frightening. It isn’t about aggression; however, it’s about caution. You might be near a den site, a food source, or even have just startled the coyote. Most of the time, the coyote is watching you because you’re a big, frightening animal, and they don’t know what you’ll do.

1. Howling and yipping: The cacophony at night is amazing to hear, and it’s also frequently misunderstood. The scientific explanation is quite simple. What you’re hearing is the family’s GPS. Coyotes use howls and yips to let other family members know where they are, and to let other coyote families know that this is their territory.

Coyotes want what all of us want: a safe place to raise their young and provide for their families.

Manitoba Conservation Winnipeg District Supervisor, Joe Johannesson has provided KPDC  with a link to two important resources to help us all understand Kilcona’s dog-like neighbours  – a short documentary, “The Rise of the Urban Coyote” and a link to the City of Toronto website, “Wildlife in the City: Coyotes”.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldtJjXhN8rI&feature=youtu.be

http://www1.toronto.ca/wps/portal/contentonly?vgnextoid=559b83cf89870410VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRD&vgnextchannel=b220133adc1c1410VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRD

KPDC Platinum Sponsor Candice Daum Captures the Day!

Posted by president@kilconaparkdogclub.ca / in Information /

Watching Candice Daum capture a moment at Kilcona Dog Park is enough to convince anyone that outdoor dog photography can be messy business. The person behind the camera needs to be happy crawling through the mud and the grass, and bending and stretching at weird angles.

A dog photographer need to be comfortable being jumped on by Jack Russells, pawed by Pugs and kissed by Collies and Corgis. At some point, camera equipment gets covered in drool, shoes get peed on and everything and everyone’s covered in fur. So a dog photographer really, truly, needs to love dogs!

A dog photographer also needs to be exceptionally patient. At the start of a shoot, an excited, playful subject may spend half an hour running, jumping and chasing other dogs before finally calming down enough to be photographed.  In the end, dog photographers know that they will never have that much control over their subject – try telling a puppy to sit still and tilt his head 45 degrees!

Dog photography is similar to sports and wedding photography… if you miss a special moment; it’s not likely to be repeated. Candice is a professional photographer who’s always ready to capture those moments.

Candice is widely recognized for her amazing action shots.  A talented “photo-sniper” who specializes in high-speed animal photography, she waits for the action rather than ‘creating’ it. These kinds of images require a lot of experimentation, dedication, and patience. Pushing her equipment to the limit and developing new techniques for capturing images otherwise missed are hallmarks of her work.

Candice is Manitoba’s only accredited animal sports photographer, endorsed by the Professional Photographers of Canada, which recognizes photographers who have reached a nationally accepted standard of proficiency and knowledge in photographic arts.

KPDC’s Board would like to offer a special thank you to Candice for managing Pawcasso’s Photo Studio at Dog Fest Corn Roast – the studio’s busiest day ever! – and for generously donating all of the money from photo sales to KPDC’s project to bring clean water into the dog park.

To further help with KPDC’s fundraising efforts, between now and the end of September, Candice will also donate half  the proceeds from additional Dog Fest Corn Roast photos orders.

Thanks Candice! Your generosity in giving back to the community is appreciated by everyone who uses Kilcona Dog Park.

 

 

 

 

New Bag Box Marks the End of an Era

Posted by Kilcona Park Dog Club / in Information /

Today marked the end of an era as Kilcona Park Dog Club retired the aging recycled bag container that club founder, Wayne L’Esperance built and donated to the park fifteen years ago. The “bag box”, like an old friend, served Kilcona’s dog community well – but after a decade and a half of service it was showing its age.

In its place, underneath the map, there’s a sturdy new bag box, cheerfully painted a shiny bright red to match the new lost and found box that Bob Christie and Ann Gay constructed and installed last month.