News & Updates from the park

AN INVITATION TO JOIN OUR TEAM!

Posted by president@kilconaparkdogclub.ca / in Information /

Are you looking for a fun and fulfilling way to serve your community? Are you passionate about your favourite dog park and willing to work actively to make Kilcona the best off-leash area in Winnipeg?

As a member of Kilcona Park Dog Club’s Board of Directors,  you’ll have the perfect opportunity to use your knowledge, skills, life experiences and insights to give back to a cause you care about.

On November 23, KPDC will elect its 2018 Board of Directors. There are two vacancies that must be filled if the club is to have the resources it needs to move forward with priority park improvements – bringing potable water into the dog park and installing a drinking fountain and rinse station.

Directors act as ambassadors for KPDC, attend 6 meetings a year, and manage the affairs of the club between meetings. These are voluntary positions; however reasonable expenses are paid. Terms are for one year.

All KPDC members over the age of 18 are welcome to serve on the Board of Directors. Prior Board experience is not necessary. KPDC, in cooperation with Volunteer Manitoba, provides not-for-profit Board training to all Directors.

Interested in serving on the Board and/or want more information? Please email Donna Henry at president@kpdc.ca.

Notice of KPDC Annual General Meeting

Posted by president@kilconaparkdogclub.ca / in Information /

NOTICE OF KILCONA PARK DOG CLUB’S ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

Thursday, November 23, 2017 – 6:30pm

Bronx Community Centre

720 Henderson Hwy

All members are invited to attend.

The AGM provides an overview of KPDC’s activities, challenges, and a vision of the future. Business includes reports from the Board and the election of new Directors to fill Board vacancies. It is an opportunity to become informed, to ask questions, and to actively influence the club and improvements to Kilcona Dog Park.

City officials have invited KPDC’s Board to meet shortly before the AGM to discuss options for bringing clean drinking water into the off-leash area. The Project Manager will provide members an update on those discussions and KPDC’s Treasurer will provide an update on the status of our fundraising for the water features project.

 

The 2017 AGM agenda is posted below and the minutes of the 2016 AGM  are available in the “About Us” section of KPDC’s website.

The success of Kilcona Park Dog Club depends upon active participation by all members. We look forward to seeing you there.

Meet and mingle with dog park friends.

Early Bird Membership draw for over $500 in prizes, 50/50 raffle, and valuable door prizes.

Refreshments courtesy of KPDC  Platinum Sponsor, JD Hoggs Sausage Company.

Need to purchase or renew your membership? Sign up at the door.

 

AGENDA

1.  Approval of the 2017 AGM Agenda

2.  Approval of the 2016 AGM Minutes

3.  2016-17 Annual Report

4.  2016-17 audited Financial Report

5.  By-law Amendments  (see below)

6.  Q and A Session

7.  Election of Directors for 2016-2017

8.  Adjournment

Proposed By-law Amendments

The amendments and the rationale for each amendments, is as follows.

1. In the title of the document, and articles 1.1, 1.2 and 15.1 – the name of the club is amended from Kilcona Park Dog Club Incorporated to Kilcona Park Dog Club Inc. to align with the club’s legal name in KPDC’s Articles of Incorporation.

2. Articles 8.8 and 14.1.1 – amended from “The Board shall inform members of the Annual General Meeting via e-mail, on the Club bulletin board and at other appropriate locations at Kilcona Park.” to “The Board shall inform members of the Annual General Meeting via e-mail, on the Club bulletin board at Kilcona Park and on the Club’s Facebook page.” The intent of the amendment is to reflect the actual and most effective practice of communicating with members.

3. Article 9.5 – amended from “Voting at every General Membership Meeting shall be by secret ballot.” to ” “Voting at every General Membership Meeting shall be by show of hands except where a member requests a vote by secret ballot .” The intent of the amendment is to reflect the actual practice while still allowing for ballot voting.

4. Article 11.7.2 – amended from “In accordance with the Corporations Act of Manitoba, the President shall file, on the last day of the anniversary month of incorporation, an Annual Return of Information with the Companies Office, 1010- 405 Broadway Avenue, Winnipeg, MB R3C 3L6.” to “In accordance with the Corporations Act of Manitoba, the President shall file, before  the last day of the anniversary month of incorporation, an Annual Return of Information with the Companies Office, 1010- 405 Broadway Avenue, Winnipeg, MB R3C 3L6.” The intent of the amendment is to reflect actual practice and allow for flexibility.

 

“Make a Splash” Campaign Donors

Posted by president@kilconaparkdogclub.ca / in Information /

 

 

Special thanks to the amazing dog lovers, organizations and businesses that have so generously donated to Kilcona Park Dog Club’s “Make a Splash” campaign. Funds are earmarked to bring clean, fresh drinking water into Kilcona’s off-leash area.

Many individuals have donated to the project this weekend using KPDC’s new online PayPal system. To make a contribution, please follow the link.  http://kilconaparkdogclub.ca/electronic-payments/#.WXUhj-mQy00

Thanks to:

Alice Fokeer

Barb and Craig Handkamer

Benita Truderung

Birchwood Ford

Bruce Cunningham

Candace Mutimer

Crystal Lambertson

Grant Madison

The Samoyed Association of Manitoba

Val Sangster

 

Open Letter to Kilcona Dog Park Users re Off-leash Area Boundaries, Barriers and Leash Law Fines

Posted by president@kilconaparkdogclub.ca / in Information /

Today I received several emails from a dog owner asking for clarification on Kilcona’s off-leash area boundaries. She complained that the boundaries around the play area are not clear and that people have been fined for having their unleashed dogs in Kilcona’s on-leash area. She also asked if either Kilcona Park Dog Club or the City have plans to install a physical barrier between the off-leash and on-leash area.

The individual was under the mistaken impression that Kilcona Park Dog Club owns Kilcona Park and asked that I do something. This is not the first time the Board has heard from a dog owner who believes the club owns the park so it seems like an appropriate time to dispel the myth.

It is also an appropriate time to clarify, once again, the off-leash area boundaries to make it easier for responsible dog owners to comply with the off-leash law and avoid a hefty $200 fine.

CITY’S ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
The City of Winnipeg owns Kilcona Park and its law enforcement agencies, Winnipeg Animal Services and Winnipeg Police Service, have a legal obligation to enforce the City’s by-laws within the park boundaries.

 

KPDC’S ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Kilcona Park Dog Club is the official park steward.  Our volunteers work with park staff to take care of the park by chipping trails, planting trees, hosting park clean-up events and raising money for amenities like the picnic tables, benches and waste bags that we all enjoy.

 

The club also advocates on behalf of KPDC members on matters related to the off-leash dog park and promotes responsible pet ownership.

DOG PARK 101 REFRESHER
With respect to off-leash dog parks, Winnipeg’s Responsible Pet Ownership by-law states that we must have our dog within view at all times. So while our dogs may not be able to read the signs, it is our responsibility keep an eye on them to prevent them from straying into Kilcona’s on-leash area.

DOG PARK BOUNDARIES
The off-leash area boundaries are outlined on the park map but if you’re having trouble reading it, here are the basics. Everything to the north of the cigarette butt receptacle and the median in the parking lot is off-leash and everything to the south, is on-leash. The parking lot is on-leash. Dogs are NEVER allowed on the softball or soccer fields whether they are on leash or not.

At 121 acres, our off-leash area comprises approximately 27% of the park. It is by far the largest dog park in Winnipeg.  There is no shortage of space in Kilcona’s off-leash area.

PHYSICAL BARRIER
KPDC’s priority, approved by the general membership at the last four AGMs,  is to bring potable water into Kilcona and install a drinking fountain and dog rinse station.

There is no money in the City’s budget to install a barrier between the off-leash and on-leash area. In fact, there is no money earmarked for Kilcona until 2021 and those funds will be directed to emergency repairs at Harbourview.

It would fall on KPDC to undertake the project and the club would need a lot more human and financial resources. The Board would also need more than a single request from an individual dog owner  to consider funding a barrier.

The Board will survey members in good standing (those who have purchased a 2017 membership card) to gauge interest in installing a barrier on the southern boundary. If a significant number of KPDC members request it and are willing to raise money or donate to make that happen, the matter will be brought to KPDC’s November Annual General Meeting for a vote.

For information on Winnipeg’s leash laws, here is a link to the Responsible Pet Owner by-law. http://www.winnipeg.ca/cms/animal/pdfs/RPO.pdf

Sincerely,

Donna Henry
President – Kilcona Park Dog Club Inc.

Open Letter to Kilcona’s Dog Park Community – Blowing the Whistle on Irresponsible Dog Owners

Posted by president@kilconaparkdogclub.ca / in Information /

 

Once again there are howls of protest over the ever-increasing amount of unclaimed dog feces at Kilcona Park. Responsible dog owners and other park users are going public, using North Kildonan City Councillor Jeff Browaty’s “North Kildonan – Your Neighbourhood, Your Priorities” https://www.facebook.com/groups/2445830141/ to express their disgust and air their complaints.

On behalf Kilcona Park Dog Club’s Board of Directors, I want to draw attention to the fact that this situation is very damaging to the long-term interest of Kilcona’s dog park community.

At the same time that KPDC is asking for Councillor Browaty’s support in bringing clean drinking water into the dog park, and your Board is working on a proposal to present to City Council for a small expansion to Kilcona’s off-leash area, some park users can’t even clean up after themselves. How can  we possibly ask for more land and more amenities when we can’t take care of the basics!

KPDC has made every effort to making picking up at the park as easy as possible. Over the past year, as part of our pilot project to improve the cleanliness of the park and address Kilcona’s reputation as the “filthiest dog park in the city”, KPDC in cooperation with our sponsor Royal LePage Prime has installed 6 waste bag dispensers. Our sponsor has purchased 82,000 waste bags. That comes at a considerable cost. This morning, your Director of Marketing and Communications delivered another shipment of waste bags to Kilcona park staff.

Making sure bag dispensers are full takes a lot of time, effort and coordination. A KPDC volunteer has to call the supplier in California and order the bags; then contact a courier to deliver them to Winnipeg; then make arrangements with a brokerage firm to pay taxes and other fees to get them across the border; pay for the product, the shipping and brokerage fees and arrange to pick-up the bags and deliver them to Kilcona so park staff can fill the dispensers.

Frankly, this is way too much work for a couple of volunteers, a community-minded sponsor, and Park staff if the end result is that the park is no cleaner than it was in the past. In light of the current situation, KPDC and our partners may have to rethink our role in supplying waste bags. Parks stewardship is the responsibility of everyone – not just KPDC’s Board and our partners.

On top of it all, Kilcona’s unique waste bags are showing up in litter baskets in other parks!

What Will the Board Do To Address the Problem?

1. The Board will  sponsor Kilcona’s 16^th annual spring clean-up in April or May (depending on the timing of the spring thaw) BUT only if the dog community is prepared now to do a lot more than just complain.

2. The Board will continue to promote responsible pet ownership and encourage community  self-policing with programs like the “Number Two” Clue and “Second Bag” programs. Studies have shown that community self-policing is the only effective way to get people to clean up after their dogs.

   In KPDC’s recent survey, 85% of respondents reported that they always pick up after their dog(s). In view of the amount of unclaimed piles of dog feces in the park, it appears that only responsible dog owners responded to the survey. We all need to work together to reach people who aren’t picking up after their dogs.

What Can Kilcona’s Dog Park Community Do to Address the Problem?

 

 

Kilcona’s responsible dog owners are the solution. We need to:

1. Educate, encourage and, if necessary, report irresponsible dog owners who continue to ignore the law.

2. Bring a whistle to the park and blow it to alert distracted or irresponsible dog owners that they need to pick up.

3. Bring extra bags and offer one to those in need. Use one of them to pick up an extra pile each time we visit the park.

4. Call out dog park users who help themselves to more bags than are reasonable. Remind them that most park users bring their own bags.

5. For those  who’ve asked how to report dog owners that don’t pick up, here are Winnipeg Animal Services instructions.

Call or email 311 at 311@winnipeg.ca and provide:

• Your name, address and phone number

• The vehicle license number

• The date and time that you saw the dog defecating off its property

• A description of the dog

Winnipeg Animal Services investigates every complaint. Please note that the agency does not respond to anonymous complaints.

Finally, a sincere thank you to those who take the time and make the effort to clean up after those who don’t. It’s very much appreciated by the entire community.

Donna Henry

President – Kilcona Park Dog Club