News & Updates from the park

Exciting Announcement for Dog Park Lovers!

Winnipeg has a brand new dog park club.   Its members are advocates for off-leash dog park users, acting as park stewards, building a positive social atmosphere for people and their dogs, and most importantly working to protect the park from encroaching development.

Little Mountain Park Dog Club’s founding Directors, Kristy Greening and Jordan Lobe have worked tirelessly to create a strong, sustainable organization. They spent the past year speaking with Little Mountain dog owners, networking with Winnipeg are other two dog park associations – Kilcona and Maple Grove – drafting by-laws, and registering and incorporating the fledgling organization.

The need to organize Little Mountain dog owners and create an advocacy group became evident last August when the City of Winnipeg’s Parks and Open Space re-purposed much of the off-leash area and began renting some of it out to large groups, offering space for big top and party tents, and bouncy toys.

Until last August only Little Mountain’s trails and walkways were designated “on-leash”.

Pre- 2012 on-leash trails and walkways

New 2012 signage reduced off-leash area

The City also declared much of the former off-leash area off-limits, re-signing it as a “naturalized area” where dogs must be on-leash.  Off-leash dogs are forced to use the most dangerous part of the park – the unfenced northwest corner, adjacent to the busy intersection of Farmer and Klimpke, two heavily trafficked rural roads.

Further marginalizing dog owners and dogs, Winnipeg Parks and Open Space took the unprecedented step of allowing the Touch Football Winnipeg League to create a regulation CFL-sized football field right in the middle of the dog park!

Researching off-leash space issues led Little Mountain dog owners to a shocking discovery – a Centrport plan to push an extension of the Chief Peguis Trail right through the off-leash dog park to connect with Winnipeg’s new 20,000 acre inland port.

Little Mountain’s dog community watched as construction work on Klimpke began late last summer.

About 1000 Little Mountain dog owners and supporters signed a petition formally requesting a say in the park’s future.

Little Mountain Park Dog Club has begun a membership drive to show the City the depth of local support for the park. The club’s organizing its first summer BBQ and fundraiser. Check out and “like” their new Facebook page at  https://www.facebook.com/LittleMountainParkDogClub .