News & Updates from the park

Kilcona Dog Park will be getting a major facelift, thanks to a $20,000 grant to KPDC.

North Kildonan Councillor Jeff Browaty made the announcement at the club’s 10^th Anniversary Dog Fest to the delighted cheers and applause of Kilcona dog owners.

Photo credit: Vince Pahkala

Browaty has been a strong supporter of Kilcona Dog Park, expanding it in 2009 to make it the largest off-leash area in Winnipeg. At 49 hectares, Kilcona now makes up half of all the off-leash space in the city. In 2010 the North Kildonan Councillor pledged to make it Winnipeg’s premier dog park.

Browaty praised KPDC’s park improvement fundraising raising efforts. “The club, the volunteers and now too, the corporate sponsors – are raising lots of money. There are lots of opportunities and the City also has a big role to play. That’s why I’m announcing the Land Dedication Reserve Fund grant to Kilcona Park Dog Club.”

KPDC will use the funds to purchase park benches and wheelchair/scooter accessible picnic tables for the off-leash area –  priorities that club members identified in a park improvement survey in July 2013.

In making the announcement Councillor Browaty referred to the recent proposal to reduce the size of Kilcona’s off-leash area. The proposed reduction was a component of a new master plan for Kilcona/Harbourview. The plan has not yet been released for public review and consultation.

The Councillor praised KPDC, its volunteers and corporate sponsors for creating  a sense of community at Kilcona. “It’s great to see the park being used. Today the premier park users are dog owners. When there were proposals put out by consultants that didn’t really know the park  to reduce the size of the park, it was the people here that stepped up and said, “Hey – this is not acceptable”. Thank you for making your voices heard and making everyone understand that this park is well used, very well loved and that off-leash area dog park users are very important.”

The Land Dedication Reserve Fund is a special fund created from cash payments that land developers make to the City  in lieu of establishing parks or green space in new developments. The Fund is dedicated to the acquisition and improvement of land for parks, recreation and community use.

Councillor Browaty and East Kildonan Councillor Thomas Steen awarded KPDC an additional $500 Per Capita grant for for costs associated with Saturday’s fundraising event.