by Sharon Jackson
KAGAWONG—Sunny skies welcomed canines of all sizes and breeds and their owners at Bark in the Park held at the Island’s only off leash dog park this past weekend.
Members of the Billings Recreation Committee, led by Carol Corneau, held car washes and other activities over the past year to raise funds for a much needed permanent sign for the park.
Designed by graphic artists Keokee and Richard Maloney (former residents of Kagawong), the bright red sign was unveiled as part of the fourth annual event. Pulling the cover (created by Recreation Committee member Charlene Chambers) was MPP Mike Mantha along with Master of Ceremonies Sandi Hurcomb, Billings Mayor Aus Hunt and Mr. Maloney.
Ms. Hurcomb welcomed everyone to the afternoon, sharing that the park has been used daily since it first opened. Mr. Hunt and Mr. Mantha were also present for the leash cutting ceremony which took place during Summer Fest in July of 2010.
“This is a very dog oriented town,” shared Ms. Hurcomb. Since the park opened a standing ‘play date’ has taken place on Sunday afternoons at 1 pm.
Members of the rec committee, said Ms. Hurcomb, “have put in so much work (at the dog park) and today we are here to unveil the new sign. Members include Anna Aelick, Stasia Carr, Charlene Chambers, Jim Chambers, Carol Corneau, Barb Erskine, Jill Ferguson and Gail Los.”
Mayor Hunt was next to speak. “Welcome everyone and welcome all the canines, woof woof. This is their day. Thank you to all the people who started it (the park) and for how it has evolved into what we see today. This is a wonderful committee. We have so many great committees in our township.”
Mr. Mantha was last to speak, whistling to get the attention of the public, but more specifically the dogs. He congratulated the committee for their work in putting on the event and for the four years of fundraising and so many thankless hours.
An avid animal lover, Mr. Mantha has a golden retriever Abbey at home along with four cats. “We love animals, they are a part of the family,” he shared. “Looking around I see there is something missing—a fire hydrant. This park needs a tree,” the MPP joked. Mr. Mantha stated he plans to donate three trees to offer shade and relief to the dogs.
Ms. Hurcomb addressed the crowd again before playtime began. “Jim and Linda Ferguson (who live next door to the dog park) generously donated a park bench in memory of Betsy Fraser, a long time summer visitor to Kagawong.” It will be a much appreciated and admired addition to the park.
Playtime for smaller dogs began first, followed by larger canines and then an invitation for all dogs to play together.
Dog behaviourist Nancy Milburn, a regular at the event, offered IQ tests throughout the afternoon such as ‘Is your dog an Einstein,’ which included four timed activities. They included retrieving a hot dog from the bottom of a pail of water, amount of time to remove a blanket that had been put over their head, unwrapping a hot dog from a newspaper and a thinking test. Ms. Milburn put a hot dog in a bowl inside a crate, showed it to the dog and then closed the door. It was up to them to find a way to get around to the other end of the crate to retrieve the treat (which was open).
Sharon Simms of Sharon’s Sunshine Dog Grooming, who opened her business last October, was on hand to provide nail trimming. She generously donated any proceeds back to the committee.
Terry of Memory Gardens Pet Crematorium based in Lively offered a variety of lovely hand crafted boxes and other containers for purchase as the final resting place for ‘man’s best friend.’
As part of the program, a scavenger hunt and three games were played including a water relay, musical chairs and the laundry game where owners had to run to a bag of laundry, dress their pet in a pair of men’s boxer shorts, ensuring the tail was put through the front opening and race back to the start. Winners included Zoey, Ina, Paige and Nora.
Bark Busters, Cat’s Pet Supplies and Magical Paws Pet Therapy brochures were made available as resources for pet owners. Donations to Pet Save and the University of Guelph were also accepted. Ms. Chambers, who sold bandanas and refreshments at the committee’s information tent, said, “people were very generous.”
Organizer Ms. Corneau summed up the afternoon by saying “what a great day. It was good weather, everybody helped out. We have such a good group on the committee. We have been able to build on the event. Support from the different levels of government was also very appreciated.”
