| It's All About the Dogs! |
November 2009 |
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 Greetings!
We did it! On October 25, 2009 Mayor Dave Barrow cut the ribbon to officially open Richmond Hill's First Leash Free Dog Park! The turnout was absolutely incredible. We hope you had a chance to join in the festivities.
Check out some photos taken open day here. The K9 Klub would like to thank our generous sponsors and volunteers who made this such a huge success.
A very special thanks to Rick Knight at Global Pet Foods, across the street from the park, for donating personally and from his vendor partners for the huge doggy loot bags!
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An open letter of thanks to the Town of Richmond Hill:
On behalf of the Richmond Hill K9 Klub and the community of dog owners across Richmond Hill, we wish to extend a huge Thank You!
The new leash free dog area on Tower Hill Road is absolutely spectacular and we bet it ranks among the best Dog Parks in the GTA if not Canada! It will definitely raise the bar for dog parks everywhere!
Thank you very much to the Mayor and Councillors for endorsing our vision and approving and seeing through budget approval, design, and implementation.
A special thanks to Councillor Lynn Foster for her perseverance and support over the past years. We are pleased the first leash free area is in her Ward and we look forward to working with the council to add new parks in the other Wards!
We are also extremely grateful to Patrick Lui and Tracey Steele of the Parks Department for bringing the project together. Thank you also to Azadeh Rashvand, also of the Parks Department, for her help with the grand opening celebration. Without the hard work and attention to detail of these individuals, we never would have seen our goal realized.
The Richmond Hill K9 Klub is committed to ensuring that this first off leash dog area's 1 year probationary period is successful. We will work towards ensuring our members, Richmond Hill dog owners and the community use us as first contact for complaints and suggestions and we will attempt to resolve issues before they escalate to the town or the OSPCA. Our public meetings, in conjunction with the parks department, our website and regular e-newsletters will keep the public well informed and interactive.
Sincerely,
Richmond Hill K9 Klub |
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Our First Park "Issue"
Although everyone that our park volunteers have spoken to are absolutely pleased with the new park, one particular issue came up right away...
Poop bags and garbage; what to do with them. The only receptacle is the one pictured above and at the entrance to the park. After much research, the Town decided on this unit for the benefits it offered. The design is such that it holds more, needs emptying less frequently, cuts down on odour and is certainly more attractive than numerous garbage cans and green bins lining the entrance. This is the only bin that will be provided for ALL waste for the foreseeable future, so if it offends your recycling sensibilities, please feel free to take your waste home with you and recycle accordingly. The K9 Klub has committed to doing basic daily maintenance; this means ensuring the park remains clean and safe for the dogs and owners. Please remember that we are unpaid volunteers and need everyone to do their part by cleaning up after themselves and their dogs. | |
Coming Events!
Sunday, November 15th, 2009
Richmond Hill Santa Claus Parade!
COME WALK WITH US! The Richmond Hill K9 Klub is once again participating in the Santa Clause Parade. We will be leading, with our new banner, an entourage of dogs, wearing Klub bandanas, and their owners. Please email our club Secretary, Christina Cyr at cuffs_24@msn.com confirming your attendance, and she will email you all of the details such as time and staging area etc. We have space reserved for 20 people with dogs; however we can expand on the number if we give the parade coordinator enough notice. Please let us know if you would like to join no later than Tuesday, November 10th. We'd love to see you! | |
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| What's Next on the K9 Klub to-do list?
We are in the process of having a Klub bulletin board manufactured and installed in the new leash free area, the design of which the Town must approve. We are working with the Canadian Tire, Oak Ridges store nearby and Global Pet Foods across the street who have generously offered to fund the project. This weatherproof, lockable sign and case will allow the Klub and the Town to communicate important and helpful information to the users of the park.
The first of several Public Meetings that will take place over the course of this pilot project is currently being planned. The meeting will take place at the town offices and will allow everyone the opportunity to discuss with the Parks Department and the K9 Klub any issues that have arisen and make suggestions. We'll make sure to give everyone a heads up when the date has been settled upon. | |
Park Volunteers Needed! 
We are looking for volunteers to help ensure the leash free area pilot project is a success.
The task is simple but very important. Our park volunteers perform tasks such as basic park cleanliness and email reporting on any safety, maintenance or user issues whenever they are at the park. There is no schedule, but we would prefer volunteers who can visit the park at least twice a week.
If interested, please email us at volunteer@rhk9klub.ca and we'll send you out full details. Park Volunteers are given a badge/wallet to wear around their neck so they are easily identified. | |
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We have lots more information to share so keep an eye out for future newsletters and notices. Thank you very much for your support.
Full Membership in the Richmond Hill K9 Klub is currently $20/year and entitles you to attend member only events, official general meetings of the Klub, vote on issues, stand for nomination and election to the board of directors and generally get involved in the politics and growth of the Klub. Drop us an email if you are interested.
Remember...
It's All About the Dogs
Sincerely,
David Walker, Co-Chair
Richmond Hill K9 Klub
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