Fireworks display not OK with Kilcona dog park users
Some Winnipeg pet owners are worried about a fireworks display set to go off right next to a dog park.
"A dog park is the last place you would ever have a fireworks display because lots and lots of dogs are really terrified. What happens is they bolt and they're so panicked," said Donna Henry, president of the Kilcona Park Dog Club.
Organizers of the annual Transcona Hi Neighbour Festival obtained a permit to hold their June fireworks display at the Harbourview recreation area of Kilcona Park.
Chad Panting, a board member with the festival, said the location was sought out because the owners of the venue used in previous years no longer sponsor the event.
Henry, who is is appealing to the city to have the permit revoked, is worried dogs will bolt out of panic and into traffic. Kilcona is bordered by Springfield Road and Lagimodiere Boulevard.
"You know what fireworks are like, they're up there and you know, they're visible from every place in the park. My response was this is a totally inappropriate activity," she said.
"We hope that it will get resolved, and get resolved in a way that's fair to both groups," she said.
Panting said the fireworks are set to go off after 10 p.m. when the park is closed. He said he would be horrified if dogs were spooked.
He wants to reach out to Henry to see if there is anything else that can be done to put the dog owners at ease. If he must, Panting said he will walk the park an hour before the fireworks show to let people know about it.
