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Vol. 90 Issue 50 • Wednesday, December 11, 2013 • www.arrowlakesnews.com • 250-265-3823 • $1.25 •
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Movement afoot to open dog park in Nakusp stephanie dieterman Arrow Lakes News
What started as a question on the Nakusp Communicator page on Facebook has turned into petition with hopes of being a reality. The question “would anyone want an off-leash dog park in Nakusp” has resulted in 53 people signing a petition saying yes they would, as of Dec. 4. Jackie Kilburn, a certified animal trainer, animal control bylaw officer of Nakusp and owner of Dog Sense Boutique is “so thrilled” at the number of people who have come in to sign the petition which is located at her store on Broadway Street. “Right now we are trying to find out who’s in support of it and who’s willing to work towards it,” she told the Arrow Lakes News. After the holiday season Kilburn would
like to put together a steering committee that would consist of six to ten people for ideas. They would “get together, work out the bugs, come up with a plan, then present it to the village council and see what kind of support they get there.” In Kelowna, Kilburn was a part of the Okanagan Dog Owners Association a non-profit organization and a “voice for the dogs.” The City of Kelowna leased Crown land to the organization for a yearly fee of $1. Members paid a $10 yearly fee and this would go towards maintaining and running the park. The members took turns re-filling the poop bag dispensers weekly, and once a month would have a work party to clean up what others hadn’t. They gave businesses the opportunity to become corporate members by paying around $100 to have their business logo or sign on the fence.
The park in Kelowna not only gave people a place to let their dogs run free and play but also gave trainers the opportunity to give behaviour demonstrations or a Q & A for people having trouble with their dogs. The Okanagan Dog Owners Association also put on events such as doggy Easter egg hunts and a Christmas parade of dogs. This is what Kilburn would like to see here in town or as close to town as possible. You wouldn’t have to be a member to use the park however, anyone would be welcome to go there; but as a member you would have a few small perks as well as a voice in decisions being made. Some might say, why does Nakusp need a dog park when we could take them to the beaches and fields around town? “It would be necessary on a few lev-
Some residents are in favour of opening a dog park in the area around Nakusp. Claire Paradis/Arrow Lakes News els,” Kilburn answered. “That doesn’t teach the dogs any social skills, and if you own a dog in today’s society, the dog also has to be a respectful member of the society otherwise it’s a problem. A dog park for anything, teaches dogs to be
See Dog Park page 2
Outdoor Education going international in 2014
Students are hard at work preparing for the international debut of the fishing flasher project in January 2014. Courtesy Dorian Boswell Claire paradis Arrow Lakes News
Nakusp Secondary Outdoor Education students are representing Nakusp once again, and this time they’re being ambassadors to the entire world. A dozen students are heading down to the Big Smoke of Vancouver to take part in the International Boat Show Jan. 22–26. The excursion is a five-day extravaganza
that sees around 35,000 people interested in boats and big fishing sail past the booths in BC Place Stadium. Having learned some of the tricks of the trade show when Outdoor Ed. went to the BC Boat & Sportsmen’s Show in Abbotsford last spring, the kids are taking what was learned and ramping it up for an international crowd. Right now, depending on when you’re reading the paper, students are hard at work making their signature fishing flashers to sell
“ I want to know more about mutual funds.”
at the show. And they’ve gotten crafty about it, in more ways than one. “My room looks like Santa’s workshop right now,” a child labour version, joked Boswell. The outdoor ed class has also recruited more kids to work on completing the flashers they’re taking down to the coast, and they’re pulling out all the stops to make sure they’re ready. But there are real costs to making the trip with the junior entrepreneurs. “I can’t believe how expensive it is,” remarked Outdoor Ed. teacher Dorian Boswell. This trip’s costs will be about $5–6,000, the lion’s share of which will be spent on hotel rooms for students and chaperones. Fortunately, show organizers gave the students a deep discount for their project, said the teacher, which has been a huge help. People are eager to help the class out, when they hear what they’re doing. There is a lot of support for the kind of real-world, entrepreneurial educational experience that comes with running a booth at a trade show. Vendors and visitors were very impressed by the Outdoor Ed. students’ level of professionalism in the spring, and this trip is aiming to be another big hit. Monetary costs aside, the experience is invaluable said Boswell. “It’s a fun thing to do. The kids are actually having fun making flashers,” Dorian
told the Arrow Lakes News. Not only are the senior students learning about marketing, they are learning to train the next generation. The kids teach junior students how to make the flashers, and learn some conflict resolution skills at the same time, quipped Boswell. Next, elementary students will be learning archery from secondary school mentors. The value of outdoor education is clear to parents of some students (as you can read on page four) and to Arrow Lakes Search and Rescue who help fund the program. But it does take a village to raise a child, or in this case a group of students with a great opportunity. In order to offset costs, the outdoor ed diplomats will take promotional materials to the trade show, for a fee. Businesses or groups anywhere in the valley are welcome to bring brochures to the Nakusp Information Centre before Jan. 4. For 30 bucks (for chamber members) or $45, they’ll take them to the show, with half the proceeds going to the trip and the other half to the chamber to cover administrative costs. Videos and pictures can be given directly to Dorian Boswell. This trip is just the beginning for the class and their fishing flashers, who have been asked to enter the Junior Dragon’s Den contest being held by Community Futures throughout the West Kootenay. Keep your eyes peeled: these kids are going places.
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