On Friday afternoon, dog lovers and their furry companions gathered to celebrate the grand opening of the newest park in town. Located just across from the Kingsville Arena on the 2nd Concession,  Repko Dog Park is now officially open and ready to welcome guests of all shapes and sizes for a tail-wagging good time.

The park is divided into two separate and fenced sides for large and small dogs.  Each side has a shade shelter with picnic tables and a number of benches as well as an area where dogs can get a drink of fresh water after running around with old and new playmates.

Both sides of the park are dotted with new trees and large field stones that serve as rest areas for the pups. The walking paths are gravel-covered while the gated entrances have large concrete pads.

Local farmer Paul Repko donated the approximate three acres of property as a way to honour his parents, to give back to the community where he was raised, and to leave his mark in the hope that future generations will remember the contributions his farming family made to the area.

Those who grew up in Kingsville will remember seeing the Repko’s tractors tilling this land for many years.  In 1939, Paul’s paternal grandparents purchased a tract of land on the 2nd which they farmed until the mid 1950s.

At that time, Paul’s parents John and Carole Repko along with his uncle and aunt Andy and Sandy Repko took over the farm.  Paul’s brother Rob joined the family farm in the late 1970s and Paul followed in the mid 1980s.

In the early 1990s, Paul and his brother Rob took over the full farming operation while John and Andy continued to help.  Andy passed away in 1981 and John continued to help the boys by driving tractor.

Over the years, the land was used to grow a variety of crops including corn, soybeans, tomatoes, wheat, sweet corn, pickling cucumbers and wine grapes.

By the mid-2010s, the Repko family could see the writing on the wall.  Residential property was closing in from one direction while greenhouses were moving into the area and creating other challenges.  Paul’s brother Rob also began having health issues, having been diagnosed with cancer.

It was serendipity when a greenhouse grower approached the Repkos, in search of a large block of land.  Family meetings were held and in 2018, the farm was sold and Paul’s dad John Repko decided it was time to retire from farming. He was 81.

The brothers continued to farm for another three years while winding down operations. Paul’s dad John passed in the fall of 2020 and Paul’s brother Rob lost his battle to cancer in 2022.

As a life-long friend of former Kingsville Mayor Nelson Santos, Paul decided to visit him in his office to share that he wanted to make a contribution to Kingsville. A couple of ideas were bandied about between the two old friends and eventually the idea of the dog park was selected as a fitting contribution for Paul to make to his hometown.

The Repko family had cared for a number of pet dogs over the years so the idea just seemed right and the plan was set in motion.

First came the land donation by Paul to the Town of Kingsville.  Once that process was finalized, Nelson took the next steps to bring it to council and apply for grants, taking each step until it was all finalized. As Paul confirms, the process was not easy and COVID delayed progress but, now that it’s complete, he knows that he made the right decision with this donation.