Communities For Skaters

Skate News - Yorkton

Thanks to Prairie Print Clipping for this article.

Skateboard park move and upgrade planned
Calvin Daniels - Yorkton This Week - June 29, 2005

The existing skateboard park appears to be on the move this summer, but where it ends up is likely to be only a temporary location awaiting plans for a major development within a few years.

The City of Yorkton has already set aside $60,000 from a centenary grant to purchase new skateboarding structures, but there was also a desire not to install the equipment at the current park on Foster Street.

Thursday city officials, including Mayor Phil DeVos, met with users of the park to discuss just how a new park should be developed. They Mayor said that at the top of the list for changes was location.

"This isn't the right location," he said, adding he favoured a downtown location. "We want to get the skateboard park out of this location number one."

The location the park is likely to move to later this summer is the empty lot directoy to the west of the fire hall on Smith Street.

The location provides access to trained personnel in the event of an injury occurring, is close to the RCMP office to stop vandalism, and has the high exposure of Smith Street.

The lot would be resurfaced and fenced at a cost of about $12,000, and then have $60,000 worth of skateboarding structure installed.

However, DeVos said ultimately the park could move again as plans are formulated for a park which could cost half a million dollars to be built somewhere in the not to distant future.

That's where public input is needed.

Terry Chornomud, who operates B3 Xtreme which sells skateboarding equipment in the city said any new park must be designed to meet the type of skating most local skaters pursue.

"The majority are street skaters," he said. "That's why all of us get chased off stuff (like steps in the city)."

It was also suggested that any new park be flexible in the sense that it be useable by in-line skaters and BMX bike riders too.

Boarder Aaron Kienle of Can Clothing said concrete means versatility.

"One hundred per cent cement provides a park everybody can use," he said.

Chornomud said while he appreciates a massive new park could take several years, younger skaters don't function with time the same way. He said to them talk of a new park "is like waiting for Christmas," and if they then hear three years, or longer, "they get all depressed because it's like waiting three years for Christmas."

He said if skateboarders came to Council with dollars in hand it could speed a new park being built.

posted by Communities 4 Sk8ers @ 7:56 PM