Communities For Skaters

Saskatoon plans more skate parks

Courtesy of Prairie Print Clipping Service.

by Lori Coolican - Star Phoenix - Nov. 9, 2005

Skateboard-loving youngsters in Saskatoon could have three more places to jump and glide a year from now if a proposal to add new skateboard parks survives the upcoming budget process.

The city's planning and operations committee approved a proposal Tuesday to add three satellite parks for beginner to intermediate skateboarders in Umea District Park near Lawson Heights Mall, the Blairmore suburban area and the City Centre suburban area - either Scott Park or Pierre Radison District Park - as well as moving an existing skate area out of the basketball court and into another part of Forest Park.

"When we started with the satellite site program, our concept was to try and get them distributed geographically across the city so there was relative ease of access for kids to get to one of these sites," explained community initiatives manager Shannon Hanson.

"Our hope was to get them constructed in 2006 so that possibly by fall they would be available for use," Hanson said.

The plan now goes to the city's budget committee for approval. Administrators expect to fund the $168,000 cost of expansion through a productivity improvement loan to be paid back over five years, starting in 2007.

"There is a great demand for more skate parks for sure," said Corey Neufeld, who owns skate shop Nine Times Boarding and consulted with the city on designing the park in Lakewood.

"It's very important that there's lots of skate parks in different areas, because most of the people who skateboard will be able to use them more if they can get to them themselves instead of needing rides or to take the bus across town. It's going to make it better for many more kids," Neufeld said.

The Lions skateboard program currently offered by the city includes four satellite parks of 1,000 square feet each. as well as the city-wide facility for boarders of all experience levels on 20,000 square feet in Victoria Park.

posted by Communities 4 Sk8ers @ 12:59 PM