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Port Edward skateboard park opening stalled by insurance concerns

The District of Port Edward received an offer to help open the new skateboard park in style next month, but so far are unable to commit due to concerns about insurance.

The District of Port Edward received an offer to help open the new skateboard park in style next month, but so far are unable to commit due to concerns about insurance.

A letter from Loaded Sports employee Jeremy Mathison pitched the idea of opening the brand new skate park on Sunday, September 11, with a free skateboard and bike competition complete with prizes and a sound system provided by the business. Plans also included a fundraising barbecue at the event to benefit the Port Edward volunteer fire department

Loaded Sports would also make helmets mandatory and require participants to sign a waiver provided by either the business or the District of Port Edward as has been done for events at the park in Prince Rupert.

The only thing asked of the District was to cover the cost of the insurance for the event, which is something Mayor Dave MacDonald says was a concern at the moment.

“We don’t have a policy yet on the skateboard park. It can’t be covered under a policy which sees us pay $200 and the organizers pay $30 or $40 because skateboard parks aren’t covered under that. We are covered under the municipal insurance if we’re the ones organizing it. We can’t just say to the businesses ‘go ahead and do it’,” he said.

“Another thing that concerns me is the noise because they do talk about having music and speakers. We do have to consider the residents living in the area.”

Another concern is that Chief Administrative Officer Ron Bedard, who normally looks after insurance matters, is on vacation and when he gets back an event on September 11 would be too short of notice to hold the event.

“By no means am I against it...They’ll just have to have it later than the September 11 date they wanted,” he said.