By the end of the month skateboarders living in the District of Port Edward will have the same luxury as skaters in Prince Rupert; a skateboard park in their community.
Although youth had been sending letters to Mayor Dave Macdonald asking for the council to consider creating a park in previous years, it wasn’t until last fall that council had serious plans of creating a park in the district. And since it was the youth who wanted the skate park, council asked for help from them.
“We approached the younger people in the community about the park and they came out and chose a lay-out that they liked and that’s what council went with.” Said Port Edward’s Chief Administrative Officer, Ron Bedard.
The new skateboarding park is located south of Port Edward Elementary School, near the district’s tennis court. The Canadian Ramp Company, the world’s largest skate-park provider, constructed the park, which consists of nine ramps; mini ramps, grind rails and grind boxes. All nine ramps are made of quarter inch steel with powder coating, and have a twenty-year warranty.
“[The skateboard park] is not open yet, but it’s just about done.” Explained Bedard, who says a little more work needs to be done to the park, which he estimates will be ready by the end of the month at the latest.
The District of Port Edward put $40,000 towards the park project, as well as receiving impressive funding from the Prince Rupert Port Authority and Ridley Terminals Inc for this and other projects.