Major roads should never be playgrounds for kids to skateboard, roller blade or practice their jumps popping out of ditches on mountain bikes.
Right now, for kids seeking smooth surfaces for their wheeled contraptions in the Blackburn community east of the airport, there isn't much of an alternative.
So the adults behind the Blackburn Community Association got together and formulated a plan to look for sponsors to help them build an all-wheels adventure park for the area. The facility they envision includes a skateboard park, pump track for BMXers and scooter riders and a mountain bike skills trail, all contained in a lighted area removed from the danger of motor vehicle traffic where parents can keep a close eye on their kids.
"It all got started when our treasurer (Jamie Kranrod) made an off-hand comment about us needing a project to work on and that comment turned into the concept of what the kids could use most and that was some sort of park or area where they can roller-blade," said Blackburn Community Association director David Mothus.
"They all use Giscome (Road) hill which has no sidewalks. There is nowhere to ride in Blackburn and it was literally us saying, 'we have to get the kids off the road.' We want it to be place where people of all ages and all skill levels can come, and parents can come, and all of them will have something to do there."
Mothus and Kranrod approached RE/MAX Centre City Realty and the group of real estate agents has agreed to to provide $120,000 for the park project, paid for through monthly donations from each agent.
REMAX Centre City Realty franchise owner Brent Marshall was sold on the idea of building a project that will be seen as a lasting legacy, picking up on a tradition established decades ago by the city's service clubs.
"It's like they used to do with the Kinsmen and the Legion and the Knights of Columbus, where they used to build things, and (RE/MAX) just ate it up and said. 'Not only will they do this but let's do one every two years for a decade and do one in every area of the city," said Mothus.
"They took our idea for help and turned it into a decade-long project to build a park based upon the needs of the communities. That's the cool part of this. Blackburn is just Number 1."
The Blackburn community has also partnered with local businessman Jordy Hoover, who will provide the dirt and earth-moving equipment needed for construction on the two-acre site. The Yellowhead Rotary Club will donate a portion of proceeds from its Taste of India event in February to help pay for the park. The first phase of construction will begin in May, with the project to be completed in the summer of 2019. The total cost of the project is estimated at $150,000.
Using wood, graffiti-proof composite materials and dirt to create the desired contours, the park is being designed by Canadian Ramp Company of Ontario, which has built more than 2,000 parks worldwide. The skatepark will be built on an existing asphalt pad near the community centre now used as a parking lot. Mothus said having that pad already in place reduces the total project cost significantly.
Since receiving the commitment from RE/MAX, the group has secured use of a city-owned plot of land and has a maintenance agreement with the city. The two-acre site is already equipped with lights, which will be upgraded by the city, and washroom facilities. A final decision on what the park will include will be based on a survey of local residents on the Blackburn Bike Park Facebook page, to be completed sometime in January.
"We've committed $120,00 to them to build a kids park and it's the first of its kind, it's an all-wheels park for everything from skateboards, scooters, bikes and little kids gliders up to mountain bike trails," said Marshall.
"It's the first of its kind in B.C. and it's going to be a blast for kids. This will give them something to do - get them off iPads, get them outside," he said. "We want to keep doing more stuff with kids to get these kids outside doing stuff outside, like how we grew up. They need a place to go.
"I don't believe any parents are happy with the time kids spend on electronic gadgets and video games and this will give them a great place to get outside and get exercise."
Marshall loves the idea of a legacy project to help kids and said the next park will be built within two years in College Heights. He said any community group with an idea for a park design can apply for the RE/MAX legacy adventure parks program.
"They won't all be the same, we will build depending on the needs and wants of the locals in their area, we'll do five of these parks in the next 10 years," Marshall said.
