Seaton Rec Complex

Work in Progress. Constructive Comments Welcome 

The upcoming Seaton Recreation Complex & Library project is a perfect opportunity to make a meaningful impact in regards to providing much needed action sports facilities in Pickering. The 2017 Pickering Skateboard Park Strategy includes a Community Skatepark (1200sqm - 2500sqm) in this location and acknowledges the need for skateparks outside the Downtown Pickering area.

Pickering Skateboard Park Strategy. December 2017. Page 15.

1. Amount of space available is huge compared to the amount of free space available in the core of Pickering. 19 Football fields as per the FAQ.  Space in an urban area is often an issue, making this the perfect opportunity for a Community Sized Skatepark.  One recommendation is to build the Skatepark as one of the last features at this location.  The Skatepark at the Wellesley Township Recreation Centre was built over a year before the facility was open to the public resulting in issues of people entering the active construction site to used the finished skatepark.

2. With the inclusion of Skateboarding and Freestyle BMX in the 2020 Olympic Summer Games, requests for information to The Skatepark Project (formerly The Tony Hawk Foundation) have gone up 600%. Communities are including skateparks in their Community Recreation Projects.  Whitby is planning a full park with pump track and Pefferlaw is soon to open their skatepark and pump track.  I have recently been out to Wellesley, ON and saw their new Skatepark at the Wellesley Township Recreation Centre. I have been contacted by the city's Arnold Mostert to provide information on small skateparks for a proposed skate spot at the future Dave Ryan Community Park and compiled two studies of small skateparks.

Whitby Sports Complex Skatepark & Pump Track concept

3. Re-allocate 700K budget. There’s already unspent money from the 2019 budget for a large skatepark. That amount was increased to 850,000 dollars in the 2022 Approved Capital Budget (5780.2213. Page 47)

Pickering 2019 Capital Budget. Page 207

4. There are early plans for a new park in the corridor to the north of Kingston Rd but Arnold Mostert had been updating me about all the challenges involved. Hydro does not want structures build up or major excavation.  Arnold's asked me for info on plaza style skateparks which can accommodate these restrictions.  Decreased excavation and in-fill also decreases the overall cost of plaza style skateparks.

5. There are many ways to increase the budget of this project from outside sources. The Trillium Grant, corporate sponsorships & even  federal grants. A grant from the Federal Economic Development Agency of Southern Ontario that has been used to build two skateparks in the last year.  Recently, The Town of Newmarket announced a multi-year sponsorship commitment with telMAX, which included naming rights for both the indoor and outdoor skateparks.  

6. The city doesn’t even need to start from scratch. They have an unused design Newline created for the 2017 Skatepark Strategy to use as a starting point.

7. Library incorporation.  When the City of Fredricton, NB opened their skatepark the Fredricton Public Library began a program that loans Skateboards, Helmets and Pads to anyone with a library card as well as hosting workshops on skateboard maintenance.

8.  The City's Social Media is filled with comments requesting additional action sports facilities.  When the City presented the West Shore Skate Spot Survey, commenters requested bowls, mini-ramps, pump tracks, bike parks and more. Here are some examples.