Project Involvement

 Skatepark Projects

I got into skatepark advocacy in ~2013 when I did my big year of skateboarding every day.  I dove into different advocacy guides and committed skatepark data to memory. I've been involved in a number of projects since. 'Involved' paints with wide strokes. There are many ways to be 'involved' in a skatepark project. The simplest would be following a projects social media posts. The most involved would be the lead advocate of a project that makes its way through all the planning, city meetings, design and construction stages.  

I like to say "I stick my nose in where it belongs but wasn't invited".  I've had some neutral responses but most have been very positive, & never negative.  My goal is never to change the project for my preferences but to get the community I'm assisting get their best possible park.  

Here's what I've stuck my nose in.😆

Elmira - In 2013 I was looking for more parks to skate so I started googling ('Town Name' Skatepark) and found out that Elmira was having an open house to connect with the community about their upcoming skatepark project.  I attended. It was hosted by city staff and featured Spectrum Skateparks president Jim Barnum. The presentation hall was packed and the response from the community was positive.  
I met Jim and we hit it off.  Later that year, I supplied first aid services at a fund raiser event for the park.  I also attended 2 design meetings where I presented several Maple Syrup themed skate obstacles (Elmira is famous for its Maple Syrup Festival).  One city staff frustratingly said 'we do more than maple syrup, you know'.

In the end, the park was designed with a large maple leaf acid etched into one of the banks.  I checked out the build twice and brought the crew coffees. 

When the park opened, I attended the grand opening and even skated the demo since the bowl wasn't being skated.

Nelson Skatepark, Burlington - In 2013(again), I attended a skatepark design workshop in Burlington for Nelson Skatepark. It was run by Pro Skateboarder Kanten Russell who then worked for Stantec. I'm not sure why Burlington went with an American company but my groups design became the working design. It was a linear park with a mini-ramp off the side.  I even attended the design open house where I was answering so many questions about the design, attendees assumed I worked for the city. The city didn't approve a proper budget so the mini-ramp got scrapped.  The lowest bidder ended up being CRC and the park was built using a lot of pre-cast concrete ramps. The final result was underwhelming.

Fischer Skatepark, Kitchener - I wasn't too involved with this project. I attended the second of 3 workshops. At the first workshop, attendees had put stickers on boards or skate obstacles, indicating what they wanted for the park.  There was something like 80% support for a snake-run.  At the second meeting, the one I attended, NewLine had two concept designs and one was snake-run based.  The snake-run concept was universally hated by the group.  In addition to this park, the town was planning a second park. I suggested this would be a great opportunity to create two very different parks utilizing the 400k budgets (ie a 400k plaza and a 400k transition park). Not being local I didn't push my idea beyond the suggestion. Consultation continued and the park "HAD" to have a deep bowl and "HAD" to have long ledges. The end result is a park with a deep bowl that most don't ride and a lot of the basic features (flat rail, flat ledge, manny pad) are high or are difficult to learn on. 

Fundy Bay Skatepark, Toronto - I attended both meetings for Fundy Bay and was a part of some of the post meeting surveying.  I arrived early to the first meeting and some staff from Toronto Parks were setting up display boards with various pictures of skateparks.  I looked over them and noticed some familiar photos.  

'Where'd you get these?' I asked.  'Oh, we got them from Migs from the Toronto Skateboard Committee. Do you know him?'  'No,' I said 'but I know who he is. I was wondering because I took this photo, and this one, and my friend took this one.' I continued, 'this is me jumping the 5 stair the morning of my wedding in my rented tux.'    I later met Migs, went to a TSC meeting, got to the second meeting (in which then Councilor Jim Karygiannis sent some NIMBY's packing) and met up with the build crew while the park was going in.

Neilson/Malvern Skatepark, Toronto - Fairly limited involvement for me.  The local community had been doing a summer pop-up skatepark and had a great thing going. I attended the meetings to support and offered a couple ideas to help brand the park to the neighbourhood.  I don't think I was the only person who suggested it, but the result was the big floating bank with the 'M' for Malvern.

Stanley Greene Skatepark, Toronto - This one was fun.  Stanley Greene park was being planned for a community under development which meant 2 things. 1- No local skaters to survey. 2- No local NIMBY's to fight the project.  Migs & TSC invited myself and some other skatepark users to design a beginners level skatepark.  I took my hard drive full of skate photos so anytime someone suggested an obstacle I was able to pull up 5 examples.  The Design company was interested in creating an interactive park. I believe on an unlimited budget they would have included fiberoptics into the concrete and sensors that play sounds/mucic as you rode over them. We had a few more back and forths online about the design and I checked out the construction. The bank to ledge with the beveled sides is almost identical to an obstacle I doodled at the meeting.😀

Newcastle -  Clarington announced online (during covid) that Newcastle was getting a skatepark and review 3 concepts and fill out the survey.  The designs were all metal pre-fab ramps from CRC.  I sent a letter explaining some of the issues with metal ramps. Some Locals also chimed in and the project returned as a PIP concrete park.

Lake Wilcox Skatepark, Richmondhill - I attended the open house where the design was presented. I was chatting about additional skateparks in RH and the staff told me that RH had been including skatable features in public parks without calling them 'skate dots' and therefore, had no pushback.  'It's a shared public space', he said about the wavy ledges in Mt Pleasant Park.  I'm sure he said something about one at Mill Pond but I've never found it. I was also to get out to the park after the soft opening for the city to shoot some video of myself and others using the park for their socials.

Caesarea Skatepark - Sometimes, it pays to 'Like & Subscribe'.  I'd been following the Caesarea Skatepark project on FB. I was unable to attend anything until the groundbreaking.  I chatted with the lead, Susie, and when the photo was taken, she made sure my son and I were in the picture.  'but I didn't do anything!' I said.  'But you're our biggest fan!' Susie replied.  I was also able to get out to the grand opening.  Several years later I went back to the park and ran into Susie, who was there doing some gardening around the park.  What a Legend!

Cornwall Rd Skatepark, Oakville - I got a lot of flack on this project but I blame the lazy locals.  The project was kicked off by a local scooter rider who went to council. The project sat idle for a long time. I was contacted by a local news outlet who was running a story and wanted to use one of my photos. That's when I discovered the park was going to be pre-fab. A different local and I contacted council and expressed our concern.  It was changed to PIP. There were several Requests For Proposals (RFP's) that went out and were cancelled, either due to too high bids or lack of competition.  At some point, the city put out 2 designs by NL for survey. In two week, under 40 people responded. The design was set and again, bids for the build were cancelled, reposted and accepted.  I put the final design out on my IG and locals gave me 💩, like it was my fault. You bums couldn't be bothered to pay attention.  Anyways, My son and I took drinks to the build crew and the park is fun. 

Rockwood - I'd filled out some of the online surveys for the park but when the final concept came out I noticed a rail right where someone would do a flyout. I sent an email with a recommendation to make the rail just across the flat, as opposed to across and down the bank.  I also sent this info to a co-worker who lives in Rockwood for submission. The offending rail was not included in the construction.

Burford - I've been communicating regularly with the lead advocate to help them get the best park for their budget. Construction is underway as of September 2024. Grand Opening in 2025.

Milverton - I discovered Milverton had signed with CRC for their project because CRC stated they could deliver on an accelerated timeline (everyone wants skateparks after the olympics).  I sent the Rotary Club 'Their Best & Worse'  in a message and warned that CRC can produce good parks, under the right conditions. I received a message back soon after - 'I'm going to message you from my personal account'  Oh, I've really stirred it up now.  M, from Milverton was super nice saying 'We're the Rotary Club, we're great at raising money but we aren't skaters'   M sent me the design and asked what I thought.  I made a ton of recommendations, did sketches and provided rationale for everything. In the end, the park isn't perfect but it's way better than the first draft design. I can't wait to go back. (PS - I went back and got a Slide n' Cracker! Video Here)

Some of the park projects I have had some limited involvement with Advocacy, surveys & open house attendance - Georgetown, Acton, Caledon (I've been in touch with their Parks Dept, attended the Southfields design open house and brought drinks to the build crew), Whitby, Hamilton (the Hamilton Skatepark Strategy uses my photos), Lindsay, Markham (I've had a bunch of interactions with Markham, Here & Here), Orillia, Paris Phase 2, Pefferlaw (Finally, a kicker on a pump track!), Virgil and a few projects in Toronto.  I've also been hassling Brampton and calling out Belleville on their bad skate dot designs (fun fact - they were improved but still came out bad).  I've started to call out Canadian Ramp Company on their low quality work.

And Lastly - Pickering.  Check it out HERE😃

I think I'm missing something😕