Pickering Skateboard Parks Strategy Update
It has been 5 years since the Pickering Skateboard Park Strategy was approved and the West Shore Skate Spot has been proof of the need for action sports facilities.
While The Strategy has guided the City of Pickering to this point, there is much to be done and several updates that need to be made to The Strategy.
Here's some suggestions for the future.
1 - No More Murals on Skate Surfaces. Put that 50k into the park. The WSSS mural has caused an issue with user traction. The paint and sealant used left the spot too slippery to ride. The city is addressing the issue slowly.
Update * While the winter was not a bad one, the mural did not fare that well. The paint is still very slick and there are areas that have peeled off. I reached out to the builder prior to painting and he said we needed to remove the concrete sealer with Xylene or the paint would peel. I passed this onto the artist. It wasn't done.
2 - No Honey Locust Trees near skateparks. They are the worst shedders of leaves and stems. Younger Honey Locust Trees also shed their leaves earlier leaving them looking dead while mature trees, maples, oaks etc. retain their leaves longer.
3 - Faux stone finishes on berms to avoid erosion problems. Steep berms are difficult to sod, resulting in the dirt being exposed and then being washed onto the park. These Faux Stone finishes by Transition Construction eliminate the mounds of dirt that have difficulty retaining grass.
4 - Benches. It took a year but WSSS now has the bench it should have had the day it opened. Without benches, users and spectators end up sitting on the obstacles. Additionally, the 2 new trash cans have decreased the overall litter throughout the Community Centre area.
5 - Proper park transitions. The West Shore Skate Spot had a parking lot to skate spot transition of crushed gravel. As it was being installed, I contacted the city and was told 'it will be fine'. I had seen a temporary gravel transition in Arthur and the rocks ended up all over the park. A year of complaints and abrupt stops (known as rock farts due to the sound before the slam) the city finally agreed to asphalt the transition.
6. Coloured concrete instead of murals. Markham is 20yrs old and still stands out.
7. Design/Build Contracts. The West Shore Skate Spot project proved the effectiveness of a design/build contract. The Project was tendered in December of 2021, consults & designs were conducted through the spring and shovels were in the ground July 4th. The spot opened, as promised, 7 weeks later and has been a hub of activity since. If the park is dry, people use it. I recall a fantastic February session with 7 other skaters.
Moving Forward
Pickering now has 2 skateparks, Pickering Skatepark in Princess Diana Park & The West Shore Skate Spot. These parks reside in Wards 3 & 1 leaving only Ward 2 without an action sports facility.
Throughout the consultation process for the WSSS, pump tracks were a frequent request. Two of the parks listed in The Strategy within Ward 2, David Farr Memorial Park & the Hydro Corridor - Liverpool Rd North would be perfect for pump tracks.
The remaining Ward 2 location, Kinsmen Bay Ridges Park, is perfect for a skate spot.
The need for a Community Skatepark still exists with the impending decommission of the Pickering Skatepark. City Staff have been consulting on a new location within the hydro corridor and have requested information on Plaza Style Skateparks.
Back to Ward 1, Mayor Ashe (as a Councillor) mentioned the St Mary's Park might be a good location for a skatepark. I agree and believe a sculptural skate dot would be a perfect addition to the park. See examples below. Additionally, new parks in North Pickering should be planned to include skateparks and spots while older park renovations should consider skate dots (simple ledges or sculptures) that can be skated in the shared public space.
A street spot in Valencia, Spain and concepts based on it.
Sculptural Ledge Features
Lastly, Page 3 of the Pickering Skateboard Park strategy should be edited to read;
Scott Loyst is a local resident, skateboarder and advocate for additional skateboard parks in Pickering. He serves on the Executive Board of the Pickering West Shore Community Association (PWSCA) which organized a federal grant to hire two summer students to design a sensory garden and a skate spot at the West Shore Community Centre location.
Scott presented the students work & his work to the PWSCA at the Annual General Meeting which took place on September 13th, 2017. The PWSCA voted to approve a skateboard park for the West Shore Community Centre should the opportunity arise with the development of the Skateboard Park Strategy 2017.
The Skate Spot was unanimously approved by council after public feedback came in at 91% in support. The spot was constructed in the summer of 2022 and opened to immediate and constant use proving the need for additional action sports facilities in Pickering.
