Important Toronto Documents

 Important Toronto Documents

After some recent projects have come to light, I thought having all the important docs in one spot might help.

Toronto Skateboard Strategy

Toronto Skateboard Strategy Homepage

Implementation Strategy for the Parks & Facilities Master Plan 2019-2038

Toronto Parks & Recreation Plan 2019-2038

Toronto Parks & Recreation Facilities Plan Homepage

TSC's Recommendations on the 2021 Toronto Capital Budget

Everything going on in Toronto Right Now (Dec 2024)

What happened in 2024?

What happened in 2024?

Why is the sky blue?

What is concrete?

2024 was another great year.

I hit 36 new parks for a total of 572!

Top 3 - LaSalle -  Buffalo, NY

Unity - Northville, MI

Luke Nelson - Medina, NY

New Parks 2024

1. Impact 2.0 @ Evergreen Brick Works #537
2. Wellesley Rec Complex Skatepark 3/30 
3. Ripley, ON #539 5/23
   
4. LaSalle/Buffalo Skate Plaza #540 6/20
   
5. Outer Harbour DIY
6. Lakeside Bike 
7. Bryce Buchholz Memorial- Lancaster Skatepark
8. Alix Rice Peace Park Skatepark
9. Phatman Boardshop & Park
10. Ives Skatepark - Tonawanda
11. NF skatepark - NF NY
12. Pefferlaw Pump Track & Skatepark 6/26
    
13. 22 Wing Skatepark- CFB North Bay 7/08
    
14. Extreme Park- Kirkland Lake #550!
15. Carter Antila Memorial- New Liskeard/Temisakming Shores
16. Temagami Skatepark
17. Waterford, ON. 7/26 #553 
18. Sonny Belch Skate Dot, Belleville 8/12
    
19. Bismark Park Skatepark- Cambridge 8/14 #555
20. Stork Family YMCA- Waterloo
21. RIM Pump Track- Waterloo
22. Dowling 2.0 8/23 
23. Highland DIY Skatepark 9/12
    
24. Unity Skatepark, Northville, MI #560 
25. Luke Nelson Skatepark- Medina, NY 9/16
    
26. The Railyard Skatepark- Lockport, NY
27. Lewistown, NY. Twin of Mold-master 1.0
28. Nobleton Pump Track 10/9
29. Manotick Skatepark & pump track 565 10/10
30. Findlay Creek
31. Greely skatepark
32. George Jowett Memorial random ramp near Morrisburg. 
33. Southfields Skatepark, Caledon. 10/14
34. Oakville 16 mile Creek Skatepark & Pumptrack 10/18
35. McNally st Skate Dot, Georgetown 10/25
36. Brimorton/Meadowglen Sk8 Dot 12/02

Honourable mentions - Wellesley, Southfields & Bismark Park, Cambridge.

I went to the states a couple times.

Let's Go Buffalo!

2 trips up north.

My kids have started to make some trips with me.

My Halloween costume was a miniature replica of The Hoof. I built it out of cardboard over the winter and then made a little edit. My costume won the Later Skaters Halloween Bash best over-all costume.

On the Advocacy side, I've continued to push for more parks in Pickering as well as getting the West Shore Skate Spot usable again after an ill advised paint job. Pickering is working on new parks (slowly) and recently updated the 10yr Parks & Rec Master Plan with includes quite a bit about All-Wheels Parks.

The West Shore Skate Spot Spring Clean-up collected over 300lbs of waste from the area.

I've been freelance consulting on projects for a few years but I made an official post. Let me help you! Free Skatepark Consultations.

Southfields in Caledon finally opened adding to my pre-work park network. I barged on Thanksgiving. Park 569.

My Battle against CRC continues with another 2 botched concrete jobs  (there's a third I haven't been able to lurk yet).  One of their pre-fab installations too a bite out of my wheel and one of the concrete spots failed so bad the central feature was rebuilt within a few months.

Before

After

Check out Their Best and Worst.

I dug deep into Toronto's Parks project page and found 14 previously unknown Skate Feature projects (Everything from skateparks to skate dots & legal street spots).  I then discovered 2 of the projects are complete.

Brimorton Skate Dot

This year's Xmas Skate Edit

Skateboarding is awesome. Don't gatekeep. Don't be a kook. Don't yuck somebody else's yum. Build stuff. Skate the way you want. Progression, not Perfection.

Rest in Peace Patti McGee

We got a Damn Patti board when we found out we were having a girl.  Patti signed the deck and wished my daughter a 'happy birthday' every year. She's a legend and will never be forgotten.

New Skate Dot on Brimorton Dr

 New Skate Dot on Brimorton Dr

So I found this project after pouring through 225 different Toronto Park projects.  I couldn't find any other info then 'Feature 9 - Large open lawn/passive play skating feature (informal space for skateboarding and rollerblading with small concrete slopes)'

So on a day off, I went to lurk the spot that I though wouldn't be complete until 2026. Well Surprise! Phase 1 is complete and the 'informal' skate spot is there.  It's more of a shared public space or legal street spot consisting of 3 rollers and a manny pad. The Public side of the ledge is capped.

I wasn't planning of skating but when opportunity calls...ya gotta answer.

Southfields Skatepark

 Southfields Skatepark

225 Dougall Ave

Caledon, ON

The newest addition to Caledon's action sports network is a sweet skatepark by Transition Construction.  I was able to get to the build a few times, delivered drinks and snacks to the crew, and got progress reports.

The park features a triangular street section with a spine that leads to a small but great bowl. 

I'm told that Benches, Shade Structure and Trash Cans will be installed in the spring. Keep it clean til then.

Tour Video

FS & BS ledges with beveled fronts.

Mellow 'Pier 7' ledge.

QP pocket with spine to bowl.

Brick stamped Hip!

C - Ledge

Nice bowl.  Shallow works as a mini.  It's well designed and built so I had no problem getting speed and slashing the pool coping.

Slappy Curb on the bank

The step-up is 'scoop style' to prevent hangups.  

The wide angle lens makes the flat bar look cockeyed. It's not.
 

Everything Happening in Toronto RIGHT NOW!

 Everything Happening in Toronto 

RIGHT NOW!

There's a lot happening. (Dec 1, 2024)

You just gotta know where to look.

TORONTO Parks Website I got all this info from.

The other days I posted that there are 225 current Toronto Parks & Facilities projects. I went through all of them and this is what I found. There were 2 additional projects that had skate features cut due to lack of support. All Timelines subject to change.

Earl Bales Skatepark - Probably the best known current project. The design is finalized. ETA - Fall 2025

1.5-foot bank turn-around

Three-foot bank turn-around/hip

Six-inch slappy curb

14-inch flat rail

14-inch flat ledge

Four-foot slappy bank with inset six-inch manual pad

1.5-foot transition turn-around

Three-foot transition turn-around

1.5-foot table top

Two-foot a-frame with rooftop rail and ledge

Five stair set with down rail

Hubba / out ledge

Slappy out rail

Two-foot transition turn-around

Confederation Park Skatepark - The city is taking applications for Skatepark Champions for this project. Design a park and make some money? Sign up here by Jan 2, '25. - ETA Fall 2026

Eglinton Park Skate Spot - ETA Spring 2025

1 of 3 similar options. All 3 have a mini.

Centennial Park - Plans for a skatepark near the BMX Track - 

ETA Unknown

Wallace Emerson - New Bowls and Seasonal Loop are under construction (Dec 2024) - ETA Fall 2025

There were 3 concepts & it appears 2 separate bowls are being built.

St James Town Park West - A Skate Area included in final design - ETA Fall 2026

Feature 10 - Skateboard Zone.

Elizabeth Simcoe Skate Spot - Update - Survey now closed with 277 Responses!!! Based on the feedback, the project is going PIP but will be delayed to Summer 2026.

1 of 3 metal ramp concepts. I'm pushing for concrete.

Woburn Park Skate Spot - The city is comparing this project to West Lodge & Smithfield. Survey is supposed to be out Dec '24. Tick Tock Guys!- ETA Late Fall 2025.

West Lodge Skatepark

Trimmer Skate Spot - North East Scarborough's Rouge River Community Recreation Centre is under construction but the little skate trail is done. ETA pushed back to Sept 2025. Grounds, including Skate Spot, may be open sooner.

This should be fun.

New Parks in the Six Points Neighbourhood - There are 4 park projects surrounding the future Etobicoke Civic Centre featuring Skate Features - ETA Late 2025

 Wabash Community Recreation Centre - Small Skate Dot - ETA 2027

Feature 2 - Skate Dot

70 Croatia St - New Park -  Looks like the skate spot is going to be  axed but don't fear. Duff is across the street.

North Park - 578 Rustic Road - Informal Skate Feature appears to be in the final design. ETA Fall 2025

#3 - Informal Skate Features.

New Park on Brimorton Dr - Near Markham Rd, there is some kind of skate feature included in the final design. It's done now!

Feature 9 - Large open lawn/passive play skating feature (informal space for skateboarding and rollerblading with small concrete slopes)  - (Alright - mystery solved, it's like 3 sidewalk bumps beside a manny-able ledge. The 'public' side is skate stopped. 2026 ETA was for phase 2.  Photos HERE)

If you're wondering why a 'Skate Feature' get cuts from the final design, it's the feedback the city gets or does not get. The general public usually opposes Skate Features and the Skaters don't fill out the surveys. 

The pickleballers are responding to surveys Five time more than the skaters. And the info is not getting out to the 'skatepark users'. We gotta fight for ourselves. The Toronto Skatepark Strategy is doing a lot to get features included around the city but skaters need to loudly support a project. Show Up or Shut Up, as they say.

Update - Boxing Day 2024.

And show up you did!!! The Elizabeth Simcoe Skate Spot Survey had 277 respondents!