Dear Mississauga

It was recently announced that the Iceland Skatepark will be improved (while the project website says 'replaced') and there is a SURVEY out until March 18th. 

One of my photos is being used in the survey so I'll take that as an invite to involve myself.

I assume NewLine Skateparks (or Monteith Brown) is involved based on the structure and photos in the survey.

However, Park users online are not stoked as they don't feel like this park needs replacing, just some improvements.

For some context, this park opened in 2003 making it over 20yrs old. There are some outdated rail designs and some repairs have been made over the years due to shifting concrete and wear.

Here's my two cents - Replace the bowl with something modern and add a basics area to the flat space by the basketball court with a small QP, flat rail, Ledge and manny pad. 

The Ayr/North Dumfries skatepark features 2 depths, multiple extensions and a neat in/out transfer quarter pipe.

Some core obstacles in the area by the Basketball Court will create a zone for learning before moving to the bigger features of the skatepark.

Do some surface touch-ups of the park and replace the rails.

The rest of the park, while older, is in relatively good condition and does not warrant a complete rebuild like Pickering, Bowmanville or the old Mold-Master skatepark in Georgetown.

The pitted concrete at the top of the step-up gap should be addressed.

The small stair set rails are awkward to hit due to the concrete bases.  These should be replaced with standard round rails.

Standard Round Rail at Ayr.

A recent skatepark project at Gulleden park did not include through skatepark user consultation so I'm glad the City is reaching out early to the relevant stakeholders.

so I wrote.

Hello Project Lead

I’m writing regarding the recent announcement of the Iceland Multi-use Skate Ramp redevelopment. I am a skatepark advocate and Peel Paramedic.  

Iceland Skatepark is a very well loved park and despite being over 20yrs old, it is still well used and very functional.  I have ben in touch with the city about minor repairs in the past and they were carried out quite quickly.  After the Gulleden Skate Spot had very limited skatepark user engagement, Iceland users are happy the city is reaching out to the stakeholders early.

Comments online seem to echo my own thoughts; The park needs some repairs but not a full rebuild.

Here are my thoughts which I hope will assist the project.

Replace the bowl with something modern while keeping some of the dimensions of the existing bowl as it’s very popular with BMX and skateboarders. Attached is a photo of Ayr/North Dumfries’ bowl that features multiple depths, extensions and transfer opportunities.

Secondly, add a skills area to the flat beside the basketball court consisting of a small quarter pipe, flat bar, flat ledge and manny pad. These are the core obstacles of a skatepark.

Lastly, address the small stair rails and the pitting at the top of the step-up gap.  The rails are awkward to hit with the concrete bases and there’s considerable pitting at the step-up.

I noted one of my photos being used in the survey.  My educated guess is that NewLine Skateparks is involved in some way.

There is also some confusion with the presentation of the project. Social Media post note ‘Big Upgrades’ with the project page states ‘Replacement’.  

I look forward to your reply and please feel free to contact me for any skatepark questions. The Local Stakeholders and I are excited but nervous about the possibilities of this project.

SL