Let's help Toronto

 Let's Help Toronto

Elizabeth Simcoe Skate Spot is in the planning stage & the City of Toronto is proposing 3 modular skatepark designs and are taking feedback. (yes, I cut & pasted some stuff from Newcastle)

UPDATE May 2026 - The Project went concrete and there's a survey out now til May 26. Follow the Project Info link below. The Project lead hopes the end result is as successful as Arrowdale Skate Spot in Brantford after I sent it to her.

My advice.

Step 1) Don't go Modular.

Step 2) Don't go Modular.

Step 3) Concrete is the way to go.

Project Info Here - Elizabeth Simcoe Skate Spot

While the concepts are exciting to see, anyone who has been to a lot of skateparks know that the finished product is not always as great as the concept when it comes to modular parks.

A sort of Open Letter To Toronto Staff

Hello Toronto City Staff

I am not opposed to any of the concepts but I am more in favour of a poured in place concrete skatepark. PIP Skateparks are now the industry standard. The Skatepark Project ( formerly The Tony Hawk Foundation) considers modular skateparks as temporary skateparks & does not provide grant money towards them. It is becoming more and more common to replace modular skateparks with PIP concrete as was the case in London and Welland.  With the successes of Stanley Greene & Fundy Bay Skateparks, it's surprising the city go back to outdated products.

I've identified some elements in the concepts that have real world issues.

Number 1. The double length low ledge/manny pad. One of these obstacles was included in the update of Smithfield Park in Etobicoke. 

The gap in middle prevents riders from grinding the whole ledge. Anyone attempting the grind the whole ledge gets thrown as their skateboard comes to an abrupt stop. The metal edge is also soft and not great for attempting grinds.

Additionally, the grinding edge is often installed poorly, leading to the sharp edge of the ledge being exposed, which can take chunks out of a wheel or flesh.

Number 2 - CRC's Snap Obstacle - While it looks cool, it is loud, hard to skate and a waste of space in such a small skate spot. 

The Arthur Skatepark has one of these features. It was missing at the Grand Opening of the park as it was on backorder. When I skated it a year after its installation I found a considerable amount of rust on the supports.  Here is a video of my time skating Snap.

Number 3 - Park transitions involving planters and mulch are a problem.  Whether it's mulch, crushed gravel or soil,  skate spot use and weather with bring these materials into the park where it poses a hazard to riders.

Chinguacousy Skatepark in Brampton had planters when it first opened but as mulch frequently got all over the park the city filled the planters with concrete. The City of Markham also removed a garden surrounding a skate spot after users reported their concerns. Grass or a transition of asphalt, textured concrete or brick is recommended to keep the park clear of debris. 

Number 4. Transition Plates -  The transition between the ramp and supporting surface is a high impact area. Besides creating a lot of noise, the metal ramps often bend. This will result in an unsafe ramp for the skatepark users. Concrete parks blend the transition into the flats for a smooth and quiet ride.

Here you can see how a warped ramp can stop a wheel and throw a rider into the ramp

Kilbride Skatepark in Burlington was less than a year old when I found this damage on the transition of the pre-fab ramp.

Number 5. Water trapping and deterioration - Poured in Place (PIP) concrete parks take drainage into account by sloping the park 1-2 degrees or installing drains. Modular parks frequently are placed on flat surfaces with poor drainage, resulting in pooling on the park.

Water trapped under the ramps deteriorates the concrete underneath.

Pre-Fabricated parks are more succiptable to damage and vandalism.  Here section of ramp siding sits in the parking lot of the old Smithfield Skatepark in Etobicoke.

6 - Run up/Run Out - Skaters for Public Skateparks 'Skatepark Adaptation Model' (SAM) has calculated that 23 meters are required for a user to gain speed, set up for a trick, perform said trick and land safely before stopping.  This spot does not appear to have the required run up or run out to use the park to its full potential, especially since you can't go around the back of the ramps.

7 - Proximity to the path and homes.  The proximity of the large ramps the the edge of the walking path could lead to unintended interactions between skaters and other park users.  Falling in skateboarding is a guarantee and boards may cross the path by accident.

The Urban Grind, a skatepark study by the University of Portland, suggests a distance of 200ft from a PIP concrete is enough to mitigate any noise from the spot.  These pre-fab metal are significantly louder and the closest homes and school appear to be within that range.

Here's an example of a similar sized spot done properly.

Alton Skate Spot.

McNally St. Skate Dot

 McNally St. Skate Dot

Georgetown

Before I begin, I have heard that remediations should be made this coming spring.

Georgetown has a good action sports network and planned 2 small spots with this 'skate feature' being built first.

BUT...

there are some issues.

It looks like a nice little 'A' frame hubba with a cow catcher front. It's hard to get a sense of its size from photos.  The run up on both sides is just over 23ft.  The feature itself is 13ft long.

Why do skatepark need Advocates?

The concept did not have the hubba offset into the grass.  This makes this 'beginner' feature much more challenging.

Spott Check

I consider myself an Intermediate Skater and I found this feature very challenging. The exit to grass was a problem. I brought a small wedge ramp to land boardslides and popped out early on grinds to avoid hitting the edge.  The hubba is also 18 inches tall and one approach is uphill.  I feel like a 14 inch high ledge would have served this park better. 

The full addition isn't bad. It could be way better. 'Park' 571.  They can't all be as good as 570.

This is why I've launched a free Skatepark Consultation service. 

Skatepark Consultation

 Ontario Skatepark Consultation

Scott Loyst is a Full-time Skatepark Nut!

(He's also a full-time paramedic)

I am happy & available to consult, totally free of charge, on any skatepark & action sports facility projects in your community.  I am not a professional skatepark designer, builder & I don't work for any of the Design/Build Companies.  (I am now the Advocacy Chair for Ontario Skateboarding.) What I do have is a very particular set of skills. Skills I have acquired over 20years/600+ parks of skatepark riding experience. I possess a vast collection of skatepark photos and articles, all free to be used as examples in your advocacy efforts. I've become familiar with most of the Canadian Skatepark Companies and Builders, skatepark materials & budgets, Grants and RFP processes. I've been in touch with The Skatepark Project (formerly The Tony Hawk Foundation) and even won their Online Trivia Contest.

I have skated over 600 different skateparks across Canada and the Unites States & I've been involved with several projects in the GTA and beyond.

If your community is planning a skatepark, I want it to be the best investment for your community.  I always recommend giving the local users what they want and will use, but an experienced outsider perspective can always be useful. 

If you are an advocate looking for advice or even just support, please reach out. There's no wrong way to advocate but some methods are more fruitful than others.

I have been advocating for skateparks for the last decade and the Advocacy Details and Skatepark Profiles can be found on this blog. (best viewed in desktop mode).  My skatepark photographs have been used by New Line Skateparks, Pickering's 2017 Skateboard Park Strategy, Hamilton's Skateboard Park Study and more.  

In 2022, I reached out the The Rotary Club of Milverton, ON when I had discovered they were planning a small skatepark with a Skatepark Company that is well known for the wrong reasons.  The member that I reached stated 'We're the Rotary Club. We're great at raising money but we don't know skateparks.'   They had been given an existing design as a cost saving measure but the flow and structure of the park was not great.  I suggested some adjustments, gave rationale for them and drew a modified version of their concept.  The constructed skatepark is fun with all the core obstacles and some fun tweaks. 

Milverton Skatepark

The new Burford Skatepark had its Grand Opening on June 7, 2025 after many months of consults with their local advocates.  We corresponded by email about the layout of the park and how to include the basics while providing the flow the local riders desired.  The end result is fantastic little park that kids can whip around or do technical maneuvers.

Ryan Brown aka The Skateboard Philosopher writes  - You are a full-time skatepark nut lol! I love that we both share the passion for skate parks but you take it to the next level in a good way. For me I think the road trip is just as much a part of the excitement as the actual skate park itself. I love that you dive deep into who made the park, what the company is like, where they're from, the other projects they've been doing, etc. We've both been to enough parks to know what works and what doesn't and to give an honest critique. There's no one better to advocate for skate parks! 🙏

I have skated some truly terrible skateparks and my goal is to assist your project to be the best it can be.  For best results, I recommend using an established Skatepark Designer/Builder. I've compiled a 'resume' of the companies that have designed and built projects in Ontario as well as a list of General Contractors who have built skateparks in the Province.  

Ontario Skatepark Consulting.

I put the 'Free' in Freelance.

Scott Loyst

Email: scott.loyst@gmail.com

IG: @spotttheloonie

@PickeringSkateparksAlliance

Sixteen Mile Creek Skatepark & Pump Track

 Sixteen Mile Creek Skatepark & Pump Track

Perfect for ledge lovers and big tranny chompers!

3070 Neyagawa Blvd

My 570th skatepark!

Finally!!! A California-Sized park in Ontario, Canada!

This is quite possibly the largest (at least largest within the last 5 years) in the Province. The Street section features a solid ledge, rail and manny pad.  Then some fun stuff - there's a big bank to ledge, a fun ledge section with a curb cut and out ledges that are a little lower.

Sweet 16 Mile
 

16 Mile Creek Tour

 

This thing is pretty big.

4ft QP and Bank

Generic Skatepark Sign (not kidding, that's what it had taped on the back of the sign)

Went back for this.

This was the one section that felt out of place. The QP was good for the big ledge but there's nothing to stop boards from rolling into the bowl.

The Combo's Bowl (lol)

Fun Pump Track with a lil' Kicker

Who needs a drone.

This is my step ladder. I never knew my real ladder😂

Bike repair station. Strange spot for it since every sign says 'no bikes'. The town even included bikes in the promotional material. Who's gonna enforce that rule?

Lots of spots to sit that aren't ledges. Two shade sails as well.

Spott's Hot Takes.

Great for ledge fiends. Destination Bowl for vert rippers. Lots of open space and other park amenities. Seating and Shade are great.

No beginner transition. The Volcano is wasted space. Dope park, glad it's not my local. Maybe if it had a mini ramp.