The Jasper Park Cycling Association (JPCA) is well on its way to building the initial phase of a new bike park in the west end of town thanks to more than $13,000 in donations from local businesses.
According to Matt Staneland, chair of the cycling association, the injection of money will help kick-off its fall fundraising campaign.
“Our goal is to fundraise $20,000 by Christmas,” said Staneland, after accepting cheques from Mount Robson Inn, Bear’s Paw Bakery and Fiddle River Restaurant. Hosteling International also donated money.
“I think this will be a great thing for the community for generations to come,” Staneland said, Nov. 3. “Once it’s here everybody will see the value and how much it adds to the community.”
Kim Stark, owner of Bear’s Paw Bakery and an avid mountain biker herself, agreed.
“I want to support the youth in this town and I want to encourage kids, especially in this day and age, to get outside,” said Stark.
According to Staneland, the mountain bike skills park could cost up to $200,000 to build, however the organization hopes with $20,000 it can begin design and site preparation this fall and complete construction of the first phase by the spring.
“In the spring we can start applying for Alberta provincial grants and those are all matching grants, so the more we can generate now the more we can see in the future,” said Staneland.
He said they are already working with Hoots Inc., a Vancouver-based company that specializes in building bike parks. The company will be in town Nov. 23 for a community information night and bike park forum. The event will be held at the Jasper Royal Canadian Legion. Doors open at 5:30 p.m.
“People will be able to see what goes into a bike park if they don’t know and also if they have ideas about what they’d like to see in the bike park there will be an opportunity for them to do that,” said Staneland.
To reach its fundraising goal, the cycling association has also applied for a grant from the municipality’s community economic development fund and has approached several non-profit groups, including the Jasper Rotary Club and the Jasper Lions Club. The cycling association has also approached CN Rail, ATCO Electric, as well as Kinder Morgan.
“We’re hopeful that November will be a big month for us,” said Staneland.
According to a press release, every donor will be recognized on the bike park’s “wall of gratitude.” To entice companies to donate, the JPCA has also set up a tiered donation system, offering benefits to companies that donate more, including the opportunity to name a trail or feature if they donate more than $20,000.
“If we have some big donors that want to step in and have features named after them, that would be fantastic,” said Staneland.
Staneland approached council on Nov. 8 to ask the municipality to consider pitching in $5,000 a year to help maintain the park once it’s built. He also asked council to build a water line to the bike park, install signage, and provide other amenities such as benches and garbage receptacles.
“In the end the municipality needs to have a stake in this municipal park,” said Staneland, adding the water line could be as simple as a hose or sprinkler.
Mark Fercho, the town’s chief administrative officer, said he would ask staff to put together a preliminary report to figure out how much it might cost to install a seasonal water line and the other amenities.
The mountain bike skills park was approved by Parks Canada Aug. 4, however the permit for the bike park is temporary and must be renewed every five years. Parks Canada also retains the right to terminate the permit if the superintendent requires the land for residential development, but can only do so if Parks gives the cycling organization one year’s notice.
The bike park will be built between the train tracks and Connaught Drive, across from Mount Robson Inn and Maligne Lodge in the west end of town.
Paul Clarke
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