The dream to build a modern, concrete skatepark in Jasper is one step closer to becoming reality after Calgary鈥檚 New Line Skateparks held a workshop on June 22 to share ideas and get feedback about what the future park might hold.
Over the next 10 to 12 weeks the company will take the information gathered at the workshop and through an to put together a concept design plan that will transform the park into a public space for everyone to use.
鈥淚t鈥檚 going to be a landmark initiative and one of the first integrated concrete skateparks in a national park environment,鈥� said Trevor Morgan, vice-president of the company.
鈥淲e want to create an amazing skatepark and an amazing public space.鈥�
The current site, located between the Jasper Activity Centre and the high school, is an asphalt pad with temporary metal ramps and jumps.
The new park will include a variety of terrain features, from ledges, benches and rails to obstacles like fun boxes, quarter pipes and hip jumps. The design of the park will also try to incorporate Jasper鈥檚 identity and will likely include green space and amenities for the general public.
鈥淓verything we do is going to be driven by the unique site conditions that we have at the existing skatepark facility, what the user community wants to see in terms of very specific and unique terrain types and what the rest of the community values for that overall site,鈥� explained Morgan.
The current park is approximately 17,000 square feet, however the actual footprint of the skatepark will likely be between 10,000 to 12,000 square feet.
He estimates it will cost approximately $600,000 and take 12 to 16 weeks to build once the shovels hit the ground, which could still be a few years away.
He acknowledged it鈥檚 a lot of money, but remained positive that the money could be found through a combination of fundraising, government grants and municipal support.
Earlier this month the Jasper Skatepark Committee launched an online campaign to raise another $6,000 to pay for the concept design plan so it can begin applying for grants in September. It currently has $16,000 in the bank.
Darrell Savage, president of the committee, said the workshop was an important milestone for the non-profit group, which has been pushing for a permanent concrete park since 2014.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a huge morale boost,鈥� Savage said, as he and a dozen other skateboarders shared their comments and suggestions about what they鈥檇 like to see in the park.
鈥淲e鈥檙e here for the long run, no matter how long this takes we鈥檙e going to get 鈥榚r done.鈥�
Jasper Mayor Richard Ireland, CAO Mark Fercho and director of culture and recreation Yvonne McNabb were in attendance for the workshop.
Ireland said he was impressed by the turnout and said it was clear that the community was interested in the project.
鈥淚t鈥檚 really quite heartening,鈥� Ireland said as he surveyed the room. 鈥淚鈥檓 quite impressed by the range of individuals who came out for this.鈥�
He said council hasn鈥檛 decided yet whether it will financially support construction of the skatepark like Banff鈥檚 municipal council did when it approved a new $1.3 million skatepark in its 2016-17 budget.
鈥淭o some extent by donating the land which is a $750,000 value there is a commitment, it鈥檚 not actual cash, but use of land is a huge thing in this community so I think council certainly has demonstrated its commitment,鈥� said Ireland.
Construction for the skatepark in Banff got underway in May. The park is approximately 16,000 square feet, slightly larger than Canmore鈥檚 and the first of its kind in a national park in Canada.
Morgan said his company鈥檚 experience working with Parks Canada in Banff will be an asset when it comes time to begin construction in Jasper.
鈥淥bviously we want to be very thorough and prudent with how we develop this,鈥� said Morgan. 鈥淯nderstanding the environmental considerations in the context of the national park environment will be really valuable to this process.鈥�
Paul Clarke
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