Creative Calgary Skaters
A few skilled and determined Calgary skaters have taken matters into their own hands and created their own indoor facility. Judging by these early pics, it looks like they’re going to have a fun winter!
Thanks for Your Support
Thanks to everyone who supported CASE in 2011. We’re confident that 2012 will be a big year for skateboarding in Calgary. With City Council backing the Skateboarding Amenities Strategy, we’re poised to see some skatepark development!
We’ve added a permalink on the right hand side of the page so you can read the strategy whenever you want (or go through all 85 pages slowly).
Derek Shaw Letter in Calgary Herald
11 year-old Derek Shaw wrote this letter to the Calgary Herald recently:
Thanks for supporting skateboarding, Derek!
Skateboarding Strategy Update
An important meeting in the history of Calgary skateboarding took place at City Hall today, and it represents a significant step forward for skateboarding in our city. A committee of City Council formally received the Skateboarding Amenities Strategy, a document that makes a very strong case for more skateparks in Calgary, and recommends:
- Building 22,655m2 (243,860 ft2) of additional skatepark space to meet current needs (25,791m2 (277,607ft2) will be needed over the next 10 years)
- A network of skateparks of different sizes and styles across the city
- The skateparks be accessible by skateboarders, bmxers, inline skaters, scooters, roller skaters and longboarders.
- A 20 000 sq ft indoor skatepark
- All to be funded by a combination of City, provincial, federal, and private sector money
Download a copy of the strategy here
Go Skateboarding Day 2011 at Millennium Park
CASE representatives spoke in support of the Strategy, as did several members of the public. Special thanks for their contributions go out to Tyler G (youth skater), Jeff C (who at 48, skates regularly with his son), Devon R from the BMX community, Tim B from the Calgary Sport Council, Craig G from McKenzie Towne, Matt J from Evergreen, Vince B from Dalhousie Skate Church, and Oscar Fech a well known civic activist and past Mayoral candidate who all spoke strongly in favour of the strategy.
Chris H, one of the leaders behind the Fellowship of Calgary Skateboarders who pushed for the building of Shaw Millennium Park also spoke in favor of the strategy. Chris presented a document from the time when Millennium was being planned showing plans to build other skateparks in Calgary after Millennium. The plan was overlooked after the next civic election and Calgary was left with a single publicly owned skatepark. Councilor Carra proposed an amendment requiring City administration to bring this current strategy forward for review after the next election, so it would not be forgotten too. Councilor Pincott seconded the motion, which was passed.
What’s The Next Step?
Before anyone lifts a pencil to start building Calgary’s next skatepark, the strategy needs to be approved by Council, where it will probably be presented in January. Not everyone believes in skateparks, and some won’t support tax money going to these projects. Our opponents will be vocal (Calgary Herald Dec. 7/11, Calgary Sun Dec. 7/11), so we need to be sure that out voice is heard too. Please contact your City Councillor and the Mayor to express your support now, and again in the new year
Mayor
Naheed Nenshi: Website | Email
Councilors:
Who is your City Councilor? List by residential community
Ward 13: Diane Colley-Urquhart
Calgary Skateboarding Strategy to be Presented This Week
Document to set the future of Skateparks in Calgary
Download Skatepark Strategy (85 pages – 7.6 Mb)
CASE has been working very hard in recent months, collaborating with City of Calgary staff to prepare the City Of Calgary Skateboarding Amenities Strategy 2011. This document, once approved by City Council, will set the direction Calgary takes for building skateparks for many years to come. The Strategy will be presented to the Standing Policy Committee on Community and Protective Services this Wednesday , and there is opportunity for public input at the meeting, which won’t be available when the Strategy is presented to Council for approval. This is an opportunity to briefly speak in favour of the Strategy and skateboarding in general and CASE hopes others will be able to join CASE in expressing support to City Councilors.
The Skateboarding Amenities Strategy establishes a need for more skateparks and proposes a network of large and small skateparks and skate spots across the city, including indoor skateparks. The meeting is at 9:30, in the Engineering Traditions Committee Room in the old City Hall building.
The agenda for the meeting is available here. You can download a copy of the strategy from the agenda page or by clicking on the strategy title page graphic
Skateboarders’ Support Critical!
The support of the Calgary skateboarding community will be critical is convincing City Council not only to support the strategy, but to prioritize skateparks and set aside funds to see them built. If you can attend the meeting that would be great, but please be sure to contact your Councilor to express your support for more skateparks now, again in the new year when the strategy goes to Council for approval, and from time to time throughout the year. We need to keep skateparks on their radar screen, and counter those who object to skateparks as they will be vocal too.
Please contact CASE if you have any comments or questions, or if you’d like to be involved in CASE’s work for skateboarding in Calgary!
Calgary Herald Article
City urged to get on board with skateboards
Facilities need to catch up to skateboarding craze
By Richard Cuthbertson, Calgary Herald December 3, 2011 8:40 AM
It’s been more than 30 years since Skatopia 1 in Calgary’s Franklin Industrial Park became Canada’s first indoor concrete skate park.
One old photo taken at the site shows a 1970s skateboarder, knee-high sport socks and all, riding the edge of what looks to be a dry swimming pool.
But even with its early start, skateboarding facilities in Calgary have dragged well behind the growing interest in the sport.
A new consultant’s report, commissioned by the city, is recommending dozens of skate parks be built over the next decade, carrying an estimated price tag of $11 million.
The new strategy, which is heading to a council committee next week, comes after years of complaints from skateboarders.
“The situation’s pretty simple. It’s just a gross lack of facilities,” said Zev Klymochko, with the advocacy group Calgary Association of Skateboarding Enthusiasts.
With more than 34,000 aficionados in the city, the consultant is recommending the construction of 45 smaller skate parks and “spots,” ranging in size from a half basketball court to full tennis court.
Five others would be larger, up to the size of a little league baseball field.
Ideally, they would be dispersed around the city, particularly at points where there is good interest in skateboarding, according to Ron Smith, a researcher with the city’s recreation department.
“According to the model that’s being proposed, ultimately and ideally you’d like to have various scales,” Smith said.
City officials aren’t recommending council hand over a lump sum. Rather, they suggest putting individual projects on the city’s culture and recreation infrastructure wish list for funding consideration, when potential sites have been found.
The city’s reputation seems to have been to build big, but not build many.
Skatopia 1 opened in 1977 and then closed in 1979 due to insurance costs.
A series of short-lived indoor parks, with names like Ramp-o-Rama, Skate Jungle and All Skool, popped up and then faded from view.
In 2000 Shaw Millennium Park opened – an outdoor facility which at the time was considered one of the premier skateboard spots in the world.
Westside Recreation Centre has a skate park, there is a modest spot in McKenzie Towne and the city does have some temporary, mobile skate parks.
But aside from that, there is little else.
One of the big current complaints is there are no indoor facilities in Calgary, although a church in Dalhousie does opens its gym to skateboarders.
RCUTHBERTSON@ CALGARYHERALD.COM