Feb 7, 2011 | News, Skateparks
Cpl Nathan Hornberg (KOCR Photo)
The town of Nanton is an agricultural community 75 KM south of Calgary, the home of about 2100, and soon to be home to a new skatepark.
When he was growing up, Nathan Hornberg used to spend his summers at the family ranch not far from town. An avid skateboarder, Nathan enjoyed the challenges, the creativity, and the freedom of skateboarding. Nathan spent several years in the reserves, volunteering to serve as the driver of an armoured vehicle in Afghanistan. On September 24, 2007 Cpl. Nathan Hornberg was killed while working to recover a damaged tank. The new skatepark in Nanton is being built in his memory.
The new Nanton skatepark will be built on some unused tennis courts near the Nanton Community Centre. Vancouver-based Spectrum Skatepark Creations has designed an 8138 sq ft street-style plaza with a good sized bowl. Once completed, the Nanton skatepark will be the best park between Calgary and Taber, and provide an excellent place for skatepark starved Calgary skaters to go for a session with a very reasonable 45 minute drive to get there.
Nanton Skatepark design by Spectrum
The Nanton skatepark committee is raising money to get the skatepark built, hopefully in 2011. It would be great if some skaters from Calgary, Okotoks, High River and other communities could contribute to getting this park built, especially since Nanton also has to raise money to repair their rec centre which was closed in December when the roof was found to be unsafe. If you can help, here’s where you can find out how.
Feb 4, 2011 | Activism, By-laws, Skateboarding, Skateparks
On January 5th 2011, CASE representatives attended a Standing Policy Committee meeting on Community and Protective Services. This committee is made up of aldermen and the mayor.
The bad news? The “skateboard strategy” that CASE had worked on for a few months with Community and Protective Services was changed from a “strategy” to a “discussion paper”. If you’d like to read the document and CPS’ cover report, click here.
The good news? Many of the alderman present expressed support for CASE and for more skateboarding facilities in Calgary. In fact, Mayor Nenshi asked those responsible for the discussion paper to move their goal of December 2011 up to June, 2011. According to the meeting, CPS will “develop a comprehensive Skateboard Amenities Strategy and report back no later than 2011 December.”
When cities decide to do things like build hockey rinks or recreation centres, they generally produce these formal strategies. The City of Vancouver did it for skateparks and look where they’re at. So it’s great news that the City is going through with this; it means they will look at developing more skateboarding facilities.
Will we have a new skatepark by December 2011? Probably not but we could be looking at plans and a location for one by then.
Jan 31, 2011 | Indoor, Skateparks
Do you want to see if there is a need for an indoor skatepark in Calgary? If you’re not sure, one visit to Skate Church will provide all the evidence you need. Tuesday nights, skaters from all over Calgary converge on the Dalhousie Community Church gym to skate for a couple of hours. It only takes a few minutes for the gym, basketball hoops and all, to become a skateboard park. Skate Church leaders and volunteers move the boxes, rails, banks, quarter pipes, and other obstacles into the gym and into place around the gym and presto, the park is ready for the skaters to arrive.
Skate Church Proves Very Popular
About 50 skaters this week still made for a busy night
Every Tuesday night Skate Church is packed, with skaters using every inch of the 2100 sq ft available. In the first session for 13 and under, it’s normal for as many as 30 skaters to show up. That number can grow to between 70 and 80 for the older group, who are freer to travel and can get there without their parents. Those that come aren’t all Dalhousie locals either. I spoke to the father of a young skater in the first group who drove his son from Tuscany in the northwest. One 13 year old takes advantage of the LRT station nearby to come from his home near the Heritage station in the south. Another skateboarder described his 45-minute bus ride from north Calgary. Yes, even though Skate Church is not very big as skateparks go, it is HUGE for the skaters who come from all over Calgary and cherish the skateboarding opportunity each week.
Jan 27, 2011 | Indoor, Skateboarding, Skateparks, Video
His part begins at 3:11
Ace Trucks in Canada from rajzilla on Vimeo.
Jan 25, 2011 | Activism, News, Skateparks
Skaters for Public Skateparks published a little article giving a nod to CASE and the plight of skaters in Calgary. Click the photo below to read it:
Jan 23, 2011 | Indoor, News, Skateparks
There’s been a lot of talk about indoor skateparks lately and unfortunately we’ve lost one of the nearest ones to Calgary. The roof of the Central Neighbourhood Hub in Medicine Hat collapsed on Friday night and it looks to be completely done. Luckily no one was hurt. Click the photo for the story:
