INNISFAIL – For the second time the town has been denied provincial financial support to pay down the million-dollar cost of its new skatepark.
The town received a letter from the provincial government that an application for a $125,000 small stream-matching grant from the Community Facility Enhancement Program (CFEP) was denied. Earlier the town’s application for a large stream CFEP matching grant of $476,000 was turned down.
“We will just have to find a way around it. I don’t see any huge hurdles to accomplish that. I think we are going to be in pretty good shape by the end of this year,” said Mayor Jim Romane of the news. “It’s unfortunate but the provincial government is in a tough situation too."
However, the town was able to pay down the skatepark project, which was completed in October, by half, through fundraising and when it received a one-time extra federal Gas Tax Fund payment of $430,102 earlier in the fall. The rest of the cost is being covered through town reserve funds.
The town is now looking into the possibility of creating a sponsorship program for the skatepark facility that could create and organize special events, and possibly lead to revenues.
“It’s a concept, an idea, but we have not yet presented anything to council at this point,” said Todd Becker, the town’s chief administrative officer.
Romane said he’s hoping parents of skateboarders will see the need for community involvement and create a group that would sponsor special outside events that could be brought into town.
“I think there is potential there. I was hoping to talk to different groups through this winter and then for the grand opening, and maybe in the spring we can get something organized but that is all preliminary at this time,” said the mayor.
Meanwhile, the town has stepped up its educational program to promote skatepark safety, with a special focus on appropriate helmets.
While sections of the town’s Traffic Bylaw require youths under the age of 18 to wear approved helmets while skateboarding, Gary Leith, the town’s manager of fire and protective services, said the town will continue with its aggressive education strategy and not at this time use legal enforcement available under the town’s Traffic Bylaw.
“At this point what we are trying to do is educate and use the positive ticketing program to provide that education piece,” said Leith.
However, the mayor said the town might have to toughen up bylaw enforcement, noting local parents have a responsibility to remind their children about proper skateboarding safety, as well as local bylaws that could soon be used if education does not work.
A section under the town’s Traffic Bylaw states no parent or guardian of a youth under the age of 18 can permit a minor to operate a skateboard in contravention of the local bylaw, which also carries a potential $78 fine.
“If it doesn’t happen voluntarily then we are going to maybe toughen things up a little bit,” said Romane, emphasizing the town is taking the skateboarding safety issue seriously. “We will wait and get reports back from protective services and see what they think.”
