Blackburn residents talk recreation

It looks like the Hart isn’t the only PG community looking for a skate park…

At this week’s Talktober meeting in Blackburn, residents were concerned there isn’t enough for youths to do without going into the City.

“The young people need something to do, whether it be skate parks, bike parks, things that are a little different from the norm, things you typically find in the urban centres, but close to home.” says City Park Planner Laurie-Ann Kosec, “The other thing was trails they can use, and transit to get them to and from the bowl.”

Kosec says clearing trails or smaller park opportunities would be more feasible in the short-term than the ongoing transit discussion, though the Hart Skate Park is estimated to cost $500,000 before fundraising.

She added that the more support an idea has from its community, the more likely the City will be able to get the ball rolling.

So what could be a step in the right direction?

Kosec says the City’s proposed micro-grants could be a start.

“$1000 grants are good seed money. I think a lot of these projects could happen. So much of it involves little initiatives in parks and trails just to get things going. You can even use that seed money to get bigger grants.”

Council will take concerns from the meeting into consideration during budget discussion.