RMWB council approves Gregoire skate park pitched by local kids

Article content

Children in Gregoire will soon have a skate park that a class at Greely Road School began campaigning for in March 2023. Councillors agreed unanimously at their Tuesday meeting that when it comes to parks, children in Gregoire are underserved compared to children in other parts of Fort McMurray.

Article content

The municipality maintains skate parks in Timberlea, Thickwood and downtown. A skate park in Abasand is being built. There are modular skate parks in Anzac, Conklin and Janvier. There is also a privately-run skate park at Vista Ridge.

However, Chris Organ, principal of Greely Road School, pointed out the children of Gregoire face hurdles reaching any of these parks.

Some children are not old enough to use public transit themselves, and Organ said some families do not own vehicles. It is not safe or practical to expect local children to walk along Highway 63 to skate parks in Abasand or downtown, said Organ.

“We happen to be one of the lowest socioeconomic areas in the city. A lot of my parents don’t have cars. You don’t put children on a bus to go downtown. They need a place to skate,” said Organ.

Article content

“This project started two-and-a-half years ago. Since then, other skate parks have been renovated and this one has not gone off the ground. And at least some questions about the voices of lower socioeconomic areas has been brought up to me, and it’s one that I think is worth considering.”

Councillor Ken Ball agreed with Organ’s points that Gregoire is underserved. Ball argued the municipality can build a public park that respects the public purse as he urged the rest of council to support the project.

“The intention of this motion is to, frankly, provide a service for Gregoire that doesn’t exist. The presenters are correct. Traveling to a facility like that with youth down Highway 63 across the bridge, it’s just not feasible and it’s unsafe,” said Ball.

Article content

Councillor Allan Grandison asked if any school divisions in Fort McMurray can support the project or partner with the RMWB. Organ said he cannot comment on the finances of any school division, but argued the Alberta government is underfunding them. This accusation has also been made in recent months by Fort McMurray’s Catholic and public school leaders and unions.

Administration warns of long-term financial costs

Keith Smith, director of the municipality’s public works department, warned council a permanent skate park will be another long-term expense as RMWB tax revenues continue shrinking. Council had already balked at costs of three skate park options presented to council in October 2023. Instead of picking an option, council asked for a review of the proposal.

Article content

Smith proposed a modular, seasonal skate park built on an outdoor hockey rink or new concrete pad. However, rejecting the idea was the recommended route from administration.

“We are at a critical juncture in the region whereby we have over $7 billion in assets and limited revenues to address our responsibilities for municipal services and public safety. Adding additional infrastructure that is not public safety-focused or considered a critical municipal service is not recommended at this time,” Smith told council.

“The municipality has substantial responsibilities over the next 10 years to focus on the current infrastructure requirements.”

The skate park was pitched directly to council last year by the Grades 5 and 6 students of Greely Road School. They were inspired to organize a presentation to council after Mayor Sandy Bowman visited their classroom.

Article content

Jesse MacLean and Connor Andrews, along with their teacher Henk Ueffing, told council there are few public parks in Gregoire, and the skate parks in Fort McMurray are too far from their neighbourhood.

When Fort McMurray Today visited the classroom in April, students said Gregoire needs more municipal investment and public spaces for families and young people in the community. All of the students said roads and sidewalks are badly maintained, paved park spaces are too small to ride, and the parks themselves are old.

“When we invited the mayor to class, we were coming up with a list of stuff on how to make the community better. One idea was a skate park and the mayor said that was a really great idea,” said Bryden Andrews in an interview. “Some of the kids here can’t take the bus downtown or their parents are working and can’t give them a ride. It costs money and the fare just increased.”

Get the news and events of Fort McMurray Wood Buffalo in your inbox every Friday morning by signing up for our newsletter.

vmcdermott@postmedia.com

Article content