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posted on July 4, 2006

Unexpected Skateboard Park

The skateboard park at Scadding Court (Bathurst and Dundas) had to be removed for the summer because the ice rink there is being torn up and replaced. So all the wooden structures were set up at Christie Pits on the rink there. But Christie Rink has no drainage, so with the first big rain it turned into Christie Lake. The skateboard ramps began to swell from sitting in three inches of water, and it became clear that if the equipment wasn’t moved soon, it would be seriously damaged. So now the skateboard park is set up at Dufferin Rink, just for this summer..

The bad news is that there may be some extra noise for the neighbours. To report problems, leave a message on the park phone: 416 392-0913, or e-mail staff@dufferinpark.ca.

The good news is that this set-up seems like huge fun for the many kids and youth who come there to skate (and a few with bikes, roller blades, or running shoes with wheels in them). It’s mostly open skate-boarding, but there are a few kids’ skateboard camps that come with the set-up, for children aged 8-12. They are two 5-day sessions (July 17 and July 24) with half the day at the skate park and the other half spent swimming at Christie Pits pool and play games at Bob Abate CRC, for $128. There’s also one ten-day session starting July 31, for $230. From their brochure: “Responsible skating is stressed in every lesson. Beginners will learn skate boarding mechanics and basic skills such as balance, carving, riding transitions, and dropping-in. Advanced skaters learn grinds, ollies, and airs and have a chance to learn on the larger ramps. Skaters are assessed on the first day.”

For more information or to register, call the Bob Abate Community Recreation Centre at 416 392-0744.

The Cooking Fire Theatre Festival gave the park a donation from their park dinner receipts, and those funds bought three skateboards that kids (not youth) can borrow. Rob Poyner, who designed and built the skateboard park and who repaired it after Christie Pits, donated three helmets to go along with the skateboards. (He is a hero of the park!)

The skateboards will only be loaned out to kids whose parents meet with the recreation staff and sign a permission form. And if anyone would like to give a nice gift to the park, consider donating another good-quality skateboard, for lending. Rob can give advice, and he knows where to get very good boards for $140 apiece. Anything cheaper, he says, is not worth the trouble – it’s too hard to learn on a cheap board.


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