Rumours are flying almost as fast as some of the skateboarders at the West Shore Skate Park on Kelly Road in Langford. But the fate of park is sealed and demolition is slated to begin on Sept. 30.
The 21-acre property that the park sits on was originally owned by School District 62 and was sold to SobeyB次元官网网址檚 Inc. as part of a $23.25 million deal back in the spring of last year. The school district has been leasing the land back since the sale.
The demolition of the park was originally scheduled for this spring, but was pushed back after some protest from the public, who wanted it kept open for the summer months. After that initial wave it seems that public interest in the park has died down, with not much progress being made in finding a new location. Some speculate that interest in finding a new location has simmered because the park is still standing and many residents donB次元官网网址檛 know it will be removed.
B次元官网网址淯ntil recently I didnB次元官网网址檛 know,B次元官网网址� said Ryan McGlashan, manager of the Langford location of the Heritage Board Supply Company. He said the new owners were not interested in keeping the park, and taking on the risks and insurance that came with it.
He said a lot of myths had been flying around the community about the negative aspects of the park, especially in regards to drug and alcohol use, which some are blaming for its removal. But McGlashan said the new owners would not have been interested in keeping it even if it had been operating flawlessly since its inception.
B次元官网网址淎 lot of issues that stemmed from the park werenB次元官网网址檛 from users, but from people nearby.B次元官网网址� McGlashan suggested that building it next to a secondary school may not have been the best choice.
While there is no plan in place yet to replace it, McGlashan is part of a coalition that is forming, and still looking for members, to find a new home for the park somewhere on the West Shore. But he notes that it is still in its infancy and members havenB次元官网网址檛 started approaching potential sites yet.
B次元官网网址淥ne of the major things that hasnB次元官网网址檛 dawned on people is that people arenB次元官网网址檛 going to stop skating,B次元官网网址� he said, adding that once the park is gone theyB次元官网网址檒l likely end up in places they arenB次元官网网址檛 supposed to be.
McGlashan wants to see the park rebuilt somewhere thatB次元官网网址檚 easily accessible for users, since many of them are children or young adults from low-income families without access to a vehicle, he said.
Bobbi Neal, community development co-ordinator with West Shore Parks and Recreation, is working with the coalition, or society as she called it, in these early stages to get started and find a new location for the park. After that, she said they will start approaching municipalities and start working on a fundraising plan.
B次元官网网址淲e want the public to be aware,B次元官网网址� she said, adding that there had been a lot of interest in having another park.
B次元官网网址淲e need to come together and find a solution.B次元官网网址�
The coalitionB次元官网网址檚 next meeting is scheduled for Thursday (July 23) at 8 p.m. at the Heritage Board Supply CompanyB次元官网网址檚 Langford location, 895 Langford Pkwy. The meeting is open to the public.
katie@goldstreamgazette.com
