Kincardine Lions urge municipality to put money into All-Wheel Park project
The Kincardine Lions Club has raised more than $300,000 which is almost 60 per cent of the cost of the proposed All-Wheel Park, to be located west of the Splash Pad at Lions Park, beside the Davidson Centre in Kincardine.
The club now believes the skate park is at the stage where funding from the Municipality of Kincardine is critical to the success of this community project.
Lion John McManus spoke to Kincardine council at its meeting Wednesday night (Jan. 8), bringing an update about the project and urging council to help finance it.
“We have invested a significant amount of time and money into Lions Park,” he said, noting that the All-Wheel Park is one of the final major components to make this “a premier destination for families.”
The project is also a strong proponent for engaging youth in the community, he said. “The All-Wheel Park can be a transformative asset for local youth. Beyond providing a safe and designated space for skateboarding, it fosters a sense of community and belonging among young people. It provides opportunity in areas where easily-accessible outdoor recreational options for youth might be limited due to socio-economic conditions.
“We appreciate the support from the municipality for this project,” said McManus. “We are also thankful for the incredible ongoing support from the community through donations. We feel that the project is at that stage where funding from the municipality is critical to the success of this community project.”
Josh Gordon of Kincardine has been working on the skate park with the Lions Club, and emphasized its importance to youth in the community.
“I grew up in Meaford and came to Kincardine when I was 22 years old,” he said. “Meaford was a big hockey town, same as Kincardine, so I found the skate park was a sanctuary. I met a lot of introverted kids, like me, and it was great to have a place to do something physical and be outside.”
Gordon said that one of the kids he became friends with at the skate park, now lives in Kincardine and they both work at Bruce Power.
Eventually, Gordon excelled at skateboarding and competed. Now 41, he took up surfing and has competed in that, being named to Team Canada and advancing to the worlds.
“It was so important to have a skate park in my community when I was growing up,” he said.
Councillor Bill Stewart said the longer council waits to build the All-Wheel Park, the more expensive it gets. “Do you have a design ready to move ahead with an RFP (Request for Proposals)?”
“We have a permit from the SVCA (Saugeen Valley Conservation Authority),” said McManus, "a topographical survey, geological tests, and a conceptual design. We would entertain moving head with this project.”
“This is perfect timing,” said Stewart. “We are going through our budget, so we can bring this up at the next meeting on Monday (Jan. 13). Stay tuned – we’ll see what we can do.”
“Thank you for your time and dedication on this,” said councillor Amanda Steinhoff-Gray. “You’re so prepared and you have the community behind you. I’m excited for the next steps.”
“This project will be part of budget discussions on Monday,” said mayor Kenneth Craig.
For more details about the All-Wheel Park, click here:
www.kincardinerecord.com/story.php?id=14269.
Written ByLiz Dadson is the founder and editor of the Kincardine Record and has been in the news business since 1986.
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