Skate or die: Saint John recognizes importance of youth culture to sustaining growth
The city has ponied up another $85,000 to make the 'Saint John Skate Plaza' a reality. According to the Telegraph Journal the city will be contributing $350,000 to the project and providing fencing and a new exit for the Harbour Station parking lot. The paper quoted deputy mayor Stephen Chase as saying "It's an exciting project. Skateboarding has waited a long time for this." It has been a long time and hopefully this summer will see the project actually happen.
I am excited to see what the under-the-bridge style skate park will look like in Saint John. An awesome park known as the Burnside Skatepark in Portland, Oregon - first created independently of city officials, then approved - gives a good example of how skateboarding can fit into unique spaces.
The project is a good way to promote active lifestyles in youth, and will hopefully give the city a greater feeling of diversity and acceptance of youth culture.
Meanwhile, our neighbour to the northeast Mocton has plans to expand its skate park.
I am excited to see what the under-the-bridge style skate park will look like in Saint John. An awesome park known as the Burnside Skatepark in Portland, Oregon - first created independently of city officials, then approved - gives a good example of how skateboarding can fit into unique spaces.
The project is a good way to promote active lifestyles in youth, and will hopefully give the city a greater feeling of diversity and acceptance of youth culture.
Meanwhile, our neighbour to the northeast Mocton has plans to expand its skate park.
2 comments:
Alright, so where is the youth involvement? We need to get the youth to take up on this, and give into it. If we can get them to raise a 12th of what the city has spent, it's still makes the park their own. It won't get wrecked, not without reciprocation from peers. It also builds a better community, having the youth involved in civil projects.
The article printed at http://herenb.canadaeast.com/front/article/357043 could give a good indication of youth involvement - of course the project has taken so long some of the youth aren't that young anymore.
I recall going to the Saint John X-fest a few years ago and buying a tshirt to support the park. The event was hosted by the skate community (with the help of others) to raise money and awareness.
I think the skate community has put in work and got money together for this, and credit is due to them as well as city hall for putting up a lot of cash.
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