Skatepark

New Skatepark A Necessity!

Sylvan Lake is a growing town, one of the fastest growing in Canada and there are a lot of skaters of all ages that live in and around Sylvan. The town is also a top tourist destination, bringing even more skaters to visit especially during the summer. The current modular skatepark although well used, is small and out dated. Sylvan Lake needs a new skatepark and the town is very supportive, but your help is needed to make a new skatepark the first class park it needs to be.

The Need for a new skatepark

Sylvan Lake’s current skatepark is a modular park with various independently constructed obstacles placed on an asphalt pad. Besides being too small for a large and growing town and tourist destination, the modular park is very limited in the kinds of experiences it offers skateboarders. Despite its limitations, the Sylvan Lake skatepark is very well used whenever the weather is warm enough and the park is clear of rain or snow making it clear that there is demand for a skatepark in Sylvan Lake.

Benefits of having a skatepark

The town of Sylvan Lake will benefit from the new skatepark in many wa

• The skatepark will provide young people with a safe and enjoyable facility for skateboarding, encouraging them not to skateboard where it is less safe, potentially disruptive to others, or illegal.
• Skaters of all ages will LOVE it and have a great time skating and hanging out there for years.
• It will draw families to Sylvan Lake in the summer as a recreational attraction
• The skatepark will open opportunities for recreational programming including learn to skateboard lessons and skate camps for kids during the summer.
• When Sylvan Lake builds the skatepark, skaters will know they are accepted as members of the community. This enhanced feeling of belonging contributes to reduced alienation and increased responsibility which benefits the whole community.
• Skateparks promote healthy physical activity at a time when obesity rates and costs to the health care system from physical inactivity are increasing.
• A modern skatepark will provide a more interesting skateboarding experience for skaters than the current modular skatepark provides.
• Skateboarding will happen with or without a skatepark. Having a skatepark gives the community greater influence as to where people skateboard.
• Skateparks promote healthy, vibrant communities just like other sports facilities.
• Sylvan Lake has lots of skateboarders, children and adults, who will use the skatepark whenever the weather allows.
• A modern skatepark will be a cost effective recreational investment that will benefit a broad cross section of the community.

Having a quality skatepark is something communities of all sizes are recognizing to be essential. Take a look at what other communities in Alberta & BC offer skateboarders in their communities.

Other Communities

What kinds of skateparks have other communities built? Here are some examples to take a look at

• Penticton (also a summer resort centre)
• Cochrane – an excellent example of a skate plaza that is VERY popular throghout the region
• Osoyoos (population 4693)
• Callingwood – the latest outstanding example of a skate plaza – locataed in Edmonton

You can also surf through skateparktour.ca, a directory of western Canadian skateparks featuring virtual tours of over 100 skate parks in Alberta & British Columbia