Skateboard coalition raising funds for West Shore all-wheels park

A draft concept of the proposed Juan de Fuca Recreation Centre all-wheels park. (Westshore Skate Park Coalition)

Victoria -

The Westshore Skate Park Coalition is looking to raise $100,000 to build an all-wheels park for skateboarders, scooters and BMX riders at the Juan de Fuca Recreation Centre.

The budget to build the new park on donated land near the Q Centre in Colwood is pegged at a little more than $760,000. Skaters were left with nowhere to skate after the only facility on the West Shore was demolished near the former Belmont High School in Langford six years ago.

“It’s sad that we have to fight for a skate park when it was taken from us,” said Westshore Skate Park Coalition president Jimmy Miller. “This is a beautiful piece of land that we have and it’s a gift, so we have a spot, we have a design and we have donations in kind to make this happen, but we’re just not at that creation stage yet.”

Miller hopes that by launching the “100X1000” campaign, the coalition can find 100 donors or group donors to donate $1,000 each to build the new park.

“May be there’s a neighbourhood where there’s a bunch of skateboarders that all see the strength in our project and they want to go in on it together,” said Miller. “After six years we hope our project and the amount of good it will make can be seen.”

Miller says with no skating facility on the West Shore, people who want to use a skate park are forced to travel to the Vic West Skate Park, the Tulista Skate Park in Sidney or the facility in Sooke.

“It’s been tough for all of us, especially families because we’re all looking for places to go for our kids that are free of charge,” said Miller. “This is the exact same argument for playgrounds in your neighbourhood, if we want to grow our communities we need to invest in our communities. So let’s build something that means something and this skate park can be that something.”

Miller says having a skate park at the Juan de Fuca Recreation Centre would offer a family-friendly activity with amenities, such as a municipal golf course and a lacrosse box nearby.

“When we get this skate park built we will address a need,” said Miller. “It will be overflowing with kids that didn’t have some place to go.”