Corner Brook -
A member of the Corner Brook skate park committee is hoping to see a facility developed within a couple of years.
Kevin Joseph, a Corner Brook skateboard enthusiast, is part of a group of skateboarders working toward a new skateboard park for the city.
He's been looking at the Corner Brook recreation master plan and he's interested to learn more about what he's seen.
A proposed concrete skate park can't really go where the existing facility is.
There's infrastructure under the park and if it had to be repaired, the concrete skate park would have to be torn up to do it. The land is still property of Corner Brook Pulp and Paper and if the skate park had to be torn up to fix the lines, he said the city would likely be on the hook for the repairs to the facility.
The other suggestion is to put the youth park with a skate park on the site of the current city hall on Mount Bernard Avenue after the staff move to the new location on Park Street.
"I don't know what kind of timeline they're working on," Joseph said. "That master plan is for 10 years, I think. Hopefully we can sit down with someone from the city and see where they stand with everything and see how long they figure it's going to take to get something like this in place."
With June 21 marked as international Go Skateboarding Day, Joseph said something will be organized to raise money for the skate park.
Lisa Osmond is co-ordinator of the Community Youth Network, an extension service of the Humber Community YMCA. She said the group has spent between $3,000 and $4,000 of the funding they've received on planning for the park. A web-based session with a Canadian design firm will show off a version of the proposed facility. From there a design can be launched.
The session will be held in the networks new office on the main level of the Millbrook Mall. The 3-D presentation will use new smart board technology installed in the suite.
There is about $5,000 worth of funding in place to proceed with the development and the group is continuing to raise money for the park.
"There's going to be more (fundraising) on the go this summer and skate competitions," Osmond said.
