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 Chester forging ahead |
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Chester's on its way to a world class skatepark
Chester is located an hour west of Halifax and is well on its way to getting a world class skatepark.
According to Chester Rec Director Trudy Payne, they applied for $175,000 from the Nova Scotia Health Promotion Recreational Facilities grant, and received a cheque for the same amount early in April from the Strategic Initiatives division of the NS Office for Health Promotion. MLA Judy Streatch delivered the news. The municipality has put up $125,000.
View Chester's skatepark design, which is for a 1,400 square foot facility.
View concept plan
From the Chester Area Middle School newsletter, March 2006 issue:
"Chester Skate Park
There has been much good news for the Skate Park Committee and the Skateboarding Community in recent months. Jim Barnum of Spectrum Skate Park Designs took part in a public meeting at CAMS on November 30 to present the proposed design of the Chester Skate Park. Thank you to Colin MacDonald who covered Mr. Barnum’s transportation costs from British Columbia.
Another thank you goes to The Chester Save Easy for making the Skate Park project the recipient of this year’s Charity Angel Campaign. The Save Easy donated $1000.00 to the project.
Perhaps the biggest boost to the realization of the Skate Park was news that the Chester Municipal Council has approved the construction of the Park and has agreed to fund one quarter of the total cost of the project as well as a geological survey of the Park site. Now that the Committee has received the green light to move forward with construction, it will be seeking community support in its fund raising efforts for the remainder of the construction costs.
It is through the support of community sponsors such as Mr. Macdonald, the Save Easy and Chester Municipal Council working with the youth in our community that will make the Skate Park a reality."
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In an email received March 30, Rec Director Trudy Payne wrote:
In the Fall of 2003 the Municipality of Chester undertook a recreation needs assessment. This process very much involved the public. We sent out random surveys in which we received a 43% return rate. Very good in statistical terms. We also conducted four focus groups - one with youth, one with businesses, one with community groups and the other with Council. From the feedback received from the surveys and focus groups the consultants took this information back to the community using the method of public meetings. We held a public meeting in each of our districts, which total 7. From the feedback recreation staff and the committee worked on developing a strategic plan and it was presented to Council in May 2004 and adopted by Council. One of the strategies was to partner with someone in the Municipality to develop a skatepark.
In September of 2004 I received a phone call from the Guidance Counselor from the Chester Area Middle School asking if she and a group of students could meet to talk about a skatepark. The rest is history as they say. I meet with the group, it fit in with the strategic plan and so we have been busy ever since. The youth had been to a UCAN conference and they were given the task of what they could do at their school to offer some positive recreational opportunities that would help cut down on negative behaviours such as smoking. The youth thought a skate park. They identified the "snake pit" which is where youth go now to smoke as the site. This land is on school board property. We have negotiated with the School Board who has agreed to sign over the land to the Municipality for the purpose of a skate park. The Municipality has agreed to own and operate the park once it is built. The Municipality also has agreed to contribute $125,000 towards the park. We are estimating it to cost $500,000. We have applied to Nova Scotia Health Promotion for $175,000. We are fundraising and will be developing a corporate package to help raise the rest.
The Chester Save Easy in December always does a charity angels fundraiser. This year the funds went to the skatepark.
They raised $1,000. We just held a bottle drive this weekend and we should make $500.00.
We also have a volunteer who runs a drop in indoor skateboard program for us. This runs in the gym at the Middle School on Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 6 - 9 p.m. We charge a $3.00 drop in fee. This started in January and I am sure we have surpassed the $600.00 mark. All fees goes towards the skate park. The program has two benefits. It provides a place for youth to skate board in the colder weather and it raises funds for the outdoor park.
The youth have been highly involved since the beginning. They put all the presentations together for Council, School Board and Recreation Committee. They were involved in the interviews when we were hiring consultants. They made the recommendation to Council to hire Jim Barnum. They have been highly involved in making changes to Jim's original plans. We should be seeing the final plans by Monday.
The site is a good location because it is in a commercial district. We so have Shoreham Village, which is a seniors' home, located in behind the skatepark. They did have concerns. When Jim was here in November, he, two youth and myself met with a group of seniors and as a result we have a representative from Shoreham sit on our committee. The committee is quite diverse in that we have about 15-20 youth, an "older" skater, RCMP officer, representative from Shoreham, the Executive Director of the Youth Center, the Guidance Counselor and myself as Recreation & Parks Director.
Recent news this week is I meet with the owner of the Irving located next to the proposed skatepark and he is willing to have us use some of his land for parking.
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Sep 1, 2010
Upcoming events
Sept. board mtg TBA
Photos-New/Old/Older
Year in Review 07-08
Newsletter--Apr2007(pdf)
Clippings Jun03-Apr08
AHSA on facebook
Shopping
Nova Scotia sk8parks
AntigonishEventsCalendar
Halifax movie Roller Town looking for roller skaters / Roller Town facebook page
2010 Skate & Create / 2009 winner, etnies The Legend Of Boxton Square
HOLY ROLLER (2nd vid has music)
Where we are, July 2010
Rolling with the punches, The Casket, Jul 26, 2010
Town trying to find site?, Jul 21, 2010
Request for space for halfpipe turned down, June 21
A safe, fun summer, Chronicle Herald, July 19
A new skate park for sick old tricks -Globe and Mail
The Chronicles of Zander, June 12; Trailer & poster
Northside Youth Centre & Indoor Sk8park Grand Opening, Fredericton, NB; sponsor: East Side Board Supply
Playgound installation May 15, photos
Spryfield park open; vid
Everyone wins, vid about youth engagement produced by NS Dept of Community Services
Local: Big Air in Bedford
To Fix Bridge, Skateboard Mecca May Be Lost for Years, Brooklyn Bridge, NY
2010 AGM / President's report / new board
Pics, Jeff at Moncton sk8park
BMX enthusiasts out of winter hibernation
Dedication unrewarded, Letter to the editor of The Casket, Apr 14, 2010
Local talent - sk8 vids featuring Brennen Breen: couldn't breen / brennen breen this is antigonish / Halifax commons skateboardin / scooter vid featuring Ryan Rossong: Beaver Gone Wild
Danny Way Stepping Aside as His Creation Soars
Connecting to a Culture Using 4 Wheels / Related: 4Wheelwarpony
Bob Biniak of Z-Boys, Dies at 51
Skatepark planned for Amherst, NS / Many benefits to be had in skate park
Snowboarding gold medalist Shaun White on the value of skateboarding
For Tony Hawk, the Skateboard Is a Canvas
A stunt cyclist's Tour de Fence / Danny MacAskill on Youtube
Bridgewater sets aside land for skateboard park, Bridgewater Bulletin, Oct 20,09
AHSA volunteers at HUNGRY4CHANGE banquet, Aug 11 photos
2009 HG parade photos
1st Annual Arichat Skateboarding Competition - photos
New sk8parks 2008/10
Spryfield
Bridgewater (planned)
Chester
Saint John
Truro
Glace Bay
Fall River / slide show
Amherst (planned)
AnnapolisRoyal (planned)
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