Skaters in Fort St. John are recording more airtime than ever with the addition of a state-of-the-art skate park in the heart of the city. An oil and gas boom has resulted in significant population growth in the North Peace city in recent years, making Fort St. John one of B.C.’s youngest cities with a large and growing youth population. The old skate park was run-down and the 700-plus skaters and bikers who used it every year were quickly running out of room. Northern Development provided a $30,000 grant through its Community Halls and Recreation facilities program to help make the new park a reality. The City and Province through its Ministry of Community, Sport and Cultural Development provided the remaining funding.
The project involved the construction of a new 20,000 square foot skate park with new amenities and features for all skill levels. The new park was finished in 2013 and it’s already been a huge success with locals.
Tara O’Donnell, the city’s former community development coordinator, tell us, “the new skate park is being really well used and absolutely well received with lots of youth and young families coming down and having a blast.”
