St. Albert Portable Skateboard Park
The Cause
The City of St. Albert has a high demand for skateboard, bike and scooter activities – and available space to provide them. There is also a need for programs that support at-risk children and youth. Safe places to play can provide healthy and active living options to residents. A portable skateboard park kit would meet all of these needs by providing increased recreation opportunities for children, youth, young adults, and their families all year-round. This equipment would be used indoors in cold months and brought outdoors in the summer to different locations in our community. Whenever the portable skateboard park is available a qualified staff member will be monitoring the use and ensuring the safety of all. This equipment can also be used at events throughout the year to increase youth involvement in community activities in a safe and welcoming environment. The cost of the equipment is a one time cost that will supply the residents St. Albert with years of safe recreational enjoyment for the entire community.
Who Will it Benefit?
The City of St. Albert has an extensive Red Willow Trail system that supplements our cities roads and sidewalks to form a transportation network that is utilized by youth on wheels – skateboards, bikes, scooters and inline skates. The primary benefactors of a portable skateboard park kit would be children, youth, and young adults that live and play in the City of St. Albert. This includes at-risk youth, as it will be a free service that will be deployed directly in their community and at events around our city. This will also benefit the wider community as it enhances the opportunities available for healthy and active living. The portable skateboard park will give youth an additional option for positive use of their free time, in a safe environment monitored by City Staff. In 2014, St. Albert’s permanent Skateboard Park saw over 18,160 hourly visitors in 105 days (closed during poor weather). The portable skateboard park kit has the potential to impact all of these users and the 8,200 youth between the ages of 10 and 19. This age group makes up over 13% of the St. Albert population, therefore there is potential to reach a large audience.