Park project to round two

Last week, Yorkton's skateboarding community celebrated a victory that could put it one step closer to funding a new skatepark for the city.

A proposal submitted by Dave Nussbaumer of Farrell Agencies and the Yorkton Skateboard Club has made it through the first round of voting and into the semifinals of the Aviva Community Fund online competition.

"Out of over 900 entries, we made the top nine, which is unbelievable. It's a huge feat to us," said Yorkton Skateboard Club chairperson Tucker Chornomud on Thursday at a celebratory rally at the proposed site of the new skatepark on Brodie Avenue.

The winning entries into the competition will share $1 million in project funding from Aviva Insurance. The skateboarders hope to secure $150,000 towards a downtown park to replace the rudimentary skateboard park near the Gallagher Centre. With the City of Yorkton committed to providing an additional $150,000 for the project, the competition could bring in enough funds to build a high-end skatepark for Yorkton.

Currently, many serious skateboarders are forced to head out of town to practice their sport, said Chornomud.

"Skateboarding nowadays, it's about cement-you know, that nice smooth feel. Our park's been hurting for years, which is why we're so excited to finally come together and get a proper cement skate park for our town."

The initial rounds of the Aviva competition are based on public voting. The "Yorkton Skateboard, Bike and Walking Park" proposal received almost 6,000 votes in 15 days: more than enough to earn it one of 30 semifinalist spots in the first round of voting. A total of 90 semifinalists will be chosen over three rounds before the end of November.

The need for public participation isn't over. On December 5, the semifinal round officially begins. At the end of this last round of public voting, the 30 top ideas will be forwarded to a judging panel for the final decision. The exact number of winners will depend on the funding requirements of the chosen projects.

The members of the Yorkton Skateboard Club have been working hard all month to promote their project.

"It's all been about getting exposure. At this point, we're trying to get the word out as much as possible and attending as many events as we can and making pamphlets, contacting businesses, and getting the schools involved. We're just trying to get awareness of our cause out here," said Chornomud.

Skateboarders and skate shops around the province have expressed their support, he added.

Chornomud thanked the community for its help so far, and asked everyone to remember to vote again in December.

"We're not there yet, but we're getting really close."

Votes can be cast online at www.avivacommunityfund.org using project reference number ACF11570.