TISDALE — Rae’s Action Sports Park has completed stage two of its development, which includes multiple new ramps.
“It’s a complete circuit now,” said Mandy Russell, skate park committee chair for the Kinettes. “It gives the kids more room allows for more skaters at a time and additional lines they can be doing.”
Stage two cost the Kinettes about $40,000.
“This was the original plan from our beginning,” Russell said. “We wanted to complete the funding for that piece of equipment but didn’t have the funding to do it all in one step.”
Funds for the project came out of Kinettes fundraisers, such as their annual steak and lobster dinner, as well as two large contributions from the Tisdale Lions Club and funds from both the John Barron and Kay Montgomery Trusts. Sponsorships also came from local businesses.
Phase three was originally planned for next spring, but due to the amount of funds raised, it may be up as early as this fall.
Phase three will include a pump track. A pump track is a small race track with bumps and bowls in it, designed for use by anybody with a tricycle, BMX or skateboarding.
“We are really hopeful to get it in this fall,” Russell said. “We’re just figuring out our finances this week and getting final quotes for phase three… We ended up getting enough money raised this year that we think we can pull it off but we just got to double check with quoting and that the Canadian Ramp Company can actually get it installed by then.”
It will cost about $56,000.
If phase three is finished this fall, they hope to do a grand opening. The kickoff would involve a competition for skateboards, scooters and BMX riders.
Russell said she believes this park is a “great asset” to the community.
“It’s something the kids in our community have wanted to have for at least 10 years now; they’ve been trying to get a skate park going. The Tisdale Kinettes decided five years ago that we were going to spearhead getting the funds for it and getting it going. It has just taken this long to get the location and funding in place.”
