Tisdale Kinettes to build skate park

It’s taken almost three years, but the Tisdale Kinettes are ready to move ahead with a new skate park for Tisdale.

“Where it all started for us was there were some kids and concerned parents on Facebook – Rant and Rave – a few years ago concerned about the skateboard area that there was and that some of the equipment got taken away because it wasn’t safe,” said Raelene Franklin with the Kinettes. “We saw those rant and raves and thought: what could we do to fill this need in our community?”

After much effort preparing, including working with the town to find a site for the park and securing money, the plan is to build the park beside Mount Tisdale in the northwest part of town, near Newmarket.

The Kinettes believe the project will cost between $150,000 and $170,000. Unlike the skate park in Melfort, the community is collecting the necessary funds for the project.

“We have secured $120,000 between the Kinettes, Kinsmen, Lions, Lion Ls, and the John Barron and Kay Montgomery Trust Funds,” Franklin said. “We’ve applied for a few grants that we’re waiting on and we’re going to be looking into doing sponsorship options for businesses and individuals.”

They’ll also fundraise, both through their traditional events like the Steak and Lobster Supper and the resurrection of Beat the Deck, which they hosted until five years ago.

“We decided that because we have this big project that we thought it would be nice to bring it back,” Franklin said. “People seem to enjoy it and it’s been a while and there’s other Chases the Aces going on all over the place.”

They will be held at the Tisdale Hotel every Friday night from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. from Jan. 12 to June 1. Of the nightly proceeds, 20 per cent will go to that night’s winner, 30 per cent will go to a large progressive jackpot waiting for whoever picks out a special card and 50 per cent will go to the skate park.

“We’re hoping to reach our budget goal by spring, but we have enough to get started on it,” Franklin said, adding they’ll work on the project in phases if necessary but are hoping to do it all at once and have it ready for use for locals by the summer.

Unlike the skate parks in Melfort and Nipawin, Tisdale’s won’t be made out of specially-formed concrete but will instead have the equipment placed on top of a 50 by 100 foot concrete pad. Local contractors will construct the pad and then the Canadian Ramp Company will build the specialized equipment.

Local skateboarders will have a chance to have input into what the park will look like at a community meeting Jan. 30 at 7 p.m. at the RECplex’s Hanover Room.

“We’re to try to get as many youth, adults, people that want to be involved in this to come out and give input and what kind of equipment they would like to have there and then they’ll take that information, go back and come up with a design concept for us,” Franklin said.

The Kinette said the new skate park will have a 20-year warranty.

Beat the Deck will be held at the Tisdale Hotel every Friday until June 1 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. A community meeting to discuss the design of the park will be held  Jan. 30 at 7 p.m. at the RECplex’s Hanover Room.