The City of Yorkton is getting a snowboard slope.
In the winter months, snow will be used to build a higher launch on Rodney Ridge to make a more appropriate environment for the city's boarders. Other features on the slope will be built and maintained by community members.
This was the third proposed location for the park. A proposal to pile snow near the Gloria Hayden was deemed not feasible, and a proposal to use the skate park was rejected after consultations with the skate park company.
Darcy McLeod, Manager of Community Development, Parks and Recreation explains that the advantage of the Rodney Ridge location is that the park is easily accessed for maintenance and to ensure that it is properly used. The snowboard slope will not permit any tobogganing, due to safety concerns, which McLeod explains was a major concern with insurance.
"We don't want to confuse snowboarding and tobogganing, they are not a compatible use."
There will not be any actual construction required, as the slope will instead use the natural slope of Rodney Ridge. Snow will be packed on the top of the ridge in order to give boarders a more appropriate launching point. In terms of construction, just a fence to keep boarders away from an area where a valve for an inactive reservoir exists, as well as signage to indicate the rules. The reservoir also means that no equipment heavier than a bobcat will be permitted on the slope for maintenance.
The cost for the city will consist of an insurance increase of $1,000. Other costs will be part of the parks budget, and it will be monitored to ensure that costs remain reasonable.
McLeod emphasized to council that the city's insurer has been an integral part of the process from the beginning and they have worked to ensure that the planned slope would be of minimal risk to the city and to any local boarders using it.
City council gave unanimous approval to the project.
