Contract awarded for Burford skate park
Construction on a new Burford skateboard and scooter park could begin as early as this summer, according to a staff report received by the administration and operations committee last week.
The project was spearheaded by the Burford and District Optimist Club, with a youth advisory committee of five local teens and support from the County of Brant.
It’s a “very well-used park … and we see a need in our community to improve that,” club member Jennifer Daniel said at a 2022 committee meeting. An online survey by the county that same year showed the skate park area is the second-most-used of the park, after the playground.
At the time, members of the youth advisory committee said they use the skate park daily, but the current condition poses some safety concerns and offers limited opportunities for them to improve their skills. They also suggested it was too small.
Their vision was that a new skate park could offer a better area for beginners, as well as various challenges for skaters of all levels.
The final concept design by New Line Skateparks — finalized after two public meetings and community feedback — depicts elements like a three-foot “spine” (a mountainlike feature with two ramps meeting at a peak), a “flat rail” (a horizontal metal pole close to the ground), and a spectator area.
On April 16, staff recommended awarding a $550,000 design-build contract — including $325,000 for the Burford project and $225,000 for an expansion of the Paris Optimist skate park — to Transition Construction. It goes to council for approval April 30.
The club is also contributing slightly over $200,000 to the project, through cash donations and in-kind products.
During the expansion in Paris, the Two Rivers Stadium ball diamond will be decommissioned, but there are plans to replace it at a new park in the coming years, according to the staff report.
The county has additional skate parks at Mount Pleasant Park and Gaukel Memorial Community Centre in St. George.
Celeste Percy-Beauregard’s reporting is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative. The funding allows her to report on stories about Brant County. Reach her at cpercybeauregard@torstar.ca.
Celeste Percy-Beauregard, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Hamilton Spectator
