Skateboarders fear city will demolish handmade park on Fort York grounds
A group of friends united by a passion for skateboarding is worried the city will tear down a skate park they've built with their own hands.
"We're bringing life back to a dead space that's been overlooked by the city," skateboarder Josh Singal told CBC Toronto.
The park Singal and his friends built is nestled in a ravine area on the north side of Fort York Boulevard, just west of the Bathurst Street bridge. It's a series of makeshift cement ramps and cinder blocks along the edge of a walking path. A concrete wall sprayed with graffiti frames one side of the path.
There's no word yet on what the city plans to do with the site, but it sits on the edge of Fort York's historical grounds
In November 2016, the same group saw months of their hard work — a cement bowl style skate park in the Bloor Street West and Lansdowne Avenue area — torn down in a matter of hours by city crews.
City officials said the Lansdowne location was dismantled because the skateboarders did not apply for a building permit. This time around, the skateboarders are trying to work with the city by reaching out to local city councillors for support.
But Coun. Mike Layton, whose Ward 19 includes the area where this skate park has been built, thinks it is unlikely it will remain there.
"This is a historical site and an extra level of care needs to be taken. There's a long term plan for this site and it has tremendous archaeological value," Layton said.
"The ramp and path in question were built in anticipation of another park being built on the other side of the Bathurst bridge. One day, this path will connect with a school and community centre as well," he said.
"There's a significant concern when people start mixing and pouring concrete at public parks. When it's others doing the construction, and not to the city's standards, the liability falls back on the city, and it's a very serious thing."
The skateboarders say they're continuing to build these DIY spots, because of a lack of skate parks throughout the city.
'We saw an opportunity for more space'
"We saw an opportunity for more space and said, 'Why not?' The city is not giving us more skate parks, like we need," Singal explained.
Layton said the city is looking at opportunities for new, city-built skate parks. However, he said, it appears unlikely they will be in the downtown core.
But the skateboarders say this is not just about having a place to skate.
Nicky Young, who helped build the current Bathurst spot and last fall's Lansdowne location, explained that it's about creating a usable, inviting space for the entire community.
"Ideally, we'd really love to be stewards of this place and go over the graffiti or at least get good muralists in to not make the place look the way it does now," said Young.
"We picked this spot because it was unused, full of graffiti, so we can clean it up. It had a lot of garbage, beer bottles, needles and stuff that we're cleaning up."
Young explained the importance of these DIY spots and what exactly they entail,
'It's like an entrance to the city'
"The whole idea about a DIY spot is skateboarders who come together and build something themselves," he said.
"Young people today don't really have a lot of engagement with their communities, and we're looking to change that."
The Bathurst location is a far cry from the extensive cement bowl the group had at Lansdowne, but it is still one they believe has potential.
"It's like an entrance to the city," said Singal. "We could really make it something special. Some artwork over the graffiti, something cultural, welcoming people to our city. Other people in the community have been pretty positive about it too, no negative comments."
