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Penticton  

Construction starts on new skatepark in Oliver

Jackhammers at skatepark

It was demolition day Tuesday at Oliver’s Lions Park.

Construction started on a long-awaited new skatepark before a crowd of community members and about 250 BCAA employees, who made a detour through town while in the area for a gathering in Osoyoos. 

The “Small Wheels Playground” was the winner of a $100,000 grant this summer through the BCAA Play Here program — which saw Oliver win an online vote to capture first prize alongside two other projects. 

“It’s been 20 years since it was built, it shows its wear and tear,” said Town of Oliver Parks and Recreation manager Carol Sheridan, who added the community “came together” to win the contest despite competing against projects from large cities.

“We went door-to-door, we had students making signs and having people honk on the highway. We did a huge campaign and we garnered enough votes that we won,” she said.

The current skatepark was built in 2000 in memory of Joel Waines, a local teen and passionate skateboarder who died in an accident. The park was built with some design flaws from the start, combined with wear-and-tear, many of the features at the park have not been usable for years. 

Community consultation and fundraising for a new skatepark has been underway since 2014, with design work already completed. 

“So we were shovel ready, all we needed was the funds,” Sheridan said. “Once the BCAA Play Here money came in, the regional district stepped up and decided to match those funds. So with that $50,000 that our community had already raised on its own, we had enough to do the build.”

It’s hoped construction will be completed by mid-December in advance of a grand opening in the spring. A memorial plaque for Joel Waines that was featured in the old skatepark will be included in the new build.



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