Whitehorse skate park closing for 6 months for $3.5M replacement job

Whitehorse's only public skate park will close for about half a year starting next week so it canbe replaced.

"We're pretty stoked, actually. We've been wanting a new park for a long, long time," said Shawn Pierce, vice-president of Skate for Life Alliance, an advocacy group.

Second Haven Skate Park,located in the Riverdale neighbourhood, is more than 20 years old. Skaters have pointedto crumbling masonry, metal bolts sticking out of the pavement and other safety hazards that need to be dealt with.

Thetotal budget to replace the park is $3.5 million, according to a press release from the Yukon government. The federal government is covering $2.6 million, and the territorial government will cover the rest.

Pierce is looking forward to "some actual bowlslike real bowls and poolswell-made things that aren't crumbling and tripping us," he said with a chuckle.

"We got pretty much everything and more in it."

Wheelchair accessible, inclusive park

Castle Rock Enterprises is handling construction duties for the park, and the design which includes a lot of new amenities was produced by Stantec.

"The new park will be wheelchair accessible and inclusive for skateboards, bikes, scooters, wheelchairs and spectators," readthe press release.

While it's what skaters have askedfor, construction at the site means six months without a dedicated park to skate in.

"It'll be weird," Pierce said, "but we'll just keep skating all summer anyway."

Pierce sayssome people have ramps in backyards.Thereare alsoskate parks in Mount Lorne and in Carcross, though Yukon's chief medical officer of health hasrecommended against any non-essential travel to Yukon communities.

The Yukon government currently owns and operates the park. The Whitehorse government will take those reigns once the park is complete.