City plans all wheel park for under-used portion of Gyro
By City of Trail
The City of Trail has decided to postpone the All Wheel Park telephone survey that was to commence early this week by GDH Solutions and Discovery Research.
This decision was made after city council agreed to proceed with a Canada 150 Community Infrastructure Program grant application for $350,000 that would go towards construction of an All Wheel Park in an underutilized area of Gyro Park. The attached diagram and image highlight the exact proposed location. The project, estimated at approximately $700,000, will also be funded (if the grant money is awarded) with $280,000 from the City of Trail and $70,000 that has been raised by the Society for Friends of the Skatepark.
“The city will also continue to seek other funding sources for this project as opportunities become available. The potential grant money, that has become available via the Western Economic Diversification Canada (WD) on behalf of the Government of Canada, is part of the government’s mandate to celebrate Canada’s 150th anniversary of Confederation, a key milestone in the life of our country, by investing $150 million over the next two years. All monies granted must be used to rehabilitate and improve existing infrastructure across Canada. Successful applicants will be notified by September 17, 2015.
“It is exciting to submit the Canada 150 Community Infrastructure Grant application on behalf of the City of Trail and the Society for Friends of the Skatepark,” says Trisha Davison, Director of Trail Parks and Recreation. “Funding for this project has always been an obstacle. Therefore, we are very pleased to submit an application in hopes of receiving money to offset the expenses to build an All Wheel Park at Gyro Park. We do understand that many questions of the proposed location may arise, therefore it is important that we stress that grant money will be awarded to enhance and improve existing infrastructure only. The current proposed location, Rossland Avenue, is not eligible for funding as it would be considered ‘new infrastructure’.”
Should the grant application be successful, the city will not proceed with gathering statistically valid data from its citizens via a telephone survey and will proceed with preliminary planning of the All Wheel Park.
“Council is very supportive of an All Wheel Park for its youth,” says Councillor Carol Dobie. “We have many financial commitments and large capital projects planned for the next five years; therefore we are very pleased to have the opportunity to apply for this funding. We remain hopeful the grant application will be successful.”
The city is able to submit more than one application to the Canada 150 Community Infrastructure Program grant, however applicants are expected to identify the level of priority for each project submitted. The All Wheel Park will be identified as the first priority and an application for $150,000 to offset expenses for an expansion at the Trail Aquatic and Leisure Centre will be identified as the second priority. The City will provide communication on the status of the grant(s) once received.
