Iqaluit city council reaches a compromise for skateboarders

Isaac Daniel Idlout, right, soars over a ramp at the Iqaluit skate park during a summer skate camp in 2015. Nick Gauthier, left, was a leader at that camp. (FILE PHOTO)

After a fight by skateboard advocates to keep Iqaluit’s skate park open, city council has decided its fate, at least for this summer.

At their June 12 meeting, councillors passed a recommendation made by the recreation committee that would see the city install a smaller skate park than in previous years in the curling rink space for two weeks from Aug. 20 until Sept. 1.

This would leave space for other activities.

Councillors also approved a recommendation to hold two two-week-long skateboard camps, as well as drop-in programming, as long as at least 25 paid participants have signed up before August 1.

These activities will be funded through the recreation department’s operating and staffing budgets, as well as the Public Works staffing budget.

In their recommendations, the recreation committee said that the benefits of this approach would be that youth and skateboarders would still be able to experience skateboarding in both a camp setting and a drop-in setting at the end of the summer, and there would also be a greater variety of activities for those who do not skateboard.

The recreation committee also indicated that installing the skate park ramp and features is a “significant undertaking” and will take the coordination of multiple departments and staff time.

It will take four people three days to set up and four people one day to take down at the end.

The cost of employees to staff the camps and drop-in activities comes in at about $5,000, while the revenue including both the camp registration and drop-in fees should come to roughly $3,000 in total.

Council also approved the recreation committee’s recommendation that the recreation department should seek funding for a recreation master plan that could include an outdoor multipurpose space that could serve as a skateboarding area.

“In the absence of a recreation master plan … I am in favour of removing the curling rink’s surface from this building … so we can turn it into a more used facility,” deputy mayor Romeyn Stevenson said.

He would like to see it renovated and turned into a facility that can be used for many sports like basketball or badminton.

“I don’t think it would cost an exceptional amount of money if we could turn it into something that a far greater number of people can use,” Stevenson said.

“I have no problem with the skate park possibly being part of that program.”

As for Luc Brisebois, the father of keen skateboarding boys, who worked with his wife to set up the petition to keep the skate park open, he says the city council’s decision is an overall compromise.

He also thinks that when it comes to the potential outdoor park, the recreation department should make sure to incorporate winter activities, such as snowboarding and snowskating in any of their future plans.

“We will now focus on helping the registration numbers. I will definitely register my kids for the camp,” Brisebois said.