LETTER: Cost associated with new skatepark 'will be worth it'

OrilliaMatters welcomes letters to the editor at [email protected] or via the website. Please include your full name, daytime phone number and address (for verification of authorship, not publication).The following letter is in response to a story titled 'Orillia Skateparkers seek city action on new skatepark,' published June 18.

I am not a skateboarder. I am someone who is risk-averse and always pictures the worst-case scenario for the future well-being of my wrists and knees.

I wanted to point this out right away because I think it is important to know I’m not going to directly benefit from using the skatepark myself, but still feel the (most likely large) cost associated with building this will be worth it. I can already see the benefit to the community as a whole and where it will save costs in the future.

Most sports aren’t accessible. They are expensive to join, to buy equipment for, and they take a whole family co-ordinating schedules to make them work. Skateboarding is an exception to this. Thanks to Pocket Skate & Vintage, skateboards can be rented out from the library so anyone can access the sport. They offer free skate lessons on the weekends, they promote skate nights for women to get them into the sport, and they are so dedicated and welcoming — which has built an impressive and diverse skate community in Orillia.

Skateboarding takes very little equipment, and you can participate whenever you have time, or mentally need that escape. It also is a facility that doesn’t require a lot of upkeep. Once it is built (properly, using the plans and the advice of skaters), it is there to use for a long time.

We so often look at reactive measures in our community and then try to deal with issues after they embed themselves, and don’t think about preventative measures that could be put in place. Our youth have had to deal with a lot post-COVID. There are extreme mental health issues, families struggling financially, stressed households, and just, in general, boredom — it is a weird age to keep busy if you don’t have money. All of this can accumulate into nuisances in the community, vandalism, etc. We need to look at how we support our youths, and I believe a skatepark is a part of the solution.

Skateparks are places that encourage civic responsibility. You can build relationships with a variety of people, you can be an introvert and feel like part of a group, you can gain a sense of community and independence, learn self-discipline, and celebrate successes. It is a place that fosters positive relationships/mentorships, attracts tourism, and allows youth to feel connected to their community, which then translates to more respect for their surroundings.

We are so lucky to have ‘veterans’ in the area (this term feels offensive knowing their ages) that have taken the lead on fundraising independently for this park through the group Orillia Skateparkers, and they ensure the sport is a place of respect, cleanliness, and belonging.

If the city, and council, is serious about addressing current disruptions caused by youth, and wants to prevent future issues, putting money into a new skatepark and giving youth a place to build community would be top of my list.

Marlow Devine
Orillia