By Aaron Schulze

‘We don’t want to do anything average’: Melfort skate park opens

Jul 25, 2018 | 10:00 AM

Over a year’s worth of construction and $720,000 spent came to fruition during the grand opening of Melfort’s skate park.

Community members ranging from toddlers on tricycles to adults doing kickflips on skateboards joined together July 24 to officially open the Spruce Haven Recreational Complex. Mayor Rick Lang told northeastNOW the park is something different for the community that wasn’t offered before.

“We don’t want to do anything average,” Lang said. “We want to have the best facilities in the northeast and I would say, as a community of our size, we have that. It’s a pride factor for the city and citizens.”

Lang said striving for superior facilities is a draw for the city, citing Northern Lights Palace Pool and the Kerry Vickar Centre as examples of why he believes people move to Melfort.

While construction went smooth enough to bump up the opening date, there were some tough patches along the way. Citizens who objected the skate park, some of them nearby property owners, raised concerns about late-night lighting, and noise, which Lang believed were legitimate.

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“The lights are computer-generated to be directional and the park is going to shut down at 11 each night,” Lang said. “It shouldn’t interfere with anybody who lives within the facility and it will be well policed.”

There haven’t been any reports of vandalism at the skate park, and Lang said skaters have been taking ownership to make sure it stays that way.

Another concern was the cost of the park, however Lang mentioned Warman’s skate park in 2015 being like Melfort’s while also costing $700,000.

Along with the skate park, the Spruce Haven Recreational Complex is expected to see a water park, washrooms, and a playground ready by spring of 2019, while two soccer pitches are also expected to be added next summer.

aaron.schulze@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @SchulzePANow