Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to congratulate the Town of Hay River on opening a new skate park this past August, one month before the town’s BMX and skateboarding competition. Mr. Speaker, this may not seem like a big thing, but I’ve got to tell you it’s something we talked about in Hay River for many, many years, so it was great to see it come to fruition.
Residents of Hay River have worked long and hard to build a bigger and better skate park for the community. Skate parks are a great way to keep youth healthy and engaged in outdoor, unstructured play. They can hone their skills and compete with other stunt artists in a safe, specially designated public area to practice their skills whenever they have free time.
Hay River’s skate park was designed with expertise from the Canadian Ramp Company, which recently finished work on the largest steel ramp park in Atlantic Canada.
Complete with rails, ramps and jumps, the skate park was host to the Hay River’s 4th Annual X-Games on September 13th, open to participants from across the territory to show off their tail whip, board slides, 360s and other tricks on two and four wheels.
This skate park is not only a valuable asset for youth across the NWT but a testament to what a group of dedicated, community-minded volunteers can accomplish. I especially want to recognize the hard work of the Hay River BMX Skate Park Committee that went above and beyond to bring this facility to life.
Volunteers spent the summer stripping copper off of waste wire donated by Diavik and selling it for profit. The committee also entered a contribution agreement with the Town of Hay River to raise funds for the skate park. They can be proud of what their hard work has achieved. The skate park has had lots of use before the snow started to fly this week and will be used for many seasons to come.
I’d like to thank all of the volunteers who made this year’s X-Games possible and once again commend the determination and community spirit that made this skate park a reality. I encourage the young people of Hay River to enjoy this new facility and not forget to wear their helmets. Thank you.
Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The Member for Range Lake, Mr. Dolynny.
