While the adults sat inside the City Hall speculating on what they should provide for the young people to keep them off the streets, the skateboarders raced around the City Hall parking lot, darting between cars, jumping the curbs and tearing down the steps. The answer was so obvious it was almost missed.
After the meeting, the chair of the City's Youth Issues Committee approached the teens and asked "What is it you kids want?" "A skateboard park," was the simple reply. And that is how it all began.
Although the young people had approached City Hall staff they had been discouraged by the standard "good idea...but, we have no money" reply. They had even taken in a petition but in these times, chances of success were nil.
The teens were invited to the next Youth Issues Committee meeting and presented their ideas for a skateboard park.
At this point, friction between the boarders, the citizens and police was high. Yet members of the committee were impressed with the kids - they had given a great deal of thought to what they wanted and certainly had the energy and enthusiasm of the young!
The Youth Issues Committee was comprised of 4 councilors, the Police Community Services Officer, five community representatives interested in young people and a staff liaison and Gail Andrews who headed the City's Parks and Recreation Department. The committee, after visiting some nearby parks at the urging of Al Hay the Community Services Officer, decided to continue to pursue the possibility of a park with the teens - but they would make it clear that the teens were expected to do the work - and that included fundraising, design, cleanup, rules, building etc. - themselves. The adults would be there for direction and encouragement but would not do it all.
The big break came when a local company, E.C. King Contracting, offered a site for lease at $1.00 per year. The site was the cement base of what had been a paint factory situated on the harbour overlooking Georgian Bay. In fact, the site is spectacular and research done by the kids indicated that if they were to reclaim and resurface the entire area, Owen Sound would have Ontario's largest outdoor skateboard park.
The site established, planning and fundraising (at the fall fair, local mall, a hockey game, schools - plus donation from local police and businesses) got seriously underway as the youths set up a display which they moved to whatever site would welcome them.
By the time the snow flew, the site was cleaned up by the kids, a fence and four ramps built and the park, in it's embryonic stage, opened. The kids continued to meet and fundraise over winter and construction of jumps will begin again soon. Excitement grows at the prospect of actually opening on a full-time basis this spring. The teens, now that the end is in sight, are more enthusiastic than ever and continue to impress the adults. The community has taken notice and there is admiration for the work of the teenagers as opposed to criticism for their actions - and that is, in its way, as important as the park.
Ruth Lovell is a Councilor with the City of Owen Sound in Ontario, Canada.