‘I'm devastated': Calgary skaters react to partial closure of downtown park for Stampede festival
Fencing is up around the old Shaw Millennium Park, now known as Cowboys Park, as staff gear up for the Calgary Stampede and Cowboys Music Festival.
But the fencing has shuttered part of the skate park, in a move never done before when the space held festivals.
'I'm devastated. Honestly, seeing this, I felt like crying. It felt like I was being stabbed in the heart,' said local scooter rider Axe.
'The moment we do have the peak of the summer, they're just going to cover up the skate park and now we can't ride.'
By covering up, staff have begun assembling scaffolding in the bowl of the Yellow Zone of the park, which is an intermediate section. The scaffolding will then have a wooden base assembled over top to create a floor space for public washrooms and a food venue.
'We definitely heard a lot of complaints through our office and social media as well,' said Ward 7 Councillor Terry Wong.
'The unfortunate part of the equation is, yet again, the city has done their job. Now it's been turned over to Cowboys as part of their commitment.'
Wong adds that the closure is for 50 days and there is no plan to try and reverse course.
'I'm not sure if you can,' said Wong.
'Given the timeframe when it was approved a year ago to where we are now, there's a lot of fast-tracking. And unfortunately, some of the engagements should have been done and wasn't quite there.'
A petition started to 'Urge Cowboys Music Festival to Free Millennium Park's Skatepark' has garnered nearly 3,000 signatures in just a couple of days.
Organizer Dave Hoare says this has frustrated a lot of inner-city riders who are about to hit peak summer season.
'It's the most utilized space in the park, right, the intermediate section, it's kind of a balance between where the pros can ride, where the beginners can ride,' said Hoare.
'It's kind of the most inclusive area in the park where all the features are pretty accessible to everyone.'
Hoare hopes to see a change of course this year, but more importantly for him, in the years to come.
'It's completely outrageous. We don't have washroom access. We don't have access to the water fountains,' he said.
'I moved downtown here at the beginning of the year so I could be close to the park. I live three blocks from here; this is my backyard.'
The city chipped in roughly $6 million for repairs to bathrooms, lighting, event areas, as well as basketball and volleyball courts. It's unclear what Penny Lane Entertainment provided in terms of funding for upgrades to the park.
Portions of the skatepark will be closed until July 30.
The city of Calgary says in a statement that construction at Cowboys Park is on pause for the summer to make room for events that include Cowboys Music Festival.
'Specifically for the skate park, the advanced bowls will remain open, but the beginner and intermediate bowls will be closed,' the statement read.
Full details on what is open and closed at Cowboys Park are available on the City of Calgary's website and on signage distributed around the park.
'The closure of the beginner and intermediate skate bowls in Cowboys Park were required as part of the Cowboys Music Festival event plan,' read the statement.
'The agreement (approved by council in June 2023), brings needed upgrades to the park and is a key step in implementing the city's downtown strategy to bring vibrancy to Calgary's downtown west area by creating additional activation of park spaces and drive further economic activity in the area.'
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