March 2021
The City of Peterborough recently published an online survey for citizens to provide feedback on next year’s budget and to give the public an opportunity to make suggestions on how to best spend tax dollars. Our coalition took this opportunity to engage the skateboard community in Peterborough, mobilizing our followers on Instagram to complete the survey and add their voice in support of more investment in Parks and Outdoor Spaces, specifically a new skateboard park.

Our community response was amazing. Thank you to everyone who completed the survey! Coalition members of all ages (even those who don’t typically get involved in this sort of civic engagement) took 10-15 minutes out of their day to fill out this important survey. It may not sound like much, but when you consider how hard it can be to get people to act, this only further demonstrates how important a new skatepark is to the people who live here.

This community is very energized right now. We’re so stoked for what the future of skateboarding holds in this city as we continue to work together on plans to improve the skateboard scene in Peterborough.

April 2021
In addition to the survey, the City of Peterborough also hosted a series of Virtual Town Hall-style meetings to collect further feedback regarding the budget. Acting on behalf of the Peterborough Skateboard Coalition and in the best interest of skatepark users at-large, Geoff Rix gave a thorough and convincing pitch (with just 2 short minutes!) to try and explain the significance of our request for a new skatepark to be built in Peterborough. Geoff provided a brief summary of why we need a new skatepark as soon as possible to meet a growing need wiht no signs of stopping. He demonstrated to council and all those listening, the community support we have amassed over recent months. And most importantly, he requested a line item be added to the 2022 budget for the funding of a new skatepark.

Kudos to Geoff for stepping up and overcoming the technical challenges of Virtual meetings! (You can watch the clip here). The next big dates we have circled on our calendar are June 23 (public meeting on Draft Budget Guideline and November 1 (Draft 2022 Budget released for public review).

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Between these actions taken by the Peterborough Skateboard Coalition, and the other advocacy work we have been doing with the City of Peterborough, we believe our message has now been heard loud and clear. It is our understanding that potential locations are now being looked at around town, and that a formal request has been made to include skateboarding in next year’s budget and others beyond.

This does not however mean that we will stop working towards our ultimate goals, or slowing down our activities and progress towards a new park. Because of the economic uncertainty created by COVID-19, everything in the budget is a battle, so it may take a little more time to get a fully funded new park, especially one that meets the size and scope our community really needs. But we believe that we have set the stage, and that our vision for a new skatepark is one step closer to becoming a reality.

Stay tuned and stay stoked!

-Peterborough Skateboard Coalition