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N.B. bike park a possibility in 2017

Dec 15, 2016 | 1:00 PM

A bike park could be on the horizon for North Battleford in 2017.

Next year’s draft budget includes the bike park in its capital plan at a cost of $183,000.

Director of leisure services Bill Samborski said the park has a lot of community support behind it and will provide an opportunity for young people to engage in a sport quickly growing in popularity.

He said currently some bikers try to use the skate park, but it’s becoming overcrowded and is difficult for bikers and skateboarders to use at the same time.

Samborski said there are a few possibilities for a location for the bike park, but ideally it would be between the skate park and tennis courts.

The bike park, which would essentially be made up of dirt trails and jumps, was brought to council at a meeting Wednesday.

Samborski said there is interest in fundraising for the project in the community, but the people leading it want the go-ahead from council first. He said at a previous meeting a member of the Rotary Club of the Battlefords said the club might be interested in donating to the park as well.

Council discussed whether the bike park could be pushed back to another year to focus on necessities in the budget. Samborski agreed it would be possible to delay the park, but expressed concern it would be delayed several years. He stressed it isn’t a huge project and there is money in reserve for it.

No decisions have been made on the bike park yet, as council continues to deliberate the 2017 budget.

 

Sarah Rae is a reporter for battlefordsNOW. She can be reached at Sarah.Rae@jpbg.ca or tweet her @sarahjeanrae.