Jasper Municipal Council will backstop a fundraising shortfall to ensure the community gets the skatepark it deserves.
Councillors voted unanimously in favour of loaning up to $150,000 to the Jasper Skatepark Committee. The recommendation came at their March 12 Committee of the Whole meeting.
“This will be a long term asset for multiple generations,” Councillor Ralph Melnyk said about the future skatepark. “I would support looking into how the municipality could cover this shortfall.”
The item was presented to council by CAO Bill Given, who relayed the Jasper Skatepark Committee’s message that the group is about $140,000 short of projected revenues to build out the project, slated to be constructed on Centennial Park’s Diamond A this summer.
Through Given, skatepark booster and committee spokesperson Darrell Savage said that if council wasn’t comfortable loaning the group the needed funds, they could reduce the project’s scope.
But council indicated they’d like to see the skatepark built as originally intended.
“I want this to move forward in its full scope,” Councillor Wendy Hall said.
The total cost of the skatepark, which has been designed by NewLine Skateparks in collaboration with the local committee, is just north of $1 million. Council committed $300,000 to the project in 2021.
Savage started the Jasper Skatepark Committee in 2016 after years of unofficial fundraising and momentum-building. Councillor Kathleen Waxer applauded his diligence.
“I’ve witnessed Darryl put in an enormous amount of energy and enthusiasm,” Waxer said. “It’s been a significant accomplishment to have brought in close to $700,000.”
Last year, the committee qualified for a $125,000 Community Facility Enhancement Program (CFEP) grant from the provincial government. And in 2022, they received $91,363 from the fed’s Healthy Community Initiatives grant. The Jasper Volunteer Fire Brigade has matched community donations up to $50,000 and Savage has done innumerable bottle drives and piecemeal fundraising events to help raise the required cash. Many other local groups and individuals have contributed to the cause.
The Municipality of Jasper would have to access reserve funding to find the $150,000, Given indicated. Councillor Hall made the motion to recommend council approve setting the money aside; it also directed administration to recommend appropriate financing methods.
“We cannot understate the importance of what has been allotted to this project over the years on the town’s behalf,” Savage said in a letter to Mayor and Council.
Bob Covey // bob@thejasperlocal.com
