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EDITORIAL by Michael Burton

For more information on the skateboard park issue, please read our article titled Debate over skateboard parks in Oakville and our follow up article titled Does moving West Oak skateboard park solve the problem? where Council members Marc Grant and Roger Lapworth provide statements on this issue.

On Tuesday May 26th I arrived at the Oakville council chamber to report on the issue of the late night disturbances of the West Oak Skateboard Park. I arrived 20 minutes early – with four or five residents waiting for the meeting to begin.

The first meeting

In the back row, just like the back-of-the-classroom jokers in high school, sat roughly ten skateboarders. Many dressed casually, their tattoos fully visible, hunched over the railing in front of them. Respectfully they waited for the meeting to begin, they had arrived long before I did.

Skateboarders sat on the right hand side of the room – town residents on the other. There was a clear division between residents. The room was now full – with more than 50 residents attending the meeting. However – there wasn’t any tension in the room, it was relaxed and residents even chuckled at the odd joke.

When the issue was brought up for discussion, one-by-one children, skateboarders, and residents had their say. Skateboarders from the ages of five to 25 asked not to remove the park – and the older skateboarders high-fived younger skateboarders after they made their speech. It was a heart-warming moment for everyone in the room.

At that moment in time it really seemed like the youth of Oakville had the upper hand on the issue. They had made their case, and explained that this park has incredible meaning to them.

Residents had their say, outlining that the noise created late at night prevented them from sleeping within their own homes with their windows open. Skateboarders made their pitch – saying that the ones causing trouble late at night weren’t even skateboarders.

The decision that night was to defer the issue to another meeting on June 1st.

A very different second meeting

I arrived at the second meeting to something very different. No skateboarders, no children begging not to move the park. The only resident I recognized from the first meeting was Craig Ferguson – who had planned a power-point presentation for this meeting.

Did everyone miss the memo? What happened? Where were the thralls of people that voiced their opinion the first time? The original fifty or so people that came to the meeting were nowhere to be found.

Ferguson made his pitch – Chris Mark, Oakville’s Parks and Open Space Director gave his report to council with a budget in place to move the park.

Councillor Marc Grant made one last effort to save the park, “Where do we stop telling kids they can’t do things in Oakville because it ruins our enjoyment of the community?” he asked.

The decision

The motion was then passed to move the skateboard park to Palermo Park, Councillor Grant shook his head in disappointment as the decision was made.

This didn’t happen in front of all those concerned residents, skateboarders, and little kids from the first meeting. There I sat in an empty row, watching the end of the West Oak skateboard park.

The Halton Regional Police failed to attend both meetings. I’m curious as to whether or not they missed the memo as well. Their insight could have changed the outcome.

UPDATE: We received the following response from the Halton Region Police Service:

The Halton Regional Police Service will continue to patrol and monitor this park like we would any other. We will continue to enforce bylaws, provincial and federal laws, as they present themselves.

We will have our community officers continue to work with Town staff to ensure that the park is equipped with sufficient lighting and open spaces to deter unlawful activity in an effort to make this park as safe as possible.

- Sergeant Brian Carr, Public Affairs Bureau

Many skateboarders might believe that it is their right to skateboard – but it is not a right for them to have access to skateboard parks. The town gave these parks to the youth, and it’s in the youth’s hands to use them appropriately. Town council made a poor decision to move the park, and those ten year olds that could skateboard in their own backyard. Now, have to cross busy Dundas Street to get to Palermo Park.

Tags: editorial, skateboard parks