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Neighbours displeased with new Creighton bike park

Creighton’s new bike park is drawing opposition from neighbouring residents.
Wooden structures called ladders at the new Creighton bike park, near Collins Street.
Wooden structures called ladders at the new Creighton bike park, near Collins Street.

Creighton’s new bike park is drawing opposition from neighbouring residents.

Rob Sinclair and Katherine Fey appeared before town council last week to present their concerns about the park, adjacent to the Collins Street playground near their property.

“Nobody came to us and said, ‘We’re going to build this park right in your backyard,’” said Sinclair. “The biggest kick in the butt here is that nobody here bothered to ask us.”

Fey and Sinclair discussed other objections to the project, including an increase in injuries on the site, noise concerns and youth crime.

“These ramps are close to our properties. Are we expected to supervise them?” said Fey, adding, “This bike park is now an accident waiting to happen.”

Council members addressed Sinclair and Fey’s concerns, saying the lack of consultation was an oversight and not a deliberate attempt to mislead.

“There was no malicious intent,” said Ald. Colleen Stallard.

The bike park consists of a series of long, winding ramps known as ladders. The park was built near the Collins Street playground instead of Red Mountain Park on Third Avenue as initially proposed.

According to the town and the company contracted to build the park, Joplin, Missouri-based Progressive Bike Ramps, the Collins Street site was considered a secondary site for the park.

At the 11th hour, the Red Mountain site was no longer an option; the park was then built on the Collins Street site. The decision was made as late as May 19, with construction starting later that day.

Considerations for a secondary site were made throughout the planning process by the town and Progressive Bike Ramps.

The town removed playground structures from Red Mountain Park in early May to prepare the area for construction.

Town councillors and Creighton Recreation officials said the project was discussed in the town’s newsletter and in an online questionnaire, and as many as five articles were published in The Reminder regarding the park.

“We’ve worked with this company for three years now,” said Crystal Banting, a project organizer, referring to Progressive Bike Ramps.

The new bike park features several wooden obstacles and is built on a slope. It includes runs and lines with varying difficulty levels – some cater to novice riders, with others for more experienced bikers.

“It’s not meant entirely for level ground because there are features that could be built into it, like ramps and banks,” said Banting.

Further improvements to the park, including signage showing more advanced lines, are planned for the near future.

“We’re also hauling in fill to make a buffer,” said Creighton recreation director Channa Senyk. “We’re trimming all the trees that might be sticking up a bit. These fellows just finished [last week].”

The park carries an estimated price tag of $50,000. Half of the cost comes from the town, with the other half coming from a provincial Community Initiatives Fund grant.

Senyk confirmed most of the playground equipment removed from Red Mountain Park would be reinstalled. In addition, a new swing set will be placed at the property at a later date to replace the old swings.

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