FFWD Weekly
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Sports by Ian Busby Construction crews broke ground last week on the long-awaited skateboard facility at Shaw Millennium Park. Organizers expect the park to be skate ready for a tentative kick-off date of September 30 this year. "I’m confident the skating features will be done and we will be skating on it by the end of the summer," says Chris Healy, co-secretary of the Fellowship of Calgary Skateboarders (FCS). The FCS is a five-year-old non-profit organization comprised of amateur skaters who petitioned city council for an all-access skate park, and worked with the Parks Foundation to make it a reality. Once the park opens, FCS hopes new boarders will come to the park and learn to skate with the supervision of experienced riders. The park received a $1.5-million donation from Shaw Cable, and additional funding came from the FCS and its Protecting the Legacy campaign, along with donations from businesses and individuals. Skaters of all ages will be able to test their skills on a 10-metre-diametre full-pipe – a rare feature that will challenge local boarders as there are only two pipes like it in all of North America. However, some of the original features of the park have to be put on hold or scaled down due to funding restrictions. "We need another $150,000 for the Snake Run," says Healy. "It’s not scrapped yet, but as of right now, we don’t have the money to put it in." In addition to the almost 6,000-square-metre skate facility, Shaw Millennium Park will include a 12,000-seat amphitheatre, and basketball and beach volleyball courts. Visually, the main focus will be the Millennium Landmark Building, funded by private donations and government grants. The building will feature a laser that shoots a beam of light 1,000 to 2,000 feet in the air – the display is meant to symbolize the year 2000, and will only be used for special occasions or light shows. "It’ll give Calgary another postcard," says Healy. People can show their support for the park by purchasing a brick at Safeway stores and First Calgary Savings branches – the brick will be inscribed with their name, then used in park construction.

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