Skateboarders paint lines at Beasley Park to keep their distance during COVID-19
'It just helps to have a few guidelines,' says Derek 'Old School' Lapierre
Murals and spray paint cover much of Beasley Skate Park, but this week some new lines with a practical purpose rather than an artistic one started to appear.
Thick, red bars now surround parts of the park where people typically congregate such as shady trees and benches. They're there to protect people from COVID-19 and help stop the spread of the virus.
"If they can mark social distancing at the Beer Store and at the grocery store we thought 'Why not do a little bit here?'" explained Derek Lapierre, chairman of the Hamilton Skateboard Assembly (HSA).
Lapierre, nicknamed Old School for the vintage tricks he pulls off, said the group hosts take a week every year to "spruce up" the park and fix cracks before it gets really busy.
But this time around they used the paint they'd brought with them for something different.
Using a broom that was about six feet long they measured out and painted different sized spaces including a "VIP area," he jokes, so that "people can have a sense of the distance they need to be apart."
The HSA is already planning to add more around the halfpipe and other popular spots.
"There's lots of room," said Lapierre. "It just helps to have a few guidelines, I think."
SKATE PARKS in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HamOnt?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HamOnt</a> have reopened! <br><br>Any users of skate parks must continue to maintain two metres of physical distance from other users and should remember to practice good hand hygiene. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HamiltonReopens?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HamiltonReopens</a> <a href="https://t.co/uJMmUFGCSo">pic.twitter.com/uJMmUFGCSo</a>
—@cityofhamiltonThe city announced skate parks were open again as of Friday.
Anyone using the parks must stay at least two metres apart and is reminded to wash their hands regularly.
Many outdoor amenities still closed
Other recreational areas in Hamilton have slowly started to open up again too.
Golfers are able to hit the links, boat ramps are operating, dog parks are welcoming furry friends and tennis courts have reopened.
The city is also offering ideas online for how people can stay active at home.
But many activities remain closed, including spray pads and indoor and outdoor pools despite the heat wave.
The province has permitted some outdoor amenities to open up from outdoor sports fields to benches and shelters.
However, Hamilton's emergency operations centre is still reviewing what's required to safely start allowing people to use them again so they remain closed along with the escarpment stairs and drinking fountains.
With files from Colin Côté-Paulette