Cyclists big and small christen new Gage Park BMX-style track
Coun. Green: 'We're building more than a bike track. We're building a new story.'
More than a year after youth from the Crown Point neighbourhood pitched the city on building a BMX-style track in Gage Park's southwestern corner, the hilly course formally opened Saturday.
The project had faced opposition from the Friends of Gage Park association, but Saturday's opening was entirely celebratory.
"For all of the old stories about youth doing negative things in this park, we now have in its place something positive," said Ward 3 Coun. Matthew Green, who came into office after the park idea had been championed by his predecessor, Coun. Bob Morrow.
"We're building more than a bike track. We're building a new story. We're building community."
One of the neighbourhood youth, Frieda Sinclair, said the track's opening is a new "positive asset" for the neighbourhood.
The track is a two-year experiment for the city of Hamilton.
Ward 3 resident Jeff Neven called for volunteers to help maintain the track and asked the people who plan to ride the track to make it a "positive space" for people of all ages.
"I really want to see a park like this in every park in the city," he said.
Check out photos above of the track's opening.
And here's a video of the construction effort for the track.