Not just a halfpipe dream: Cinema 5 Skatepark opens in Thunder Bay

As winter settles in, skateboarders in Thunder Bay, Ont. have a new space to practice year-round.

After months of preparation, Cinema 5 Skatepark opened its doors Saturday. The indoor skatepark, located in a former movie theatre on Cumberland Street, is a place where people of all ability levels can test out their skills. 

Vanessa Bowles, the founder and executive director of the Female Boarder Collective and Cinema 5 Skatepark, said she also wants it to be a welcoming space for everyone.

Cinema 5 Skatepark will help continue the work the collective has been doing, to create a safe space for female and LGBTQ+ boarders, in the male-dominated sport, she said.

"We started the Female Boarder Collective and over the last three years, we have had 100 girls come out, and so giving these individuals space year-round to stay connected and keep skateboarding was really important," Bowles said.

They also want to give young people chances to learn about other skills connected to the skateboarding industry, she added.

"We want to teach girls, LGBTQ+ community different parts of the industry, so we are getting into graphic design, video, photography … those types of things, on top of our skateboard programs." 

Overall, Bowles said she hopes providing a space for kids and youth to have fun and find purpose, will help curb the cycle of poverty and addictions in the community. 

Endless hours of hard work

In recent weeks, there's been a flurry of activity to get the skatepark ready to open, said contractor Akio Brayshaw. He's been working alongside dedicated volunteers who've put in long hours – even sometimes sleeping at the skatepark – to get everything done on time.

Brayshaw said he was excited to undertake the project, because as a skateboarder himself, he's personally tested and created many ramps, but he said he's never built anything on this scale. 

"Honestly, for myself, this has been a huge learning curve," he said. 

"Thanks to some other people who skateboard and BMX, they've come in and helped us understand how this whole process would come together."

The proper representation

The skatepark is built into sections, Bowles explained, with different features tailored to different skill levels. 

Bowles said she also wanted to ensure that there was Indigenous representation at the skatepark, which is decorated with an eye-catching mural by artist Ryan Pooman. The artwork displays a bright painting of a sasquatch carrying a skateboard with the words "Land Back" written proudly across the bottom.

"What I was looking for was our land claim acknowledgement, and Ryan Pooman gave us something that is absolutely more than I even thought. I have to say, the first time I saw [the mural] – it brought a tear to my eye," Bowles said. 

She wants people to remember while in the skatepark that the land was taken from Indigenous peoples and that we are always on that land, she said. 

The skatepark is open to the public, but will also have programming for specific riders. Bowles said their goal is to provide time for everyone.