The city of Prince Albert has taken the first step towards approving a new mountain motorcycle park in Little Red River Park.
The Council voted unanimously in favour of a proposal submitted through the Rock N Road Cycling Club at Monday’s executive committee meeting. Mayor Greg Dionne said it’s a wonderful concept that presents outdoor opportunities for other young people in Prince Albert.
“We have so many sports dying because we no longer have other young people involved,” Dionne said at Monday’s meeting. “We lose our young people to electronics and indoor activities, when it’s outdoors. It’s wonderful and you can drive your motorcycle your whole life.”
Dionne added that Little Red is ideal for the park, as it already hosts similar activities such as the Pine Needle Mountain Bike Festival.
Other councillors appreciated the fact that it was a cheap activity that would attract other people to Prince Albert.
“People travel and spend money … and that’s another explanation for why other people travel,” Ward 8 Coun added. Ted Zurakowski, who proposed to send the plan to the Department of Community Services for further review. “People come to Prince Albert to move to Little Red River Park. Fantastic. Let’s go to him.”
The Rock N Road Cycling Club would be guilty of maintaining the trail. The 60-member club has nearly doubled in length over the following year, and Darcy Rusk, the club’s skill park manager, doesn’t see that enthusiasm coming to an end soon.
Rusk said he hoped to create a park that meets the desires of mountain bikers of all levels, while enjoying the herbal beauty of Little Red.
“Our hope is to integrate it seamlessly into the park,” he told the council. “We don’t need to disturb the park itself, or any other user.”
The skill park would come with an impediment course, balance education, jumping education and fall education domains, as well as a pumping track, which consists of rollers and susceptible turns. The domain would come with a covered shelter, picnic tables and trash cans. The park would be open to the public, at least initially.
Rusk under pressure that they were not an investment for the project, just a permit.
Although the capacity park itself is well planned, city officials have yet to study the proposed location. Rock n Roll ordered a 2,963-square-foot tray northwest of Cosmo Lodge.
Parkmaster Tim Yeaman said he should make sure they don’t interfere with other recreational activities, such as cross-country skiing, cultural gatherings, and conservation efforts.
“We must be respectful of the region and make sure we stick to the right protocol,” he said.