THUNDER BAY – The Female Boarder Collective has opened the doors to its new safe and inclusive space for skateboarding in Thunder Bay.
The new space is located in the old Cinema 5 building and the park will allow the collective to offer year-round skateboard programs to all Thunder Bay area residents, as well as partner with local community and Indigenous groups and initiatives such as the Rainbow Collective, Fort William First Nation Youth Centre, and City of Thunder Bay Youth Inclusion Program.
Richard Penko, volunteer and soon to be skate park manager says that the completion of the new indoor skate park is extremely exciting.
“I mean it's all it's been a long time coming to have an indoor skate park in Thunder Bay. Obviously with our harsh winters it kind of cuts off our ability to skateboard having the Marina covered in snow,” he said.
“It's super exciting and it's been a very awesome process to see the park go from just a dusty old theatre to now a fully functioning skate park.”
The Ontario government provided $58,235 through the Northern Ontario heritage fund and Thunder Bay-Atikokan MPP, Kevin Holland says that this investment is developing community recreational infrastructure, supporting social connections and improving quality of life for northerners.
“Our government is hard at work making targeted investments that support economic development and growth right here in Thunder Bay,” he said. “These investments demonstrate how, together with our northern partners, we are building strong, vibrant communities and creating real opportunities for the people who live in the north.”
The new skate park offers day passes and monthly and yearly memberships and more information on progams can be found by visiting its website.
