Rimbey Skate Park
Ponoka County is being asked to support the development of Rimbey’s new skate park, a project headed by the Rimbey Kinsmen.
Project chairman Allen Adam told council during its July 15 meeting the Town of Rimbey has donated $40,000 plus the cost of surveying.
The total cost of the project will run between $400,000 and $600,000. The Kinsmen are hoping for a monetary donation of $150,000 from the county as well as its support to aid in acquiring matching grants. “They have to have that matching component committed,” said county CAO Charlie Cutforth
“With all of these major projects going on in Rimbey and Ponoka it’s putting pressure on us to build bridges and roads, and we’re hearing about it. That’s the only caution,” he added.
Cutforth says the county was not involved of the construction of Rimbey’s last skate park nor Ponoka’s park.
The Kinsmen are putting in approximately $50,000 for the construction of the park. The Rimbey Lions Club is another major contributor.
New Line Skate Parks is designing the park and groundwork is expected to begin in the spring of 2015.
The new park will be located on the south side of the Lions Park, across from the United Church.
County council made no decision regarding the matter at the meeting, when the request was heard.
Central Alberta Raceways
Rod Schaff, director of the Central Alberta Raceways drag strip, presented to councillors a future vision to further enhance the drag strip and is returning in early fall with a completed proposal.
“I would like to average a proposal over about four years,” said Schaff.
To date Ponoka County has contributed $400,000 to the raceway, in cash and services.
“We want to make this a first class facility on the drag side,” said Schaff. “That’s going to be the golden goose of the operation.”
The drag strip is visited by sanctioned racers and the track may hold a National Hot Rod Association race. “We’re talking 200, 300 cars from western Canada,” said Schaff.
Schaff also wants to implement youth drag race programs and involve the Edmonton RCMP to teach safety and encourage youths to race on tracks rather than county roads.
The RCMP is part of a race program that operates at the Castrol Raceway. Y.I.E.L.D. (Youth Initiatives and Education in Lifestyles and Driving) is a program dedicated to moving illegal races onto tracks and allows racers to compete against RCMP drivers.
“They’ve (Rimbey RCMP) noticed there’s not as much racing in the county,” said Schaff. “We’re going to get kids off the street.
Once the strip’s enhancements are finished Schaff says 75 per cent of the proceeds made from the events are going to be donated back to the community.
To finish the track to the projected vision, another $2 million is needed.