By Dan Laxer
The Suburban
Its official inauguration is weeks away, but that didn’t stop skateboarders and others from taking advantage of some recent unseasonably warm, sunny weather to try out the new Benny Skatepark in NDG.
It was just a taste, as cooler temperatures brought more ice and snow for a last kick at the can. But the skaters came back as soon as the warmth did – just in time for the weekend – and it became clear that the Benny Skatepark will become a hub of activity in the Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce borough.
Peter McQueen, CDN-NDG councillor for the Notre-Dame-de-Grâce district, has been involved with the skatepark project for several years. “As the father of a keen skateboarder who explored the other skate parks in the city,” McQueen says, “I became interested in building one in NDG.”
In 2021, a group of community members formed the Coalition de Skatepark NDG. One of those was Betty Esperanza, who, last January, was awarded the King Charles III medal for her work with Skateboards for Hope. Esperanza was thrilled to see so many already enjoying the skatepark. “It was obvious that the skatepark is going to be used every day, all day, and all night.”
For Esperanza the most important thing is that kids will be able to skateboard safely. She said she’s excited to see girls as well as boys skateboarding, to see adults learning, “lots of women trying it out.”
“It’s an exciting time for Côte-des-Neiges-NDG,” she says. There was a time when kids from the area who wanted to skateboard found themselves travelling out to Brossard or to the St. Michel district. She says the Benny Park is not just for NDG. “We’re going to have an influx of kids from other neighbourhoods, which is great, because there will be more friends. Why not? We can all use more friends.”
Jonathan Stein, who was part of the original Coalition de Skatepark NDG, and whose son, James, had been involved with the park’s design committee, couldn’t be happier. He said his son had been at the park for most of the past two weeks. “When I saw the first photos and clips of my son skating at the new park, it was an amazing feeling. Now he and all the kids in our neighbourhood have a beautiful, modern park to call their own.”
James, 14, agrees. “Lots of kids biking and scootering at the same time, which is good and bad at the same time.” He says if he had to find a problem, it’s that the path around the skatepark is gravel instead of sold.” Other than that, says James, it’s good. “Super fun.”
The park’s official inauguration is scheduled for Saturday, May 31. The city wanted to wait until all the spring planting was done. There are as yet no confirmed plans for the day, except that Esperanza will be on hand giving away refurbished skateboards and helmets to kids who don’t have one. n