Good-bye bocci, hello BMX

posted September 21, 2012

Taking out the bocci court to make room for basketball and BMX

A neighbour noticed some construction equipment digging up the basketball courts at the west end of the park. She contacted us to see if we knew what was going on. We didn't but one of the workers was happy to tell us. This is what he said. They are taking out the bocci (lawn bowling) court and making it into a new basketball court. They are taking out the old basketball court and putting in permanent BMX ramps to replace the ones that are currently sitting on the ice rink pleasure pad. The worker said it costs the city $60,000 a year to pay a company to set up and move those ramps. The ramps have to be moved before winter because they're sitting on the skating rink. To save the cost of setting up and taking down, the city decided to put in permanent ramps at the other end of the park. The worker wasn't sure if they would be the same ramps or if the ramps on the rink would be going somewhere else. He also said the city would be fixing up the dirt BMX course that already exists in that part of the park. He told us a few more things. He said the city monitored the bocci court for a year before deciding to remove it. He also said the city has created a BMX camp for children and youth. They conducted a trial this summer. It was a success and the camp has already enrolled 200 young people. We did notice some city recreation workers watching children on bikes using the dirt BMX course.