Friday, September 5th at 5 pm was a great sunny improvement from the original weepy day that it was postponed from.
Chestermere’s new bike park grand opening was a huge success – kids, teenagers, and adults alike were all gathered to enjoy the fun, food, fresh air, and exercise that the day brought. It was especially great for the kids who had just finished their first week back at school and were looking for a fun way to get their weekend started.
Even MLA Bruce McAllister was cruising around the bike park with his kids while his lovely wife stood in line for hot dogs. It’s great that the public figures of Chestermere mingle with the public – they are, after all, regular people.
Members of the Chestermere Council gathered on the sidewalk and cut the fancy red ribbon strung across that sidewalk, signifying the official opening of the bike park. Great work Chestermere! Our town is rapidly building towards the recreational oasis that it has been striving to become.
Several ladies were running around with clipboards doing surveys to see if anyone had suggestions on how to improve the park; either in practical ways such as installing a water fountain, or safety conscious ways. Safety will always be an ongoing priority with any park but as much as parents would like to, you can’t swathe your kids in bubble wrap for the rest of their lives; all you can really do is make sure your kids are wearing helmets and to teach them how not to succumb to peer pressure and not to take the hills or jumps that they’re not ready for. The ambulance has made several stops at the bike park recently and we would definitely like to cut that number in half.
Now that summer is slipping into fall and we all sadly know that autumn slips into winter, we must ask ourselves – what will we be using the bike park for in the winter? Sledding, perhaps? Some of those hills seem to be a good size for that purpose, and that way the park can be used year round.
But, winter is not yet here so don’t start digging out your winter parkas and heavy gloves in anticipation of frostbite and chills. Instead, oil those chains, pump those tires and tighten those helmet straps and get your tires on those dirt tracks of the Chestermere Bike Park!
