'Doesn't seem right': Skateboarders feel blindsided by temporary closure of city's biggest skatepark

Article content
Members of Calgary's skateboard community say they're frustrated by the temporary closure of a main section of Canada's largest outdoor skatepark, in order to prepare for an upcoming music festival.
Article content
Local skaters expressed outrage in an online message board Friday, after the yellow zone of the Cowboys Park skatepark was barricaded for crews to set up for next month's Cowboys Music Festival.
Article content
The yellow zone is the largest section of the 75,000-square-foot skatepark.
Article content
Article content
The Cowboys Music Festival, which takes place during the Calgary Stampede, will be held July 3 to 13 at the park just west of the downtown core. The 11-day festival will feature Macklemore, T-Pain, Kim Petras, Timbaland, and other headline acts, drawing an estimated attendance of 100,000.
Article content
A Change.org petition urging festival organizers to reconsider their use of the space and 'free' the skatepark — which many local users still refer to as 'Millz' — had garnered more than 1,800 e-signatures as of Saturday morning.
Article content
'People are upset, understandably,' said skateboarder Evan Podilek, an employee of Ninetimes Skate Shop on 12th Street S.W., just a few kilometres from Cowboys Park.
Article content
'We have a limited stretch of weather to skate outside.'
Article content
Another employee of the shop, Jasper Westbury argued skateboarders weren't consulted ahead of time, only hearing about the closure 'through the grapevine.'
Article content
Article content
'I think our big thing is, Stampede gets what Stampede wants,' he said.
Article content
'It would have been sick if the city and Cowboys thought about everybody that is a stakeholder.'
Article content
At the skatepark on Friday afternoon, a small number of skateboarders and BMX riders were limited to using either the blue zone, which is designed for beginners, or the more advanced red zone, which features bowls and ramps catering to users of a high skill level.
Article content
Kincaid Chan said he skates at the park a few times a week and that he signed the e-petition.
Article content
'It doesn't seem right,' he said of the closure. 'From what I've read … apparently they weren't supposed to touch the skatepark. That seems to have been contravened.'

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

CTV News

2 days ago

• CTV News

How to save money at the 2025 Calgary Stampede

Calgary's skyline is seen during the Calgary Stampede. (Facebook/Tourism Calgary - Photo by @motherpixels) If you're hoping to head the Calgary Stampede but want to do it in the most economical way possible, there are some deals and discounts that can help. Here's some ways to save money during your trip to the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth for 2025. Value Deals Buy a Stampede SuperPass If you buy a Stampede SuperPass for $50 (plus GST) you get unlimited entry for the 10 days of Stampede. The passes are available for purchase in at participating Sobeys, Safeway, IGA, FreshCo, and Chalo FreshCo. stores until June 29, and online until July 3. Buy Stampede Bucks Purchase $50 in Stampede Bucks for $39.99 at participating Costco locations, then redeem them for everything from rides to the rodeo and evening show tickets. While supplies last. Get Ride All Day cards Save more than 15 per cent with the purchase of Ride All Day cards at participating Sobeys, Safeway and IGA, FreshCo or FreshCo Chalo locations, while supplies last. The cards cost $44.99 (plus GST) and are valid for all N.A.M.E midway rides, games and the WestJet Skyride. Visit Calgary Co-op Until July 13, save $10 on general admission to the Stampede when you spend $5 on any participating Coca-Cola beverages at select Calgary Co-op locations. Visit 7-11 Visit participating 7-11 locations to purchase two Calgary Stampede general admission tickets for $32 when you purchase any two Coca-Cola products – that's 36 per cent off park admission for two. Buy a Stampede lotteries ticket Buy a Stampede Lotteries ticket before July 3 and receive 50 per cent off rodeo, evening show tickets or park admission. (Does not apply when purchasing Stampede Millions 50/50 tickets only.) GMC Denali Evening Show family package Take in the Grandstand with a GMC Denali Evening Show family package for $99 (plus GST). The package includes one adult and one youth ticket to the show and free entry into Stampede Park on the day of your ticket, plus free popcorn with the youth ticket. Visit on a Value Day Save money on your trip to the 2024 Stampede by heading to the grounds on one of the following value days: Sneak-a-Peek Early Access Thursday, July 3 Be the first to enjoy Midway rides, games and food with smaller crowds and shorter lines if you visit the Stampede between 3 and 5 p.m. Admission is just $5. Sneak-a-Peek Thursday, July 3 Check out the Stampede a day before the parade officially kicks things off. Admission is $13 from 5 p.m. to midnight. Parade to Park, presented by Suncor Friday, July 4 Catch the 2025 Stampede Parade and then head to the park to receive free admission from 11 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. Tim Hortons Family Day Sunday, July 6 Celebrate Family Day at the Calgary Stampede with free admission until 11 a.m., a free variety show from 8 a.m. - 10 a.m. at GMC Stadium Courtyard and a free pancake breakfast (while quantities last) in the GMC Stadium from 8 a.m. – 10 a.m. TC Energy Community Day Tuesday, July 8 Admission is free for everyone from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m., while seniors (65+) and military veterans receive free admission all day long and free coffee and donuts in the BMO Plaza from 10 to 11 a.m., while quantities last. BMO Kids' Day Wednesday, July 9 Free entry for everyone from 8 a.m. - 10 a.m. and free entry for kids 12 and under all day. Visitors receive a free breakfast in the GMC Stadium Courtyard from 8 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. (while quantities last) and a free variety show from 8 a.m. - 10 a.m. Adults Only Bud & Burger rodeo ticket For $40 (plus GST) get admission to Stampede Park, tarmac tickets to the rodeo and a voucher for beef on a bun and a Budweiser beer. NOTE: The offer is unique and exclusive to Stampede time so you cannot pre-purchase it. It goes live when Stampede starts. Buck the Line + Rodeo OR Evening Show Save 25 per cent when you bundle Buck-the-Line to Nashville North and Rodeo or Evening Show tickets. Nashville North VIP Platform Pass Starting at $125 (plus GST) this package includes Stampede admission on the day of booking, access to a designated VIP bar and access to designated VIP washrooms. Nashville North VIP Private Suite Package Experience This package includes priority entry, access to VIP washrooms, private suites, Rodeo tickets, Stampede admission and more. Roadhouse Rush Pass Get Stampede admission and skip the line at the Big Four Roadhouse.

Cision Canada

4 days ago

• Cision Canada

CF Chinook Centre Aims for World Record at 65th Annual Stampede Pancake Breakfast

This year the shopping centre is attempting to break the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ for Most Pancakes Served CALGARY, AB, June 17, 2025 /CNW/ - Celebrating 65 years of its cherished community event, CF Chinook Centre's Stampede Breakfast returns on Saturday, July 5th, with an ambitious goal: to secure the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title for Most Pancakes Served! More than 25,000 visitors are expected at this rain-or-shine, first-come, first-served event to enjoy a complimentary pancake breakfast with all the fixings, alongside live entertainment, family-friendly activities including the Kiddie Corral, as well as an outdoor retail market. Performances include Madeline Merlo, Tony Stevens, Nolan Compton, and Haley Isabel, with Emcees Jimmy and Jodi Hughes guiding guests through the morning, and in-centre entertainment featuring the Chinook Club Line Dancers. To elevate the festivities, CF Chinook Centre is hosting a high-energy Pancake Stacking Contest on Friday, July 4th. Teams featuring notable Calgarians will race to stack 65 pancakes, with a fun twist – a "Wheel of Disadvantage" introducing challenges like stacking with oven mitts or one-handed. The winning team will receive a $2,000 donation to a charity of their choice. Special Retail Promotions Calgarians are invited to get rodeo ready by exploring CF Chinook Centre's 2025 Stampede Lookbook for curated styles from retailers, featuring themes like Prairie Princess, Cowgirl Chic, Lil' Wrangler, and Rodeo Rider. Plus, guests can enhance their Stampede experience with a CF SHOP! Card bonus offer from July 4 to 14 (while quantities last). Click here for full offer terms. This event is made possible by generous sponsors including PHI Studio, Kal-Tire, PCL Construction, Marble Slab and A&W, in addition to all pancake station participants, with proceeds benefiting Alberta Children's Hospital Foundation. In line with Cadillac Fairview's Green at Work® program, this will be a Zero Waste event held in collaboration with GFL Environmental Inc., with volunteers assisting in waste diversion efforts. Public transit is encouraged. Event Details Pancake Stacking Contest: Friday, July 4, 2025, 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM, Centre Court Stampede Breakfast Event: Saturday, July 5, 2025, 7:00 AM - 11:00 AM, east parking lot between Chapters & Yeti. 7:00 AM - Official Welcome & Acknowledgements: featuring remarks from Emcees Jimmy and Jodi Hughes, CF Chinook Centre General Manager Darren Milne, and the 2025 Stampede Princesses 10:50 AM - Alberta Children's Hospital Foundation (ACHF) Cheque Presentation: featuring representatives from CF Chinook Centre 12:00 PM - Guinness World Records Award Ceremony & Photo Opportunities: Centre Court, celebrating the potential new record

Winnipeg Free Press

6 days ago

• Winnipeg Free Press

Is Father's Day getting more respect? Depends on who you ask

Is Father's Day starting to get a little more attention as a holiday? Not if you check some social media. In an expletive-filled post on TikTok and X, rapper Plies, best known for his collaborations with T-Pain and DJ Khaled on hits 'Shawty' and 'I'm So Hood,' complains about how Father's Day on Sunday carries about as much clout as Groundhog Day, saying it might as well be removed from the calendar. ' The disrespect to Father's Day is real ' declares a separate Reddit post, which adds, 'We get it, fathers aren't important to corporations, but damn, can't I at least get some free donuts or chicken strips?' Perhaps Shake Shack's buy one Double ShackBurger get a second one free in stores and on its app through Monday doesn't count? Or Wendy's buy one get one free deal on premium sandwiches through its app on Sunday? Or Burger King's buy one get one free deals on Whoppers through the app? It's true the offers aren't quite as broad as on Mother's Day. But the spending disparity with Mother's Day may be narrowing, according to the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics. The organizations forecast that a record-breaking $24 billion will be spent on Father's Day this year, surpassing the previous mark of $22.9 billion in 2023. They say consumers plan to spend an average of $199.38 on their dads and father figures this year. Of course, that still pales in comparison to this year's $259.04 average planned for moms, which totals about $34.1 billion, or $10.1 billion more than Father's Day spending. That is a 21% smaller gap than the $12.8 billion difference there was between Mother's Day and Father's Day spending in 2023. Other studies disagree, though. RetailMeNot forecasts a $25 drop in spending for dads this year, down to about $232 per shopper, while moms get an average of $360 per shopper, up $43 this year.