Meeting: Centennial Park Masterplan

Parks, Forestry and Recreation will be holding a public meeting on Thursday, Necember 1st to discuss the new Masterplan for Centennial Park. This is a multi-year plan dealing with the revitalization of the 525-acre site as a public community recreation facility. Unfortunately the plan does not currently seem to include much in the way of cycling-specific needs. In fact, there has been opposition from staff regarding the addition of new cycling infrastructure in the park.

The Midweek Cycling Club (a great local cycling club that hosts weekly race series' including great learn-to-race programs for novices) hopes that enough cyclists will show up at the public meeting to show the Parks department there are enough people out there who support such facilities. They have released information detailing some of their ideas for how the Masterplan could better incorporate cyclist's needs. Some highlights include:

"All areas identified by double yellow to be asphalt surfaced with photo-cell street lamps on a timer system to enable evening use of the facility."

"A 250m, 333m or 500m inside diameter 5m to 7m wide paved surface with slightly raised banks circle for both track-cycling training and interval training."

"Adding showers to the ski centre's chalet and exterior access public washrooms"

"No un-fenced leash-free dog areas within the course or adjacent to it"

"There is no safe pace for children to learn how to bike ride; this path system would give them such a place."

"This facility would enable a group like Midweek to host Friday night races under the lights from May until Labour Day like is done in major cities around the world."

"Midweek currently host International Ranked Cyclo-cross races within the facility each November; the goal is to move these up to World Cup status within 5 years."

"Other cycling disciplines (BMX, mountain and recreational) requires safe, traffic-free space, this would supply it"

"It is estimated this facility would be used daily by novices to internationally ranked cyclists to usage levels matching those of Centennial's soccer and baseball fields."

"BMX: A track to UCI standards to be built within the new paved area of the currently unutilized hydro corridor."

"Track: excluded at this time but may be added in the future after we have proven that these facilities get significant usage to warrant considering taking the financial and usage risk that a track would entail."