Skateboarding program moves indoors for winter in Glace Bay
Undercurrent Youth Centre to continue successful outdoor program during the winter
For all the young people who moan that "There's nothing to do!," the recreation department of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality is partnering with the Undercurrent Youth Centre in Glace Bay to create an indoor skateboarding program.
Recreation co-ordinator Joe Costello said the program will build on a very successful outdoor summer program.
Young people came from all over the municipality to take part.
"We were a little worried that a lot of these kids who had gained momentum over the summer were then going to spend seven months not participating in the sport, not being engaged," Costello said.
"Then, we were talking about an outlet and the obvious outlet was Undercurrent, because they have the skateboard facility indoors and as a community partner, they're been just so great to work with," he said.
Skateboard instructor Ryan Mansfield is happy that the municipality supports what many see as a counterculture sport.
He said the skateboarding community is often overlooked by mainstream recreation programs.
"When it comes to just assistance from people higher up in the community to make things happen," he said, "and to really just get to that stage, get those permits, whatever you need, it's been a real big help."