Français/French

Laval doit fournir à ses jeunes athlètes des installations d'entraînement appropriées.

D'abord et avant tout, le skate plaza en béton est la nouvelle norme. Il nécessite moins d'entretien et permet également aux jeunes de progresser dans le sport. À Laval, chaque skatepark se compose d'un patch d'asphalte et de rampes métalliques préfabriquées, qui rouillent, se déforment, se bossellent et se détériorent avec le temps. Oh, et n'oublions pas les skateurs qui brûlent méchamment - ou les utilisateurs du parc en général - s'ils tombent malheureusement pendant une chaude journée d'été.

Deuxièmement, presque toutes les villes autour de l'île de Laval et plus ont intensifié leur jeu en fournissant à la nouvelle génération de nouveaux skateparks en béton, modernes et à la pointe de la technologie. Voici quelques villes qui ont récemment inauguré une skate plaza moderne: St-Léonard, Pointe-Claire, Brossard, Châteauguay, Blainville, Boisbriand, Saint-Gabriel, Rosemont, Van Horne, Vaudreuil-Dorion, Saint-Sauveur, Mascouche, Terrebone, Joliette, Québec, Valleyfield, Longueil et bien d'autres encore. De plus, je pense qu'il est également important de noter que les villes de moins de 3000 habitants ont leur propre skate plaza moderne; St-Isidore de Beauce et Saint-Elie de Caxton comptent respectivement environ 2950 et 1676 habitants.

Troisièmement, le skateboard sera un sport olympique aux Jeux olympiques de Tokyo 2021 (merci COVID-19). C'est malheureux, mais je suis convaincu que le sport a souffert a cause du manque d'installations locales. La plupart des skateurs doivent se déplacer jusqu'à Blainville, Verdun, Rosemont, Pointe-Claire ou même Vaudreuil-Dorion pour accéder à de meilleures installations. Cela étant dit, en raison de l'absence d'un skatepark décent sur l'île de Laval, beaucoup - moi-même quand j'étais plus jeune - ont abandonné ce passe-temps. De plus, comme je l'ai mentionné plus tôt, il en va de même pour la sécurité des jeunes qui pratiquent sur des rampes obsolètes.

Enfin, une place de skate moderne peut être bénéfique pour les utilisateurs et les non-utilisateurs. Par exemple, une place de skate moderne peut créer un environnement esthétique qui plaît aux non-utilisateurs, contrairement aux rampes métalliques rouillées, déformées et odieusement bruyantes. Vous pourriez même être quelqu'un qui aime simplement regarder les autres s'adonner à des activités de loisirs comme le skateboard

SVP veuillez partager la pétition!

Anglais/English

Fellow Park Users, it's time we unite and strive for new modern skateparks in Laval. I feel the City of Laval has been neglecting us, skaters and park users in general, for far too long. It has come to my attention that almost every city around the island of Laval and beyond have stepped up their game in providing the new generation with new concrete, modern, and state-of-the-art skate plazas. Our current skateparks are beyond obsolete and an eyesore to say the least. Below is a list of reasons as to why I believe we need concrete skate plazas in Laval.

First and foremost, a concrete skate plaza is the new standard. It requires less maintenance and also allows people of all ages to progress in the sport. In Laval, every skatepark consists of a patch of asphalt and prefabricated metal ramps, all which rust, warp, dent, and deteriorate over time.

Here are some examples:

 - The ramps at Skatepark des Cardinaux have an extremely slippery surface, and a series of screws which have been either slightly or completely unscrewed over time

 - Skatepark Laval-Ouest, also known as Skatepark Saint-Antoine, has a completely unskatable down rail (clearance is barely 6 inches from the ground), cracks on both sides of the fun box/manual pad, a slightly warped flat bar, and a heavy, yet movable, kicker which can be annoying when someone places it in front of the manual pad (great way to blow your back when trying to move it out of the way)

 - Skatepark Parc-Ecole Horizon Jeunesse has a fun box that looks like it came straight out of hell, a DIY ledge which can also serve as a rail (this alone exemplifies how awful the fun box truly is), 5 feet tall dented quarter pipes that generates way too much speed (unless you're planning to do a back flip over the ramp in front of it), and a pothole

 - Skatepark Centre de la Nature has a couple of rusty quarter pipes, banks, and a pyramid with a down rail similar to that of Skatepark Saint-Antoine - flat bar and fun box/manual pad is nonexistent here; interestingly. someone tried fixing the quarter pipes with DUCT TAPE (either the City of Laval or park users)

 - Skatepark Saint-Maxime has everything from a round and square flat bar to a spine; unfortunately, however, everything is awkwardly placed and the run-up doesn't favour both stances (goofy and regular)

 - Skatepark Lausanne has a down rail that favours goofy stance riders and a lot of unused space

 - Skatepark Rosaire-Gauthier has an exploded fun box (yes, it's broken into two), a severely deformed kicker, a quarter pipe installed on unpaved surface, supported by nothing other than a couple of bricks, and a rusty hubba waiting to give someone tetanus. What flusters me the most is that they are building brand new tennis courts RIGHT NEXT to the park 

 - Skatepark Notre-Dame is, in my opinion, the best skatepark in Laval; however, the fun box/manual pad is awkwardly placed - again, doesn't favour both stances - and severely warped

 - Skatepark Poly-Jeunesse no longer exists; it has been demolished for a soccer field

- Skatepark Du Moulin in St-Francois has a 4-set handrail without a flat bar or fun box to warm up on. Oh, it has a half pipe similar to the one in Rosaire-Gauthier and Lausanne.

Oh, and let's not forget the nasty burns skaters - or park users in general - get if they unfortunately fall during a hot summer day.

Secondly, almost every city around the island of Laval and beyond have stepped up their game in providing the new generation with new concrete, modern, and state-of-the-art skateparks. Here are some cities that have recently inaugurated a modern skate plaza: St-Leonard, Pointe-Claire, Brossard, Chateauguay, Blainville, Boisbriand, Saint-Gabriel, Rosemont, Van Horne, Vaudreuil-Dorion, Saint-Sauveur, Mascouche, Terrebone, Joliette, Quebec City, Valleyfield, Longueil and many, many more. Moreover, I think it's also important to note that cities with less than 3000 inhabitants have their own modern skate plaza; St-Isidore de Beauce and Saint-Elie de Caxton have around 2950 and 1676 inhabitants, respectively.

Thirdly, skateboarding will be an Olympic sport in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics (thank you COVID-19). It's unfortunate, but I'm convinced that the sport has suffered due to a lack of local facilities. Most skaters must travel as far as Blainville, Verdun, Rosemont, Pointe-Claire or even Vaudreuil-Dorion to access better facilities. That being said, due to there not being a decent skatepark on the island of Laval, many - including myself when I was younger - have given up on the hobby. Also, as I mentioned earlier, the same goes for the safety of young people who practice on obsolete ramps. 

Last but not least, a modern skate plaza can be beneficial to both users and non-users. For instance, a modern skate plaza can create an aesthetically pleasing environment that appeals to non-users as oppose to the current rusty, warped, and obnoxiously loud metal ramps. Heck, you might even be someone who simply likes watching others indulge in leisure activities like skateboarding.

PS. There's a DIY skatepark, also known as P46, at the corner of Boulevard Souvenir and Chomedey (right next to Chateau Laval). It seems that it needs a few touch-ups, but it's still considered the best park in Laval. At least the ground is smooth! If anyone has time and experience in pouring concrete, please feel free to make your own obstacle!

PSS. Here's an article by Courrier Laval on the conditions of Laval skateparks. This article was published on July 5th, 2010. No action has been taken by the City of Laval. It seems pretty clear they don't mind neglecting their obsolete skate parks along with their deteriorating conditions. 

https://courrierlaval.com/tour-de-piste-letat-des-skateparks-de-laval/

Another article by Courrier Laval on the atrocious conditions of Skatepark Rosaire Gauthier was published on September 21st, 2016.

https://courrierlaval.com/le-skatepark-rosaire-gauthier-en-mauvais-etat/

Here's the most recent article by Courrier Laval, published on September 6th, 2020.

https://courrierlaval.com/petition-pour-ameliorer-letat-des-parcs-de-planche-a-roulettes/?fbclid=IwAR0NfkudQAJeTFhNo3GAOHGJnJ-cUsSqTGK8KUm0lgwTbZjQDcVNjQGYjGk