WEBC Skills Park approved by council

A concept design for the new Windsor-Essex Bike Community (WEBC) Skills Park is seen here, with elements the group says is for all levels. The design was posted on the group's social media sites.

The Windsor-Essex Bike Community (WEBC) has received formal approval to proceed with its skills park at the Libro Centre.

WEBC board president James Braakman, joined by members of the cycling group, appeared before Amherstburg town council Monday night where council members approved the volunteer group proceeding with the design and construction of the skills park and to secure the fundraising dollars to carry that out.

Braakman appeared before town council late last year on the matter and re-appeared at the Jan. 19 meeting to go over the proposal and a few changes to proposal. 

One of the main changes to the proposal was the location of the skills park, as it had been proposed to be located between the new fire station currently being constructed and the skateboard park. The new location will be near the third phase of the trail, which is the southern most phase, in a currently unused space on the property.

The skills park would cost $30,000-$40,000, to be covered through fundraising by WEBC, and provide “social, economic and health benefits” for the community. WEBC has already funded and built the three-phase trail system and Braakman said the accompanying skills park would complement those trails, serve as a free recreational space, feature skill-building elements for all ages, encourage youth to develop a passion for biking and enhance WEBC youth programming with improved skill progression infrastructure.

“This exciting project would greatly enhance safety and skill development for young riders and be the first skills park in all of Essex County,” said Braakman.

Braakman said the skills park would include progressive skill lines for beginner, intermediate and advanced levels of riding; feature bermed corners, dirt rollers, roll-ins and jumps tailored to different abilities; a safe environment for riders to improve their cycling skills; a tourist attraction for the town and a premier venue to develop talent and host events.

The plan is to have the WEBC skills park constructed by summer 2026.

“The design of WEBC’s skills park will focus on safe and progressive skills development, mimicking existing features of the mountain bike trails,” said Braakman.

The skills park would have replicating features found on the trails within the skills park, serve as a practice area similar in concept to how a driving range does so at a golf course, create a high repetition design to allow more practice that helps boost riders skills and confidence and to promote safety as the top priority throughout the project.

Councillor Diane Pouget had a question over design and the safety component, with director of parks, facilities and recreation Heidi Baillargeon stating while it is in the design stages, the skills park will meet proper standards.

“We’re in the beginning stages but it will pass all design measures for safety,” Baillargeon stated.

WEBC will design, construct and maintain the skills park at no cost to the taxpayers, Braakman emphasized, similar to what has happened with the trails.

Pouget was supportive of the overall proposal, telling Braakman and others from WEBC in attendance at the town council meeting “you have done a tremendous job at no cost to the Town of Amherstburg. That’s amazing.”

Councillor Linden Crain pointed out WEBC representatives have been before town council every year of the current term getting approvals for projects at the Libro Centre.

“Thank you for your ongoing efforts in the community at no cost to the town,” he said.

Crain added the previous location near the new fire station was of some concern to him, but that has now been alleviated with the location shifting to the southern portion of the trail system.

WEBC Skills Park approved by council

By Ron Giofu