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By Sam Laskaris
Windspeaker Contributor
ENOCH CREE NATION, Alta.
Thanks in large part to an Edmonton man, BMX bike parks and cross-country ski facilities could soon be popping up in several First Nation communities. Don Patterson, a former lawyer who works for an Edmonton real estate company, was a driving force behind the BMX bike park which recently opened on Alberta’s Enoch Cree Nation.
The First Nation is located on the western outskirts of Edmonton. The BMX bike park, which is approximately the size of a football field, is located adjacent to the community’s arena, the Enoch Recreation Centre. The park’s grand opening, which included a cultural ceremony at the arena, was staged on Sept. 30.
“I think this is a project which can absolutely be copied in other communities,” Patterson said. “You need a field. You need some dirt. And you need community involvement.”
Already three other First Nation communities in Alberta have expressed an interest in getting their own bike parks built. They are Louis Bull First Nation, Paul Band First Nation and Alexander First Nation.
Because winter is fast approaching and the logistics involved, the earliest a bike park could be built at these First Nations would be next year.
But cross-country ski facilities, which could be built quickly with some dedication, could be up and running as early as this winter, including one possibly on the Enoch Cree Nation.
Building the BMX bike park on the Enoch Cree Nation required plenty of dedication from various parties.
Patterson, who is 62, is an avid cyclist himself. Back in 2012 he pedalled across Canada, from Vancouver to St. John, Nfld., over the course of 28 days.
During his 7,200-kilometre journey, Patterson, who was keen to raise awareness for youth activity, also managed to raise about $30,000 for YMCA programs.
Afterwards he was invited to make a presentation about his cross-country ride in Edmonton. Then he was approached by officials from the Alberta Indigenous Games, asking him to be involved with their youth programs.
Since then Patterson, who is not an Aboriginal himself, has taken a keen interest in First Nation sporting activities, even attending the 2014 North American Indigenous Games in Regina.
The idea for building a BMX bike park on the Enoch Cree Nation sprouted from a conversation he had with former Olympic cyclist Alex Stieda last year.
The actual work on the park progressed rather rapidly this year.
“One of the things I loved about it was that the assistant to the chief asked me to write a paragraph of what would be involved with it,” Patterson said. “I did that and then I was told it was okay, the chief had already signed off on it. The chief and the band was totally onside with it.”
In July of this year a designer was brought in to plan what the park would look like. That same month Patterson teamed up with a grant writer to send an application to Canadian Tire’s Jumpstart charity.
Jumpstart provides sporting equipment to children whose families are not able to afford it.
Soon afterwards the charity provided about 50 bikes and 50 helmets to the Enoch Cree Nation. Then in August the Enoch maintenance office had its staff haul in 100 loads of soft clay. They spent a few weeks shaping the park with their heavy equipment.
The fact members of the community did a good chunk of the work themselves kept costs to a minimum.
“We had been quoted it would cost about $70,000 to $100,000 to build a park like this,” Patterson said. “Well it certainly helped the dirt was donated by the community through its operations guys. And the labour was taken care of by its operations group.”
Patterson said there’s a simple reason he was keen to see this project come to fruition and why he wants similar ones to be built.
“Over the years, sports benefitted my own children as they were growing up,” he said. “I strongly believe that every child should have the same opportunity to participate in sports and be physically active.”
Jordan Courtepatte, who is the Enoch Cree Nation’s Youth Director and in charge of recreation in the community, welcomed the bike park.
“I think it’s great,” he said. “There’s been a lot of kids out who probably wouldn’t have had a chance before to be on a bike park or even ride a bike.”
Courtepatte anticipates the bike park will be a busy place until winter arrives. And he’d love to see a cross-country ski area be built as soon as possible for the community’s youth.
“There’s a great possibility for it this winter,” he said. “We have the space for it and we have the (interested) kids. I can see it being successful.”