Memories not enough to save first skate park

By Lethbridge Herald on August 23, 2025.

Nathan Reiter
Lethbridge Herald
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Local skateboarder reflects on experiences at Dave Elton Skatepark

The Dave Elton Skate Park on the north side was once the place to be for skateboarders in Lethbridge, but today the park is in its final days. 

In a letter sent to nearby residents in June, the City of Lethbridge indicated that the skatepark will be removed with demolition tentatively scheduled for this month or September. 

Roger Bruinsma can vividly remember when the Dave Elton Skate Park first opened to the public back in the fall of 1999. Bruinsma first got into skateboarding when he was a kid in 1985 and has been on a board ever since. He also owns and operates Topless Pizza, a skateboard supplies company in Lethbridge. 

Bruinsma says the Dave Elton Skate Park is a different beast compared to all the other parks in the area. 

“They’re a lot safer now and they don’t make them like this anymore. This is very challenging terrain. The fact we were able to come here and skate day after day, it really made us into good skateboarders. The new skatepark in Coaldale, it’s amazing and it’s not as big. Just the square footage you see here, they don’t make them that big anymore. The obstacles are huge, they’re really gnarly. I’ve seen kids on bikes and skateboards here. I’ve seen people get huge airs and grind for miles. This is a place where people can really skateboard.”

Lethbridge has three other skate parks: Wade Galloway Skate Park on Mayor Magrath Drive South, Legacy Skate Park on the north side and Watermark Skate Park on the west side that will fill the void when Dave Elton is eventually demolished.The city letter indicates that the vacated land will be designated for future expansion of the nearby Lethbridge BMX Association track.

Bruinsma says he has plenty of fond memories over the years at Dave Elton, but he also understands that the land will be used to support the community.

“You can’t make love to a memory. Spots come and go, and the city has provided us with other places. Coaldale, for example, is going to be getting a new park. This place doesn’t serve skateboarders like it used to. From my understanding, the BMX club is hoping to expand their programs. I’m all in favour of that because I just know that it’s going to help a lot of kids. I’m all about arming the future and helping the kids.”

The best access for the skatepark is a walkway located between the BMX Association and Lloyd Nolan Yard on the far west end of 6 Avenue North. 

According to the letter from the city, usage of the park has been monitored since 2023. The highest level of activity has been found at night time and the park has become a constant hotspot for vandalism. 

Bruinsma says the location was beneficial for the skateboarding community, but the isolated nature of the park made it obsolete over time. 

“It’s not being used by the main shredders in town anymore. It’s being used more for illicit activity and the city took a chance on this location right from the get go. It’s always been tucked away. Whenever we’ve held events here, we’ve been able to do it under the radar. I don’t blame the city for not wanting to keep up the place. I can understand why they would not rush immediately to fix damage and stuff. That’s happening down here more because of the location, it’s just a little too tucked away.”