The Slopeline Bike Park has been bulldozed.
Built over several years by South Cariboo youth, the park featured several dirt bike jumps and trails built into a hill in the forest on the back side of Centennial Park. While never officially sanctioned, the District of 100 Mile House said the park was allowed to exist so long as no further development took place and liability insurance was secured.
In a statement after the park was dismantled last week, the district said these conditions had not been met, which forced them to undertake the demolition.
Mayor Maureen Pinkney said it was “truly sad” that the district was not able to come up with another solution. Pinkney said they tried to get park proponents to talk to council and come to an alternative agreement but were unable to connect with organizers. Council made the unanimous decision in June.
“Though we certainly want to see recreational activities for youth and young adults and others, this rogue bike park was not authorized and many of the jumps were dangerous and not maintained,” Pinkney said. “We feel very sad about all the hours and hours of work and wish that we could have had communications with them so that this did not end up being the end result.”
Bulldozers dismantled the park on Thursday, Oct. 12. Jumps, trails and other features were flattened, heavy equipment tracks marking the ground. The only remaining evidence of the park is a homemade bench sitting in the middle of a new clearing.
The district said it had brought in trail-building professionals to assess the park and its structures and “bringing the unsanctioned bike skills park up to an insurable standard is considered cost-prohibitive.”
In addition to being a place for local youth to gather, the Slopeline, founded by Dalton Anderson and several friends about a decade ago, played host to the annual T-10 Memorial Bike Jam that attracted bikers from across B.C. One of them was Kamloops dirt bike rider Marcus Cant, 21, who said he has been riding the Slopeline since he was 15.
“I’ve known Dalton since high school and he showed me the jumps and I kind of fell in love with them. They were really unique and all hand-built and he put a lot of time into taking care of them,” Cant said. “It was a very sweet place to ride.”
David Hill, one of the park builders, said becoming a part of the Slopeline community and building trails helped him grow into the young man he is today.
“I wasn’t a hard worker but going up there every day kind of developed me into one. It taught me lessons about life, like you got to work to actually have fun. It wasn’t just about the riding, it was about the opportunities to meet people and learn some stuff,” Hill said. “It was the camaraderie we shared. We all genuinely enjoyed being up there.”
When Cant found out the park had been bulldozed, he came to see it for himself.
“I was kind of in shock. There was so much work put into that place and now it’s flat; it’s like an empty hole,” he said.
Cant said he felt Slopeline was as safe as any of the public bike parks he’s visited in B.C. He noted that in all the jams he attended there were never any serious injuries.
“It’s pretty advertised that it was a ride-at-your-own-risk policy,” Hill said. “When you go biking everyone knows there’s a chance you might break a bone.”
Over the years, Hill said Slopeline has received funding and donations from several local businesses, including lumber.
He said he’s seen grandparents up there watching grandchildren and dads with young kids trying out the kid-friendly trails. Had it been put to a vote, he feels residents would have voted against bulldozing.
Pinkney said council hoped the group would be able to form a society to secure liability insurance. It was even suggested the organizers join the Huncity Mountain Bike Club, which maintains bike trails in the 99 Mile Recreation Area.
In addition to safety concerns, Pinkney said 100 Mile Fire Rescue responded to several fires near the park over the years. Its difficult to access location meant it was “a risk to our community.”
Pinkney said the district gave months of notice and organizers had the opportunity to salvage what they could.
“I think because we had been so patient they probably never thought we would follow through with the dismantling,” Pinkney said.
Hill said while they knew council was considering this option, they were not given a date and assumed council changed its mind.
“They just snuck in and bulldozed it all over,” Hill said.
Pinkney said council does not support a new park, even with the required insurance, within Centennial Park boundaries. Rather, they support expansion of the trails at the 99 Mile.
“We have a lot to offer and want as many facilities in our area to promote healthy living,” she said.
Slopeline supporters reacted with outrage on local social media pages following the demolition.
“In what world was demolishing this a good idea?” one parent asked on a local Facebook page, saying she spent hours watching her children at the park. “To just go out there and tear down years of these kids’ hard work and dedication is repulsive.”
Hill said the whole thing has made him reconsider why he lives in 100 Mile House.
“I don’t know how long I want to live in a town that’s going to bulldoze everything we try to create,” Hill said. “I could go to Kamloops and contribute as much as I did here, even more, and there wouldn’t be a problem.”
