Yellowknife’s mountain bikers could soon have a new track to race around after Yellowknife councillors agreed to approve a lease for the Yellowknife Mountain Biking Club.
The lease will set the club back $600 a year for five years, with a $10,000 security deposit. Councillors favoured that option over selling the land to the club, who would have been responsible for maintenance on the site. The club wants to build a new pump track and bike skills park near Bristol Pit.
City administration had looked to see if the Capital Area Committee, which is tasked with supporting development projects around the city, could provide funding for the park.
But city administrator Sheila Bassi-Kellett said in a governance and priorities committee meeting on Monday that there is no pool of money available currently for the committee to draw on.
Councillor Shauna Morgan said she hoped the committee would be able to support these projects in the future, but added she was glad the project was able to go ahead now.
“I know for myself, I can really benefit from having a skills park or facilities where I could practice and learn things before heading out, you know, onto the rocky hillsides,” she said.
“So, I think I do understand much better now, the benefits that something like this could bring not just for kids, for adults, but some of this accessible to everyone.
Deputy Mayor Steve Payne said he was looking forward to the project going ahead.
“I’m looking forward to — after almost three and a half years seeing this project go ahead,” he said. “I noticed that there are a lot of excited kids in town. I’m looking forward to it.”
Council will officially vote on the plan at the next council meeting on June 14.
