A new fence is being installed around the new Chilliwack Pump Track.
Complaints trickled in to city hall last month about bullying and violence witnessed by some parents and guardians at the new recreational facility at The Landing site.
RELATED: Moms voice concerns about pump track teens
In response City of Chilliwack has hired security, and is fencing off the track area to control access, said Mayor Ken Popove.
“It has been great to see a facility so popular with the community, and it is our hope that these measures, plus additional seating around the track, will make it easier for guardians to supervise, and help keep track users accountable.
“Staff will continue to monitor the activity at the pump track to ensure it can be enjoyed by all residents.”
Coun. Bud Mercer, co-chair of the public safety advisory committee, noted the pump track has been overwhelmingly popular, almost right from the start. It has become a bit of a victim of its own success.
“That itself has created issues,” Mercer said. “So we’ve hired private security to get us through the summer.”
The fence should be completed shortly, and should help control access to the site.
“This will make it better and safer,” the councillor said.
Funding for the pump track was allocated from the city’s gas tax revenues in 2020.
The idea was to construct a state-of-the-art 2,500-square metre pump track next to the curling club. The decision was made by council in 2019 to go forward with it.
With about 500 linear metres of track and a tunnel crossover, the custom-designed pump track will allow Chilliwack to host large-scale competitions in the future, ideally provincial or national in scale, when health regulations allow.
RELATED: Pump track opened February 2021
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