The 5th Annual Beasley BBQ

Today, members of the Hamilton Skateboard Assembly attended the official signing of the Beasley Neighbourhood Charter, a document designed to represent the interests of the various groups and people who "live, work and play" in Beasley. The event was one of the highlights of the 5th annual Beasley Neighbourhood picnic, which included breakdancers, a steel drum band, a Town Crier dressed up like the historic John Simcoe, information tents for various groups, and, perhaps most importantly, free hot dogs. These were not just the el-cheapo no-name brand dogs, either, but sizeable and delicious meat sticks donated by Maple Leaf Foods for the event.

The Hamilton Skateboard Assembly had a table which kids could bring their boards to and have their bearings cleaned, their grip tape topped up, or they could even trade in a set of worn down old wheels or trucks for one of the sets of the used but still ridable equipment that Oldschool and Popeye had rounded up. There was also a brand new deck, courtesy of Flatspot skate shop, to be given away at the end of the day to the kid with the most beat-up and unridable deck. Popeye secured the free deck and brought his tools. Oldschool brought his tent and his Charter-signing arm. A group of skaters showed up as well, and were ripping up the park all afternoon while the picnic went on.



I'm pretty sure this is the first year that the HSA has been expressly invited to the BBQ event, and everything seemed to go well. The neighbourhood association was happy to have us there, and one of the members made a point of highlighting what an important part of the neighbourhood culture the skateboarders and skate park play. Peter and the other guys at the table were literally swarmed by eager kids with requests to fix their boards. Even if the kids' bearings didn't really need oiling, I think that having an older skateboarder pay attention to them generated a lot of excitement and appreciation. At the end of the day, when Peter gave the free deck to one of the local youths who diligently skate the park on destroyed equipment, there was a lot of cheering and enthusiasm.

During the Mayor's speech, Bob Bratina mentioned that the abandoned Cotton Mills building flanking the skatepark had been bought and might be turned to residential use. Our worry is that the development plans could conflict with Beasley skatepark, which is one of Canada's oldest such spots, and a landmark of Hamilton skateboard culture. By joining the Neighbourhood Charter, the HSA hopes to protect the interests of downtown skateboarders by giving them some form of official recognition. Our joining the Charter doesn't guarantee the future of Beasley Skate Park, but it is one of the things that can help.


For a long time, Beasley park's location at the heart of one of Hamilton and Ontario's poorest neighbourhoods has kept it off the official radar. Skateboarders have enjoyed the the spot for over twenty years, from the time it was a kid's wading pool that skaters had to bail the water out of each evening, to its current form where a grass roots effort to renovate the facility has lead to a number of additions and improvements to the skatepark. In a similar DYI spirit, the new Neighbourhood Charter is an attempt to collectively address the needs and responsibilities of the various stakeholders in the area. As Beasley neighbourhood struggles to redefine its public profile, the several generations of skateboarders who have grown up skating Beasley Park need to represent themselves to the larger city in a way that highlights the importance of the Bease as a cultural and social landmark.



Skateboarders are more used to being kicked off streets and properties than signing neighbourhood charters at ceremonies with the Mayor in attendance, but I think this was a positive step towards securing Beasley Skate Park as a site that skaters will continue to enjoy in years to come.