Wheels come off for downtown skatepark

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 11/03/2024 (576 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

An indoor skatepark in downtown Winnipeg, once touted as a state-of-the-art facility and community hub, is fading into obscurity after its parent organization was accused of discriminating against LGBTTQ+ skateboarders and volunteers, sparking a mass exodus of staff and participants.

The Edge skatepark is only open Tuesday nights between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. to youth aged 12 to 17. It runs solely with the help of volunteers.

An official at faith-based organization Youth For Christ, which runs the Higgins Avenue facility, says there is not enough staff to offer more hours.

Mark Dupuis, senior ministry director for Youth For Christ, said the facility occasionally rents out the park to community groups and is working toward building up programming.

“Our intentions are to work toward increasing our skate sessions for youth as our people resources increase,” Dupuis said in an email to the Free Press.

When the 13,000-sq. ft. facility opened in 2013, the Edge offered programming to all ages, and later, operated a dedicated slot for girls and women.

In November 2022, several skaters told the Free Press Edge staff were widely supportive of these initiatives, but activities centring on the LGBTTQ+ community were met with resistance from Youth For Christ leadership.

Around the same time, Youth For Christ came under fire for allegedly not allowing skateboarders hold sessions welcoming queer people, didn’t let LGBTTQ+ volunteers and staff be open about their identities and required them to sign statements agreeing with the organization’s religious and social values.

The organization’s policies restricting open LGBTTQ+ identification spurred mass staff and volunteer resignations, and left hundreds of skateboarders out in the cold.

News of the allegations against Youth For Christ bummed out former Edge volunteer and skater Carlene Sanderson.

“I’ve always been taught to love people. And no matter what, just love. That’s a big thing that I go by,” Sanderson said Monday morning.

The 26-year-old stopped volunteering at the park for unrelated reasons, but maintains her involvement with the Edge was a positive experience.

“It’s unfortunate so many people experienced (discrimination),” she said.

After the allegations were made public in news reports, Youth For Christ said in a prepared statement that “all young people are welcomed and valued” at the organization, “regardless of religious belief, people group, or sexual orientation.”

“We are sorry if there has been a particular instance that has left anyone feeling unsafe, and we humbly commit to working on improving how we care for youth,” the statement read.

The release did not address the organization’s policies around LGBTTQ+ identification, or other ways skaters reported LGBTTQ+ expression as being discouraged.

In 2023, Winnipeg Centre MP Leah Gazan called for an investigation into various funding given to Youth For Christ in the wake of the allegations.

Between 2017 and 2022, Youth For Christ received more than $357,000 in federal grants through the Canada Summer Jobs Program.

The program, which gives wage subsidies to employers for summer workers aged 15 to 30, requires employers to “provide a safe and inclusive work environment that respects the rights of an individual” as outlined in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

“The department takes seriously any potential breach of the articles of agreement. If an organization has been approved for funding but is later found to be in contravention of the articles of agreement, the department reserves the right to revoke the funding that was approved,” Employment and Social Development Canada spokesperson Maja Stefanovska said in an email.

In 2010, Youth For Christ received $3.2 million from the federal Conservative government to help build its facility, which includes the skatepark.

The city also agreed to give $2.6 million in funding for the build via a loan from CentreVenture, with the condition it is paid back in 15 yearly instalments.

nicole.buffie@freepress.mb.ca