Cochrane's well-established bike community will have a new hang-out spot this spring, as the much-anticipated bike park will finally open for riders of all ages and skill levels.
The idea was first sparked almost a year ago by a local group of cycling enthusiasts who were interested in making Cochrane more bike-friendly. The group, which has since branded itself the Bike Cochrane Society, has raised around $60,000 of the $100,000 estimated project cost for the park, located in the parking lot of Bow Street Commons at The Quarry.
“We wanted to show everyone that we’re not just part of the town – we actually fundraised all of that money to cover all the costs for that ourselves," said society member Jerold Hoshowatiuk, noting although the land has been provided by the developer, Springwood, the group was responsible for obtaining all the necessary permits from the municipality to move the project forward.
“We went through the full process, and in less than a year from the time we got our status, we’ve started building a park.”
Construction began at the end of September, according to Hoshowatiuk, and will continue as long as the weather co-operates, with the finishing touches to be completed next spring. The society is continuing to fundraise for the park, and Hoshowatiuk said he is confident it will reach its target.
"We had the majority of the money, so we said, 'Let's get it started now, so we can actually show people that we are serious,'" he said.
Once complete, the park will be a safe place for riders of all ages to develop their skills – designed and constructed in such a way to teach kids and help them gain their balance, according to Hoshowatiuk, while keeping expert-level riders in mind so the park is challenging for them, as well.
The centralized location will also act as a meeting place for both kids and parents, he added, and the society hopes it will eventually attract bikers from surrounding areas like Waiparous, Bragg Creek and Calgary.
"If Mom and Dad want to come out, they can go grab a coffee or grab a snack to eat while the kids are out riding," Hoshowatiuk said. "We're a hop, skip and a jump away from getting to downtown Cochrane...everything is really close."
The project doesn't stop with the bike park, either – the society has also been working with the Town of Cochrane to map out safe trails and bike paths throughout the community. Bike maps are available at the tourism office, Hoshowatiuk added.
"We get the riders from Calgary or other surrounding areas that don't know Cochrane," he said. "Instead of them bombing down [Highway] 22 to get to [Highway] 1A to go back up the Cochrane hill, we want to show them there are safer ways to do this – here's some pathways, here's some trails."
Hoshowatiuk added the society would like to extend this collaboration to surrounding communities, bridging the gap between bikers and drivers while creating feasible paths and drawing awareness to safe transportation.
"With the history that the town has with cycling, it's just absolutely amazing," he said, adding, "This is such an iconic town and an iconic place to be in the BMX world and cycling. It's so cool to be able to be here and to be part of this."
To support the bike park project, visit bikecochrane.com or stop by Cafe Roubaix Bicycle Studio or Bike Bros in Cochrane to purchase a hat or T-shirt.
