New Montreal plaza is a skate spot like no other in Quebec, bringing the sport back to its roots
CBC
Louka Thériault has a habit of getting up at 7 a.m., scarfing down breakfast and heading out to one of Montreal's skate parks to spend the day perfecting his skills.
Now the 19-year-old has a new spot to put those skills to the test — a place that provides all the challenges of skating urban furnishings, without the hassle of being chased away by security or police.
It's called Montreal Plaza and it's vastly different from a traditional skate park. Rather than ramps, quarter pipes and rails, it has the feel of a public square with granite ledges, steps and blocks.
Unlike most public squares, however, every centimetre of the plaza was carefully designed by skateboarders for skateboarders.
"It's my first time here and I love it," said Thériault.
Back in 2007, Montreal opened a skate park under the Jacques Cartier Bridge at the corner of De Lorimier Avenue and de Maisonneuve Boulevard, but right away it was rejected by the skateboarding community.
"I skated here before when it was called Tomato Plaza," said Troy Courtney, a born-and-raised Montrealer who has been skateboarding for 17 years.
"The skate park was all going inwards. So everybody was running into each other at the bottom."
Skaters have spoken out against it for years, saying it lacks the design influence of those who will actually be using it, making it unusable.
So it was largely ignored, collecting more graffiti, litter and loitering than sweet summer memories of landing kickflips in the shadow of an iconic bridge.
That's all changed. The new plaza was built in collaboration with the Association Skateboard Montreal (ASM).
Local park designer Charles Deschamps was called in to ensure the park provides a unique, street-style experience right in the heart of the city.
The ASM says the design is inspired by world-famous skate spots like the Museum of Contemporary Art in Barcelona or Love Park in Philadelphia.
And just like these famous spots, Montreal has a few of its own. The Olympic Stadium and Paix Park gained recognition on the global skate scene back in the day.
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