Get your bikes, skateboards, scooters and helmets ready as a new skate park has opened in Lakeshore.
The municipality unveiled the new skate park on Friday morning within Optimist Park in Belle River.
The previous skate park, which was located on the west end of the park near the OPP station, had reached its end of life. Council approved the relocation to the north end of the park in June 2025 after public consultation.
The former skate park first opened in 2004 after the Levenick family raised money to build the park and honour their son Blake who had passed away at the age of 13. Blake was an avid skateboarder.
The Levenick family attended the ribbon cutting on Friday, and a memorial plaque to honour Blake has been relocated to the new park.
Eileen Levenick, Blake’s mother, says the municipality came to them before moving forward with the replacement.
“I’m just very happy that they’re continuing it, and it’s continuing to be a skateboard park for all the kids because it was one of Blake’s passions to skateboard.”
Mike Levenick, Blake’s father, says it makes it easier to grieve knowing the community can enjoy what Blake enjoyed.
“I know he’s up there looking down and watching kids and keeping an eye on them, and making sure everything is good. He would’ve been really proud of this being 35 he would’ve been now, so he’d probably still be out here skating.”
Hunter was one of the first ones to use the new skate park and says he loves the new park.
“Me and my friends were doing some nice tricks. We were jumping down and hitting ramps.”
River also used the new skate park and says there’s a lot to love about it.
“The drop down ramps and the stairs, and all the other ramps.”
Lakeshore mayor Tracey Bailey says it’s already very well-loved.
“Grateful to the Levenick family through the tragedy that they experienced to have really started this for Belle River all those years ago, and now we’ve moved the monument that celebrates Blake and Blake’s life over and closer to the new launch.”
The former skate park will be removed from the site.
The price tag of the new park was approximately $300,000.
