Local BMX racers will have a place to call home for at least the next two racing seasons.
The Town of Okotoks has guaranteed the BMX track will be available to the Okotoks BMX Club and other riders until the end of the racing season in 2012.
However, Okotoks’ community services manager Susan Laurin said the Town can’t commit to anything further for now.
“It’s too early to tell at this time,” she said.
The track’s future has been in doubt for some time. It survived construction of the 32nd Street bridge, however, the track site may be needed for a future expansion of the Town’s operations centre. The Town has not yet finalized a plan for the expansion.
Laurin said no construction is expected for at least two years and, as such, the Town is able to commit to keeping the track open until 2012.
However, the Town has not found a new home for the BMX track, but Laurin said one will be in place before it closes the existing track.
The move is good news to the Okotoks BMX club.
“We’re pretty excited, we’re pretty stoked,” said Ken McAlister, club vice-president.
He said it gives the club certainty about what it will be able to do for the next two years.
The club knows it may not be able to use the track in the long-term, but McAlister is confident the Town will find a new home for the track should it need the land to expand the operations centre.
The club will now move forward with a bid to host a provincial competition at the track. McAlister said they want to go big for what could be the last major event held at the existing facility.
“This might be the last opportunity to do it on this site, so let’s do it right,” he said.
Laurin said the Town will also assist the club in its efforts to secure a major race event in the coming years.
“We will do whatever we can to help facilitate their major events and whatever they’re applying for,” she said.
