DIY skatepark group builds ramps and community at Christie Pits Park

Christie Pits Park is an accessible downtown skatepark location that’s a hot spot for both beginner and pro skaters.

But over the years, the park’s wooden skate ramps have worn out since they were first installed in 2018.

So, Pits DIY, a local do-it-yourself skatepark group, was formed in 2023 to build concrete ramps that are sturdy and easy to train on. The group advocates for safer, user-friendly ramps at Christie Pits Park and across the city.

Nicky Young, one of the organizers of Pits DIY, says that youth in Toronto don’t have enough recreational spaces that they can contribute to, feel proud of and build community in.

“I think a lot of times, recreational spaces are just handed over and you get what you get, but when people build it themselves and believe in themselves, it’s a completely different dynamic,” Young says.

In mid-April, the non-profit built two new concrete ramps at Christie Pits Park and celebrated it with a skate tournament last week. These events help build community for local skaters, artists and residents.

Dima Chabanov, a 22-year-old Ukrainian refugee, rides his BMX bike at the Christie Pits Skatepark. 

“It was my first skatepark that I came [to] in Canada,” says Chabanov. “Everyone [is] so friendly, everyone [is] like family, like [a] real community.”

“I’m, like, pretty big into skateboarding. So, there’s not a whole lot of places that really have this kind of, I guess, vibe and atmosphere,” adds Evan Locke, a 22-year-old skateboarder.

While DIY skateparks have gained popularity in Vancouver, in Toronto, organizations like Pits DIY are still fighting for a culture shift.

Last May, the city demolished one of the concrete ramps at Christie Pits Park for not meeting acceptable safety standards.

In March, Young emailed two new ramp designs to University-Rosedale Coun. Dianne Saxe and the City of Toronto’s Parks and Recreation department.

But Coun. Saxe says Young had only sent partial designs and promised to send more, including an ideal location for the ramps, but he did not follow up, so his email never got a response. 

“We’re happy to work with skate groups. But there is one simple rule. If they want to build something, they have to get our approval first; if they don’t, they’re illegal and they have to come out.”

Despite the city’s plans to demolish the new community-funded concrete ramps at Christie Pits Park, Pits DIY says it will continue building concrete ramps at the park, and it wants to help other skateparks across Toronto in the future.