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Racing club asks for BMX track

Steven Hill shill@squamishchief.com If Jim Douglas has his way, Squamish could soon have its own BMX race track. Douglas, a semi pro mountain biker and local paramedic, asked Squamish Council (Feb.

Steven Hill

shill@squamishchief.com

If Jim Douglas has his way, Squamish could soon have its own BMX race track.

Douglas, a semi pro mountain biker and local paramedic, asked Squamish Council (Feb. 7) to consider his proposal for a track and requested DOS land, use of district equipment and operators. He's also asking for $10,000 in financial support from the municipality.

"I left a petition at local bike shops to gauge the support for the proposed track," Douglas said. "I have so far collected more than 200 names after only two weeks."

Douglas said that since BMX racing was to be added as an official sport at the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympic Games, a track in Squamish had the potential to train future Olympians.

Douglas, president of the newly formed Squamish BMX Racing Club, said the best spot for the track would be near the Brennan Park tennis courts.

"That is the site of an older, defunct BMX track," he said. "If we would be allowed to use the soil that is already there, the track is essentially 75 per cent complete already."

He said the track would require two to two and a half hectares of land, and his proposal indicated several alternate sites.Citing the support of groups such as Cycling BC, Douglas said liability insurance would already be taken care of, and that the BMX club would be responsible for running and maintaining the course once it was built.

"It is another way for us to live up to the 'Recreation Capital of Canada' name," said Douglas.

Council directed DOS staff to review the proposal for comment and to the 2006 budget process.

Council will decide on the request at a future regular council meeting.

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