Sidney’s new skateboard park will be getting a new addition, thanks to the community’s generosity.
Paul Harder’s sculpture, known until recently as Board Dog, will be relocated to the park after Kenny Podmore began an effort to raise money to purchase the sculpture from Harder. Podmore, Sidney’s Town Crier and one of the organizers of the Town of Sidney’s Canada 150 events this year, started the campaign to make the new skate park all the more attractive. Plus, it’s a skateboarding dog.
The sculpture itself cost $12,500. Podmore said Harder donated to the campaign by dropping $2,000 from the price. The Victoria Airport Authority donated $5,000, tops among overall contributors. Alpine Ferry donated $1,000 — as did the Beacon Cafe and the Pier Bistro. Podmore added the rest of the money was donated by people in the community.
The sculpture is slated to be installed on July 2. The skate park itself — located in Sidney’s Tulista Park on Lochside Drive — has been open for the public’s use since June 2.
All that remains is to pick a new name for Board Dog. Podmore said there’s a suggestion box for just that located at the Sidney Pier Hotel. He didn’t say which of the suggested names are in the running (apart from the name ‘Sidney’). That is yet to be revealed.