For those that live to skateboard or ride their BMX bikes, it's like a home away from home, so when a portion of Wallace Emerson Park was destroyed by fire last month, it was as if dozens of kids had been displaced.
But on Sunday, as the warm weather crept back in to Toronto's consciousness, a few men vowed to rebuild the Toronto original.
One of those men is Mike Heaton, the park's original creator, who's joined by Michael Battison, who calls the site his happy place.
"It's a place where you can come and talk about your personal feelings," he said. "Everyone here becomes more or less like family."
For them, it's more than just a passion for riding, it's about camaraderie and a place to call their own.
And not all of that place went up in smoke, but according to Heaton the most expensive parts were unfortunately the ones hit the hardest. The damage is estimated at $5,000.
Heaton built the ramps himself and now he'll have to fork over the thousands more to recreate them.
"If they had started the fire in any other part of this park ... I probably wouldn't have been that annoyed," Heaton said.
Crime Stoppers Constable Scott Mills, who is also helping rebuild the park, isn't sure if the fire was deliberately set, but he's trying to put the brakes on careless behaviour.
"We believe that kids were out here doing non-productive activities," Mills said.
If you'd like to help rebuild the bike park, a trust fund has been set up which you can donate to at any
TD Bank branch
.
Transit Number: 1304
Account Number: 6350692
And to see
Andrea Piunno's story, click on the video link.