After 24-year ban, Victoria allows skateboarding downtown

With its mild climate and gentle slopes, Victoria has long been a popular spot for skateboarders of all stripes.

But now, they can legally ride on downtown streets.

“Now it’s more used for transportation on the streets, and therefore it should be treated like a legitimate form of transportation,” said Victoria councilor Jeremy Loveday.

A skateboarder himself, Loveday was one of the people who voted in favour of the bylaw to remove the 24-year-old ban on skateboarding downtown, which went into effect this week.

The bylaw comes with rules: there is to be no skateboarding on city sidewalks or in crosswalks, and skateboarders must ride single file and wear lights at night.

The push to permit street skateboarding came from Jake Warren, whose skateboard was confiscated by a bylaw officer four years ago.

“That was the final straw for me. I felt having my skateboard taken away from me was a discriminatory move,” he said.

“We took our ideas to the city council, and city council was open to these changes, and now we have the bylaw changes as we see them.

“It’s just the way it’s always been, now it’s just got that badge of acceptance. It’s acknowledged.”