Altona’s Bridge Skatepark is sporting a fresh new look this summer thanks to a group of W.C. Miller Collegiate students who brought colour, creativity, and community spirit to the much-loved youth hangout.
The skatepark has long been a popular spot for local skaters to gather. Some unsanctioned graffiti had crept in over the years, but instead of painting over it with blank concrete, the Town of Altona decided to take a different approach—one that embraced creativity and collaboration.
Recreation manager Eric Hildebrand reached out to local art teacher Jill Ferris last year with an idea: bring intentional, student-designed artwork to the skatepark to reduce random tagging and give youth a chance to leave their mark in a meaningful way.
“Over time, there’s been some graffiti that’s taken place there, but it certainly wasn’t approved or planned,” Hildebrand explained. “We thought if we could get it full of paint but in a planned way, it would be a nice bright change. My thoughts are that it will create a sense of pride, belonging, and ownership by the youth who use it. The colours just draw you in.”
Ferris was immediately on board and began quietly planting the seed last fall.
“Silas Wall was probably the first person I approached because I knew he was already exploring how to do graffiti art, so he was on board right away,” she said. “Then we gathered a group of others and just waited for the good weather to get started.”
With paint donated through Sun Valley Co-op’s Communities in Colour program and materials sourced at no cost to the town, the project required only minimal municipal funding—just $300 to $500 for brushes, rollers, primer, and sealant.
Over the course of a week, a group of students transformed the park’s vertical surfaces with bright, joyful artwork.
The guidelines were simple: stick to six colours, keep it positive, and reflect themes of expression, movement, identity, and community pride.
Gr. 12 student Alyssa Ewankevich said she loved the opportunity to try something new.
“I really wanted to branch out and do something more involved in a bigger space,” she said. “Sea creatures are very movable, and they don’t have to look perfect. I made an octopus and some fish. The images just kind of flow. This will be here for years, and it’s kind of a legacy to Altona.”
Classmate Hephzivah Klassen spent the week painting a mural filled with playful cartoon characters.
“They’re fun to do because you can do whatever you want with them; they don’t have to be realistic,” she said. “I’m excited to be a part of this.”
Silas Wall used his own graffiti-style designs to bring a corner of the park to life.
“I think it’s pretty cool that they’re just letting us paint the skatepark like this,” he said. “And it looks pretty good too.”
For many of the students, the skatepark is more than just a backdrop for their artwork—it’s a place they use and love. And now it reflects their voice, creativity, and pride.
“What began as a beautification project has become a lasting reminder of what can happen when a community trusts its youth and gives them the tools to make something their own,” Hildebrand says. “The colours just pop. The Bridge Skatepark has never looked more alive.”
