No need to go to the mountains to practice sliding sports! Saturday marked the opening of the Ojo Rail Park, which is taking over the Morgan Hill, near the Olympic Stadium, for a second consecutive year.
The park, open every day until March, allows snowboard enthusiasts to practice their sport for free. “We want to offer free activities to Montrealers and residents of Mercier-Hochelaga, in the purest spirit of an urban and recreational park,” explained Olympic Park communications manager Cédric Essiminy in an interview.
He recalls that in the 1920s, the Morgan coast welcomed citizens wishing to practice sliding sports, and is delighted to somehow restore the sector to its former role. “There is a natural drop between Sherbrooke and Pierre-de-Coubertin, so people would meet there,” he explains.
It was a time of festivities when the park opened on Saturday, but its creation stems from a tragic event: the accidental death of young snowboarder Dillon Ojo, who died accidentally in 2018 when he was only 22 years old. years. The Vans company, which sponsored the athlete, joined forces with Olympic Park and the Dillon Ojo Lifeline Foundation, a non-profit organization founded by the young man’s parents, to create the park in 2022.
Reached by phone late afternoon, Dillon’s mother, Elaine Charles, was delighted with this first day of opening. “It’s exactly a day as he would have liked,” she recalls. People eating and having fun together. She also highlights the accessibility of the facilities. “I remember when Dillon was young, it always cost money for him to practice his sport: gas for the car, the ticket for the mountain, lunch…”
She believes that the location in the heart of the city and the free access to the facilities can allow the practice of sport for as many people as possible. “There are young people who write to me that after finishing school, they go to the rail park”, she rejoices.
Vans Canada Marketing Director Alex Auchu shares these priorities. “The idea is to honor Dillon’s legacy by allowing as many people as possible to practice snowboarding,” he explains. He points out that the modules are also accessible for beginners.
When in the future of the project? “It would be wonderful if it could continue every year,” enthuses Elaine Charles.
The park is located on the Morgan trail, accessible from the Viau metro station, and is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wearing a helmet is compulsory.