The Yard skatepark set to close, citing financial difficulties

Local skatepark 'The Yard' closing 'The Yard' is closing its doors. The owner says they have been unable to recover post-pandemic. CTV's Dave Charbonneau reports.

The Yard, one of Ottawa's few indoor skateparks, is set to close its doors for good, leaving skaters without a place to play and learn.

Despite being a haven for skaters, financial troubles have plagued The Yard, leading to its imminent closure.

"It's been great for the mental, it's been great for the physical and I'm having fun making friends," said skater Olivier Charette.

"Making lasting relationships, it's truly great."

Unfortunately, after years of financial struggles brought on by the timing of the COVID-19 lockdowns, owner Anthony Bereznai says it has become near impossible to remain open.

"I think we were closed seven months altogether where we weren't allowed to run, but we had to pay all of our rent," said Bereznai.

"There's higher interest rates and a borderline recession, so it's just been very tough on us."

Vincent Derepentigny, another skater, says he will miss going to the skatepark every day.

"It's just really sad because I've got so many memories here," he said.

Beyond being a recreational space, The Yard also served as a classroom for a program called Sports X. The program integrated academics into skateboarding and providing students with a unique learning environment.

"We stay here the whole semester. We come here every day," said Elia Shehadeh, a student and skater.

With the closure, students like Derepentigny say it was the perfect environment to learn and have fun.

"School here was amazing. I met a lot of new people from different schools because it's a lot of different schools together," he said.

Anthony Bereznai remains hopeful, mentioning efforts to find a new space with lower rent to ensure financial viability. Yet, he acknowledges the challenges.

"The rents in Ottawa are extremely high, much higher than other even bigger cities in Canada," said Bereznai.

As the skatepark faces its final days, Shehadeh says the closure will be tough on the skateboard community.

"The community here, they're probably going to be distraught. It's honestly a shame," he said.

The exact date for the closure is unknown, but will most likely happen at the end of March.