The Portage Junk Yard Dogs Cycling Club's Bike Park project recently took a large step toward the completion of the Dump Hill makeover. President Blair Geisel approached Mark Moon, President of EF Moon Construction, three years ago in hopes they would provide the equipment and staff to haul soil to the hill. Moon, who had recently got into mountain biking, saw the opportunity to add a new feature to the community, didn't hesitate to jump in and help.

"They were looking to get that material hauled and we have the right stuff to do everything," Moon explains. "It made sense for us to help with that, I think it's another feature we're adding to our city. I know what this brings to the community. With COVID over the last few years, more people are looking to do outdoor activities, so it's a great addition to the city."

Moon valued his contribution to the project to be between $15,000 and $20,000. In terms of work hours, six of his employees were running trucks and excavators, hauling over 2100 cubic metres of dirt. The work totalled around 30 hours for each person. He was glad to lend his aid to the endeavour.

Speaking on fundraising, Geisel said they are currently at around $450,000 out of their projected goal of $650,000. He noted that they're hoping to have a rideable park by September.

"Next spring, we will be building a fence and stone barrier in order to keep vehicles out of the park," Geisel shares. "Once we start construction, we can't have vehicles in there. The trail crew that's building the park is coming in June from British Columbia and then they will get started, and I expect we will be done by September."

Geisel was impressed by the sheer amount of community support, sending gratitude to EF Moon. 

"What EF Moon has done is a significant contribution. It's really helped us out and made this project move forward."

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