BMX riders in Nanaimo will have another track to race on beginning next summer, with the Steve Smith Foundation funding a new intermediate track in Cedar. (File photo/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Alex Rawnsley

pedal power

‘Cedar was the perfect place:’ new intermediate pump track envisioned south of Nanaimo

Aug 20, 2025 | 11:52 AM

NANAIMO — Local biking advocates believe they’ve got the perfect plan at the perfect location to continue growing the sport in the region.

The Stevie Smith Legacy Foundation, through a partnership with the Regional District of Nanaimo and School District 68, have announced plans to build a new, intermediate-level asphalt pump track along Walsh Rd. in Cedar, adjacent to the existing skate park.

Foundation co-founder Michelle Corfield told NanaimoNewsNOW they approached the RDN with an idea which checked a lot of boxes, but they needed a donation of the land.

“We thought Cedar was the perfect place. That’s the birthplace of BMX in Nanaimo with Mike Davidson’s mother, Marie Davidson and their entire family. Then, of course, Steve Smith himself graduated from Cedar Secondary, so it was only fitting to work with the RDN to try and find a location that would work.”

Initial designs for the track have been completed, but have yet to be released to the public.

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Further refinement is needed to ensure it’s the right track for the area and local riders.

Corfield said it’ll be about the same size, in terms of square footage, as the Steve Smith Bike Park at Beban Park in Nanaimo.

“The initial design is done, and now we just have to make sure that it meets the needs. At the Beban pump track, we have a kids track and then we have an advanced track. This one’s going to be more of an intermediate track.”

The project is expected to cost around $600,000, a cost to be borne by the Foundation through donations.

Corfield expects a fundraising campaign to kick off very soon, with the Foundation eyeing an early spring 2026 construction window ahead of an early summer 2026 grand opening.

The track in Cedar will be another major addition for local riders in recent months.

New lights at the Steve Smith Bike Park were installed last fall, extending the riding window to 10 p.m. nightly.

Next door, a newly designed Marie Davidson BMX Park re-opened in December 2024 to include a new track layout.

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