20 year old’s death will be in vain because of a missed permit

May 1, 2008
by Jordan Holmes  
Tim DaSilva died in a tragic accident while building his dream; a place for children, youth and their families to enjoy exercise, companionship and the spirit of competition. His family has taken solace in the fact that his dream had become a reality and a unique amateur sports facility that anyone from across the GTA and beyond could enjoy. Unfortunately the proper permit hadn’t been procured before he began building on the private land. Now the Niagara Escarpment Commission (NEC) is forcing the family to flatten their son’s dream in 49 days or the owner of the private land will face stiff penalties.“The track Tim created represented a place where we could go to be near him. We feel closer to him there than anywhere else. It was the last place he was happy and alive and it was truly his dream to bring this facility to the families of southwestern Ontario,” said Zira DiSilva, Tim’s mom.

When Tim died tragically, he was completing his work on a BMX bicycle dirt track in Halton Hills. Built on private land, at the owner’s support, the track was designed with local, provincial and national level competition in mind, where kids aged three and up could practice and compete. BMX is now an Olympic sport and Canada is trying hard to catch up to the impressive skills many other countries have been fostering for years. Tim was an Ontario Quest for Gold recipient and a Team Ontario member and in an Olympic year, it hurts all the more for the family and BMX community to potentially lose a track that would help them gain the skills they need to compete.

Tim died on July 15, 2006 with the track, affectionately named “Tim’s Track” being completed in September 2006. Unfortunately, the track has come under disapproval and the decision has been made by the NEC to close it. The track is constructed of native soil and pedal powered, non-motorized bikes are ridden on it.

photo

The family and the BMX community are calling for support to have the track re-opened and the missing permit granted. Not just for Tim’s family, but for the community who benefits from having this unique recreational facility for amateur sport that doesn’t exist anywhere else in Halton Hills and is in limited supply in Ontario. Halton Place is very supportive of Amateur Sports in Ontario and hopes to continue with the Tim DaSilva BMX Track. The Tim DaSilva BMX Track Executive are currently attempting to be added to the NEC Agenda for the next NEC meeting in Tobermory, Ontario on May 14-15.

Help save the Tim Dasilva BMX Track

by brianhunt
Views: 24,725    Faves: 208    Comments: 131


For additional information, please contact:

DaSilva Family
Jessica Medeiros
416 206 1435
jessicadasilva-medeiros@rogers.com

Ontario Cycling Association
Nicky Pearson
416 825 5580
bmx@ontariocycling.org

Halton Place
Megan Kruger
416 725 5915
megan@haltonplace.com

www.timdasilvabmx.com

Posted In:
Stories Reader Stories BMX


Author Info:
spoiledgoods avatar

Member since Mar 20, 2000
624 articles
Report
Must Read This Week
Pole Bicycles Has Filed for Bankruptcy
62888 views
Kona Bicycles' Parent Company Appoints New CFO, Intends to Sell Brand
62357 views
First Ride: The Sub-$600 RockShox Domain and Psylo Forks
45769 views
Randoms Round 3: Dario's Treasures
41180 views
Pinkbike's DH Fantasy League: Get Your Team On The Line - Fort William is in TWO WEEKS!
37702 views
Downhill Bikes of Sea Otter - Part 1
37174 views
Randoms Round 1 - Sea Otter 2024
36800 views
[UPDATED] Final Elite XC Results & Overall Standings from the Araxá XC World Cup 2024
36774 views
Sign Up for the Pinkbike Newsletter - All the Biggest, Most Interesting Stories in your Inbox
PB Newsletter Signup

90 Comments
  • 37 0
 Wow, Im saddend at the lost of both this young man, and the man who also died recently at the Sea Otter dh race. I hope this track can be an inspiration to all those who ride it.
  • 3 0
 im sure ive heard of this, isnt it in milton, track 2000 or sumthin
  • 9 0
 www.ipetitions.com/petition/timdasilvabmxtrack/index.html
  • 4 0
 i agree 100% im signing
RIP tim
what happened to the person at seaotter
  • 6 0
 im seeing alot of tragety lately on the bikes,we need to turn it around now,this is a start. open this track,its just as risky to live life in general,theres no need to close this track.its just as dangerous steping into a car,you need to understan what can happen.its not rite to throw this track away,but most important i realy feel for his family!
  • 3 0
 well said
  • 32 0
 It pisses me off the way people in suits and ties f"ck up all the proper things (tracks, skateparks, bikeparks, northshores....). All they care about is building houses and taking brown envelopes to make money off our backs. They don't care about us, they just screw everything up. How would they feel if we bulldozed their golf courses and such

RIP Tim, I'm sorry there are some many a*sholes in the world
  • 10 0
 Sign the petition to save the track!
www.ipetitions.com/petition/timdasilvabmxtrack

Join the group: www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=11682499559&;
  • 4 1
 just signed, you need to make a donation but i dont care. please guys, i was not aware of any of this till just now but would really like to save this place!
  • 1 0
 no need to donate, when you arrive at the donation page your signature is already recorded. So eveybody sign even if you don't have a buck!
  • 9 0
 WE ALL HAVE TO SAVE YOUR DREAM, I THINK IS SOME KIND OF EVERYONES DREAM HERE ON PINKBIKE AND WE ALL WOULD NEED MORE OF GUYS LIKE HIM ON THAT WORLD. NOW IS OUR WORK TO FINISH IT. RIP TIM
  • 11 0
 I'm so so sorry for your loss, i fully support your petition to keep the track open in memory of Tim. RIP
  • 6 0
 As avid cyclist from Ontario I am disgusted that they are forcing a track built with owners permission to be closed. When more and more people are becoming overweight this is the type of activity we need to get kids off the couch and away from video games. The NEC needs to open it's eyes and think about it's actions.
  • 1 0
 this is fucking stupid, i feel soo bad for his family and friends seemed like a great young man, but why the owners gave him permission to build it and the land owner even tried to save it how could they tear it down.
  • 5 0
 This is unbelievably sad. A young man builds something not for himself but for others to enjoy and now is has to be levelled...come on! This is the unfortunate side to our society-we give criminals all the rights while their victims have nothing, we tell police that is excessive while they fight for their lives and now pencil pushing, paper f#%@ing, beurocratic lick bags go and do this...
...Someone is making a grave mistake!

Very sad.

God Bless.
  • 6 1
 Get a petition of people to sign for wanting this dream track to establish and become part of the biking world. If its going to close ride it for 48 days and bulldoze it on the 49th.
  • 1 0
 www.ipetitions.com/petition/timdasilvabmxtrack/index.html
  • 6 0
 They wonder why kids hang around on street corners and mug people.... ...because short sighted officials stop projects like this going ahead... RIP Tim.
  • 3 0
 I say pinkbike should put that video as VOD and a picture of him as POD, i think that would bring in a lot more signautures to this petition. even if you are not in the area sign the petition to save the track. it means a lot to the Da Silva family as you can see, and for the bikers in that community.
  • 3 0
 wow this really makes me so angry.I know i dont no the full story but in South Africa if its private property you can do what you want to do unless it has a negative effect on the community.This is cleary a positive thing being done and should not be allowed to be taken down.I am very sorry for this loss and i wish all the best.I wish i could sign this partition.
  • 2 0
 omg ...i just watched the video and i feel so sorry for the people who have put time and effert into making it and also the loss of tim ...i hope this track stays open as i would love one day to be able to come from the united kingdom and ride it !!
  • 2 0
 This is just not right. We want the kids off the street, we are willing to pay for youth centers. This man has gone and done far better for free. Why in the right mind do people feel as though the the cost of this selfless act outweights the benefits to society. Give us a break, and more importantly, give the family a break.
  • 2 0
 it saddens me to see something so benifital to keeping kids of the street and doing something productive to be put the garbage. ok so a rule was broken by no permit. he had permission by owner to build, i say fight to keep it open. help bring a smile to the kids and bikers faces, and lets get some national riders, not kids who made mistakes on the street
  • 2 0
 This stinks its about time that officials and goverments alike got with the program and concentrate there efforts on issues that will make a difference in the world rather destoying dreams!!! Please save Tims BMX track, and let the track and all whom use it be a ever lasting memory to Tims name! RIP Tim DaSilva
  • 2 0
 One of the saddest things ive heard. Im glad he built his dreamSmile but this cannot happen, i would defenitely sin=gn the petition. This has not made anyone unhappy. The sad death will still b remebered with what he did for the community. I really hope they dont flatten the trials. Peace for Tim DaSilva
  • 2 0
 this is bs, having a bmx track at hand while i was a child was essential for the community, it gets people into something thats an active, safe, fun, and a great family experience.i will sign anything you guys need or whatever. this track needs to stay!!!
  • 2 0
 i hate hearing riders die, equally as much as i hate what ever counsol is voting to destroy that track, what harm does it do? law suits, put warning signs. thats an amazing looking track, and it was this mans passion, that he wanted to share by creating this track, and now people who have proably never biked before in there lives are going to destroy it. proably the same people that complain about the high number of obesity and than go and shut down a skatepark/dirt jump spot/this track.
  • 1 0
 EXACTLY^^^ i dont think anyone could have said it better,
  • 3 1
 That is absolutely horrible, god damn politicians and all their gay laws, I mean seriously, you devote your life to something only to be flattened in an instant, literally, this pisses me off. Screw Bush and the government
  • 1 0
 this is f***ing ridiculous! the man died building his dream, now he is no more but his dream is still here and then it too is taken away, for what basically is a stupid, senseless reason! as well as insulting Tims memory by destroying his dream they are taking away a great development and part of the community that could only build and change peoples lives for the better. How can the NEC not see that??!

best of luck, RIP Tim.
  • 1 0
 I would like to thank each and every one of you for your support, and also to answer a few questions. The OCA did not procure a permit because it was on private land and not our place to do so The Landowner was just moving dirt from his own land to another area on his own land, so he did not get a permit or did not believe he required on - IT IS JUST DIRT! Recently on the news here, the NEC said they would never grant it anyway. Tim was involved in a tragic accident, doing a task that 2 of us had done before and he was a great machine operator. It was a tragic accident. The people that were there that day will never forget what they had to do, and what they saw, and they need to keep this track alive for their self being as well. We are all one big family here, but the DaSilva Family should not have to face any more tragedy and hardship after losing Timmy - he was a bright spark in all our lives - and I thank God every day that I had the 10 years I had with him. My life was fuller because of him. The media in Ontario has taken this up and the family and I have been doing interviews all week, and we cannot believe the number of you that have signed our petition! Thank you so much. Please keep signing, apparentely the magic number is 10,000. and if you wish to join the face book group, please do so SAVE TIM DASILVA BMX TRACK. Thank you all so much once again! Timmy and his family thank you. N. Pearson
  • 1 0
 I would like to personally thank everyone for signing the petition to SAVE my Son's - Tim DaSilva BMX Track in Halton Hills, Ontario, Canada.

It means a lot to my family and the BMX Community to keep this track open and to also keep Tim's dream alive.

Tim built this track to give young amateur riders an opportunity to dream of one day competing in the Olympics, if this track is flatten then my son's death will be in vain.

Thanking you ALL again for your help and support.
Zira DaSilva


Some websites with more information, photos, videos:

www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=11682499559

Facebook group "SAVE the Tim DaSilva BMX Group"
www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=11682499559

www.independentfreepress.com

www.torontosun.com/News/Canada/2008/05/02/5449536-sun.html

canwest.a.mms.mavenapps.net/mms/rt/1/site/canwest-chchnews-pub01-live/current/launch.html?maven_playerId=chchmain&maven_referralObject=3ff7590b-e05d-423b-8eba-ab6b67cbef62
  • 0 0
 Your welcome. Its the least we can do. Your brother did an amazing thing....very admirable indeed.
  • 5 0
 thats a bit bad. but i think that track should stay open.
  • 5 0
 Everyone show your support and go to the site and sign the petition!
  • 1 0
 it sad to see, a guys dream being thretend by poltics and permits. you think they would cut him a break. hopefull his goal of creating a track were kids can train, hang and enjoy the sport of bmx riding, hopefully things are allowed to move forward. just let the yound man keep his dream
  • 2 0
 wow, why would they make his family tear that all down, if its the closest they can be to him, laws need to change a help people like his family out. im all for this track stayin!
  • 1 0
 First of all, it is horrible to hear this story. A good kid trying to do a good thing for the community with all the help he had, only to have it come back like this. BUT, I'm really suprised that the Ontario Cycling Association didn't step in and make sure a permit was granted. I know first hand about grading permits and how big of a hassle they can be but if that's all they needed to play ball, then it should have been covered first. This is horrible to hear though.
  • 1 0
 Im defonatly going to sign i cant beleve that such a bad situation came from trying to do somthing for the society. Good luck to you and i hope i will be able to ride this track in the future. I give my suport to the people involved.
  • 1 0
 just wondering if theirs gona be a protest like standing in front of the bulldozers,i ride 26" but il be there for that bmx track all the way,and hey whats 6" here or there and i know any bmxer would be there for us mtb's any day
  • 1 0
 Here we go, Canada and ontario need this track open alot for one like they say this is a mans dream and his legacy as far as i see it. Well why would they close this place down I always here cops and people complaining about BMX riders shredding around town, or about this kids who go out and vandilize or just go out and party smoke what ever. These landmarks get those kids off the streets while giving them an active life style. Further more putting us into the highest obesity levels in the world, why would they not keep it open? they want more kids roaming the streets or sitting around getting fat? eating chips and playing video games while doing illegal drugs/ alcohal? cmon now keep this place open for the public and keep this young mans legacy and pride open. anything less is in my eyes completely disrespectful and completely stupid. If there is any petition to be signed I will gladly sign it heck if I lived there I would never let that track be taken down.

Cheers, Ben
  • 0 0
 it is bullshit how such a guy can devote all his time into bringin something to the community that people of all ages will benefit from then they decide to knock it down! what makes this issue worse is that the guy who devoted his time has died tragically and the NEC dont have the respect to keep this amazing track running!! the people of the NEC must have no heart to be able to sleep at night after doing such a thing as flattening this track!
  • 0 0
 I wish people like the NEC would just open there eyes sometimes, this was done in the most positive way ever thought of, to get kids up off ther arses and do something, would they rather have obese little bastards than Healthy fit kids??!! Just think about that one. Why does there always have to be a person out there that has to be such a tosser to close a place like this down??!!

RIP Tim, and good look to all his family in keeping this place open. Im sure he is ripping up heavens track right now.

RIP Bruv!
  • 0 0
 If the NEC sends in a crew of any kind simply do what the Indians in Caledonia have done(the govt is scared shitlees of them),wreek as much havoc as necesary to keep the track open. More than likely though theyve told the owner he must destroy it himself.
  • 1 0
 i say if the close this track what will happen next they'll close another one and another one, all for a stupid corporal building, its a shame that people in suits and ties can do this RIP tim
  • 0 0
 those people who want that track flattened are such ass holes. he was trying to do the community a favour like all us people who build dirt jumps and stuff like that. i think they should keep the track open as a memorial or something like that.
  • 0 0
 We just received a bit of a reprieve - an addtional 30 days (so now 90) to garner support from the Town, REgion and the cycling community. Could you please write a paragraph or two regarding the importance of this facility, and make sure you put your home town on the email (we need to break it down by state and province before we hand it in) they can be emailed directly to me at bmxmum 'at' sympatico.ca i want to walk in with boxes of letters of support!!!!!!!

Thanks everyone, the family and the Ontario BMX Community really appreciate all your help.
  • 3 0
 this vid made me both really upset and want to save that track...hope the petition will work
  • 2 0
 It's always some fat fuck, unaccountable, pencil pushing loser that screws things up for real people. Good luck to all trail builders!!!
  • 0 0
 Amazing cause i think this is jsut such a great story aand i thik that this track is so mcuh more then jstua place to ride and even more then jsut about tim keeping this track in his memory shows that we can all do soemthign and that were not jsut dirt bags and that thre si a reason for us to be ridign and people need to see that
  • 3 0
 haertless fucking bueracrats....
  • 1 0
 I'm signing the petition! Hope the NEC gets a ton of bad press over this....I'm gonna get all my biking buds to help. RIP Tim- your ripping for sure on Heaven's Track.
  • 0 0
 Ride In Peace Bro We will continue to help keep your track going in whatever way we can. You got the right idea man we just all need to beable to follow that and start our own dreams.
  • 0 0
 that is bang out of order!!! that track should stay open!!! not only for the locals, but for the family to go and remember him!! Rest in peace!!!!
  • 0 0
 I wish the family and friends all the best with this fiasco. It shouldn't even be an issue to get a permit. You have my support. RIP Tim.
  • 0 0
 you dont have to pay - exit out at that page, it still records your signature! thanks everyone! your help is so appreciated
  • 2 0
 Let this young man keep his dream!
  • 2 0
 Thats really sad.. 20 aswell.
  • 2 0
 Everyone sign the petition and send an email to nec@escarpment.org
  • 0 0
 i would sign the petition, but i dont give out my account information over the net...is there anyway i can sign w/o paying the fee?
  • 0 0
 I am not sure how many members Pinkbike has, but it would be a shame to not have all of us sign. I just did.
  • 1 0
 I just signed it, sure hope it does the trick.
  • 1 1
 thats fucking gay.. makes me wanna kill those fuckers. let them have there track like fuck. sorry but fuck
  • 0 0
 why the hell does the government want this torn down! thats an outrage. i want the track to stay!!!! rest in peace tim.
  • 0 0
 tim rules he was my favorite rider when i rode bmx. don't let those jerks tear down his track.
  • 0 0
 i singed sorry for your lose. hope every thing goes well. good luck rip tim!
  • 1 0
 keep this track open for tim desilvas memorie rip legend
  • 1 0
 Rip man ! its great hearing someone following their child-hood dreams!
  • 2 0
 skid is so right
  • 0 0
 wow that is fucking stupid !!!!! Niagara Escarpment Commission need to be shame. bozzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz for them
  • 0 0
 f*uck the democratics and the aristocratics who just think of having more and instead of build destroy
  • 0 0
 rode this track many times keep it going!! sign the petition everyone!!
  • 0 0
 I signed! Sorry to hear this news, good luck with everything RIP
  • 0 0
 how did he die? i understand it was on the track but how?
  • 0 0
 He was driving a rolling truck and it flipped over and crushed him. RIP Tim.
  • 0 0
 i signed the thing. hope the place doesnt get plowed
  • 0 0
 all the good luck to his lovely family !
  • 0 0
 RIP that track has to stay open.
  • 0 0
 Ride In Peace Tim, Ride On Your Endless Dream...
  • 0 0
 I have deep empathy but how did he die, the article never mentions it?
  • 0 0
 That is the sickest last name ever.
  • 0 0
 Rest in peace brother!!!!
  • 1 0
 Rest in peace man
  • 0 0
 how did he die
  • 0 0
 RIP.
  • 0 0
 SAVE DA TRACK!!!!!!!!







Copyright © 2000 - 2024. Pinkbike.com. All rights reserved.
dv42 0.050009
Mobile Version of Website