Bike park named in memory of Kai Matthews

Kai Matthews, the vibrant athlete and competitive snowboarder who died suddenly of a meningitis B infection in 2021, has left another mark in his home community of Hubley.

On Tuesday, Halifax regional council voted to rename the Big Hubley Lake Drive Bike Park as the Kai Matthews Bike Park.

It’s a fitting tribute since when he was 11, Matthews and his family spoke up for the park in the planning stages. They urged HRM that it would be an effective use of the park in his neighbourhood, according to the application filed with the municipality.

Matthews was an accomplished athlete. He competed at three Canada Snowboard national championships from 2016 to 2018 and represented the province at the 2019 Canada Winter Games in Red Deer, Alta. He finished 22nd overall in slopestyle and 28th in snowboardcross at the Canada Games. Matthews also played soccer for Halifax County United.

He had recently finished his first year of kinesiology at Acadia University.

After his death, his parents Norrie and Kari Matthews, launched a website, bforkai.org and hosted events to educate people about meningitis B and to increase vaccination rates.

RYAN TAPLIN ■ THE CHRONICLE HERALD Halifax regional council approved the renaming of the Big Hubley Lake Drive Bike Park to the Kai Matthews Bike Park on Tuesday, March 22, 2022.

TAPLIN ■THE CHRONICLE HERALD Kai Matthews, who lived in Hubley and was an Acadia student, died of meningitis B in 2021.RYAN