City of Powell River officials are applying to the federal government for funds to improve accessibility at city hall and the Powell River Recreation Complex.
The city will apply to the Enabling Accessibility Fund (EAF), a program of Human Resources and Skills Development Canada. Grant funding provides 75 per cent of the $717,000 total project cost, or $537,750. The city’s share, $179,250, is slated to come from the general reserve.
The city is proposing to install an elevator at city hall, for $223,000, and to make the following improvements at the recreation complex: elevator, $425,000; wider doors and automated door openers at the lower entrance, $60,000; replace one entry unit with glass doors and automated door openers at the upper entrance, $6,000; and an exterior transit ramp at the upper entrance, $3,000.
At a special council meeting held January 10, Dave Douglas, director of financial services, told council that the EAF program seeks to promote opportunities for people with disabilities to fully participate in community life. “The objective of the EAF program is to support community-based projects across Canada that improve accessibility, remove barriers and enable Canadians with disabilities to participate in and contribute to their community,” he said. “This grant is only available to small communities, populations under 250,000.”
The grant application hints “very strongly” that partnering with another local organization would help strengthen the application, Douglas said. “I’ve gone forward and asked Powell River Model Community to be a partner in the application, but it will not provide any financial assistance,” he said.
David Morris, Model Community Project executive director, told council his organization “strongly supports” the application. “The issue of accessibility to council chambers has been raised a number of times by our clients who have mobility issues,” he said. “Speaking with seniors and anyone who has any kind of mobility issue, to be active in civic affairs within this community, obviously it would be kind of nice if they could get to council chambers and meeting rooms when there are committee-of-the-whole meetings.”
Upgrading accessibility at the recreation complex is also key for its clients “to be able to enjoy the assets of our community when it comes to recreational facilities,” Morris said. “The doors are old, they don’t work right and they’re not wide enough for the new power chairs that are being used by a lot of people.”
Council passed a motion approving the grant application.
The previous council had been exploring a new civic building that would house various levels of government agencies. In 2006, council directed Stan Westby, chief administrative officer, to prepare a feasibility study for a new building, which was referred to as a combined government services centre. The idea was to approach School District 47 and Powell River Regional District to explore the advantages of having one, central centre.
Mayor Stewart Alsgard said the city had done a preliminary report. “That project has not gone beyond that stage of discussion,” he said.
Westby said the idea of a combined government services centre was not included in the strategic plan developed by the current council. “Obviously it wasn’t as high a priority as it was with the previous council,” he said. “I wouldn’t say it has dropped off the table, but certainly it is a much lower priority at this point.”
