Valemount committee approves accessibility plan
By Abigail Popple, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, RMG
The Village of Valemount’s Accessibility Committee approved a new accessibility plan last Tuesday, August 26th. Council will consider officially adopting the plan during its next meeting, on September 9th.
The plan – which the Village began developing in 2023 as required by the Accessible British Columbia Act – lists 12 action items for improved accessibility on Village property. Action items include high-priority goals such as building a ramp to the bathrooms at Centennial Park and adding accessible playground equipment to the park, as well as long-term items like adding lighting along the Bigfoot Trail and replacing a dysfunctional automatic door in the Village office.
The plan also suggests revising some Village policies to include accessibility considerations. For example, the Village’s Snow Removal Policy does not currently include guidelines for how wide of a walkway should be cleared on sidewalks, which can pose problems for people who use mobility aids. Additionally, the plan notes that the ramp into the Community Hall is too narrow and steep for manual wheelchair and walker users, and that there are high steps in the washrooms and concessions at John Osadchuk Park. In both cases, the accessibility plan recommends including accessibility considerations in the master plans for future buildings at these sites.
In an email to The Goat, CAO Anne Yanciw said municipalities are required to include accessibility considerations in their master plans under provincial legislation. The Village’s accessibility plan will provide a local focus that consultants can refer to when drafting master plans.
Yanciw added that the Village recently won a grant from Columbia Basin Trust that will fund an accessible merry-go-round in Centennial Park. The date of installation has not yet been confirmed.
The accessibility committee developed the plan through consultation with residents and a “field trip” where committee members walked and drove around the village, noting areas where accessibility could be improved. A draft of the plan was available for public feedback for two weeks, but the Village did not receive any comments during this period, said Village Planner Krista Etty during the meeting.
In an email to The Goat, Mayor Owen Torgerson said the committee approval of the plan is a major milestone in the Village’s efforts to improve quality of life for residents.
“It demonstrates commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion by creating a more welcoming community for everyone and will put Valemount in compliance with provincial legislation,” he said. “I really want to thank the committee members and staff support team for their contributions as well as the public for their feedback.”The accessibility committee will continue to meet regularly, though meetings may be reduced from a quarterly schedule to a biannual one, Etty said at the meeting. The Village will continue to receive feedback on accessibility at [email protected], or by calling the Village office at (250) 566-4435.
