This newsletter/update is to keep members of CAN, or interested parties, up to date on our monthly meeting, what we discussed, what our plans are for the upcoming month, and any other pertinent information covered during the meeting. We understand that not everyone is able to attend a meeting and hope that this will keep those interested in CAN in the loop. Please let us know if you have any questions or comments concerning our meetings and/or this update by e-mailing us at info@canbc.org, or by phoning (604) 466-8771.
After a summer break from meetings Citizens for Accessible Neighbourhoods met on Monday, September 19th. We had a lot of upcoming events to discuss, particularly the Public Forum on Accessible Transit that was held on the 21st. We also celebrated the one year anniversary of CAN and were proud to look back at the achievements that we accomplished by working together in a positive manner.
During the summer we were contacted by the director of the Maple Ridge Community Garden. We had heard of the project many months ago and asked to be kept in the loop to ensure that there would be accessible plots in the garden. We were asked to be consultants on the design and happily we said yes. Currently the community garden is in the planning stage. We have offered feedback on the materials to be used for the paths, the width of the paths, and the height of the containers. We will continue to keep in touch with those organizing the community garden and look forward to seeing the finished project.
During our meeting we discussed the upcoming Family Fair. CAN will have a booth at the Family Fair October 7th from 9:30 - 2 PM at Haney Place Mall. This fair is bringing together the various organizations in Maple Ridge. We look forward to making contacts, meeting new people, and letting people know what Citizens for Accessible Neighbourhoods is all about. We are looking for volunteers to help at our booth. If you are interested please contact Heather at (604) 466-8771 or e-mail her at info@canbc.org. Our booth will be promoting accessibility, adaptive sports, and CAN’s goals and successes.
As of next week our adaptive sports program will be back up and running. Adaptive Boccia is the newest sport and we look forward to sponsoring a sport that can be played by people of all abilities. If you know of someone interested in playing please pass on our contact information. Adaptive Boccia will be held every Tuesday from 6:30 - 8:00 PM. The location of the practices will rotate, so that people with transportation limitations can go to the closest practice. The first and third Tuesday of the month will be at Hammond Elementary. The second and fourth Tuesday will be at Alexander Robinson School.
We have been helping Keiris O’Neil and Fred Fox promote the Curl BC "Have a Go Day" which is being held on Saturday, September 30th from 10 AM - 2 PM at the Winter Club. The "Have a Go Day" is a demonstration of wheelchair curling. Anybody who wants to try wheelchair curling is encouraged to come out and try. Those interested in seeing how curling has been adapted are also encouraged to come out and watch. Please let people know about this event because if the event is successful the Winter Club will start a wheelchair curling team.
Recently we heard from many concerned residents regarding the sidewalk in front of the Extra Foods (across from the library). Many people with mobility devices would cross over from the north side of Dewdney to the south side (the side in front of Extra Foods) to avoid the small bricks on the sidewalk in front of the old library. The small bricks cause discomfort for those with mobility aids and sometimes make steering more difficult. The slabs on the north side are smoother and easier to drive over. However, the municipality redid the north side sidewalk with small bricks and many residents are now traveling through the parking lot to avoid that sidewalk as well.
We contacted the mayor regarding this issue as we, and the Municipal Advisory Committee on Accessibility Issues, have talked to engineers, planners, and council members regarding the difficulties those with mobility aids face when on a sidewalk with small bricks and more lines to travel over. The mayor put us in touch with the head engineer in Maple Ridge, Andrew Woods. Andrew invited us to send a representative to the open house on the improvements being made on 224th. We urged the engineer present to make the sidewalks usable and not just decorative. He assured us that they had already been receiving an earful from residents regarding the change of the sidewalk.
The engineering department will be having a meeting in October regarding the "streetscape specifications" that the municipality uses. A representative from CAN will be attending and we will make sure that they consider the safety and comfort of those with mobility devices. During the meeting we will also be discussing how to make crosswalks more safe. If you have any feedback that you would like our representative to pass on please let us know by October 7th.
On September 21st Citizens for Accessible Neighbourhoods hosted a Public Forum on Accessible Transit. We had a representative from Coast Mountain Bus who answered many of our questions. The questions he was unable to answer have been sent to a representative of Translink. We had a good turn out with representatives from the municipality, Parks and Leisure, the Seniors' Centre, and Michael Sather’s office (our MLA). We also had a shuttle bus driver and a wheelchair accessible taxi driver present. We had residents who have experienced problems and who voiced their concerns. Mayor Gordy Robson also attended and was able to get a promise that the policy which states that any person refused service due to a malfunctioning bus will get an accessible taxi ordered for them and paid for by Translink.
We were given the proper contact information for people within Translink. One of the biggest difficulties in dealing with a company like Translink is that there are a lot of departments and one department might not know what the other is doing. From our Public Forum we have increased communication between the municipality and Translink, created understanding at a Provincial level through Michael Sather's office, and begun to move towards positive change.
One of the suggestions at the meeting was to create a more visible way of designating what bus stops are accessible. Citizens for Accessible Neighbourhoods suggested a neon reflective band to put around the poles of accessible stops so that drivers and passengers can see the band from a distance and at night. This suggestion has been taken seriously and we have been told that it is a doable solution to one of our questions.
While we were disappointed by the lack of representation from Translink we have since been in contact with the Translink rep and we have been assured that our questions will be addressed within the next two weeks. We will be given answers as well as the proper contact information for which department we should contact.
In addition to positive steps forward on the behalf of Coast Mountain Bus and Translink, the municipality representative was impressed by the suggestion of a textured slab around the bus stop signs so that blind transit users can know that they are at the right place. The municipality is looking into putting this suggestion into use.
Our meeting was the first step on the road to bringing together the different levels of politicians, as well as those from Parks and Leisure, and Translink and Coast Mountain Bus Company. There was talk about a stakeholders group which would be made of one member from each of the different groups. We will be working with the Municipal Accessibility Committee to create a document to present to council that will outline all the difficulties and all the solutions. While change is never fast we have broken through the communication barriers and are on the way towards a more accessible transit system.
I thank those who attended our meeting, and those who were unable to attend but offered their support and ideas by phone or e-mail.
I hope to see you next month on November 20th at the Alouette Room in the Maple Ridge Library from 7:00 - 8:00 PM, or hear from you by e-mail or telephone prior to our meeting.
Remember together we CAN!
