Trails upgraded to allow for greater accessibility
News Jun 23, 2017
by Tamara Botting
The Sachem
The walkway around the washrooms at the Binbrook Conservation Area has been redone so that it is wider, with less of a slope. This is one aspect of the accessibility updates being done at the park.
There have been a number of improvements made to the Binbrook Conservation Area to make sure everyone can enjoy the park and all its amenities.
“We’ve done upgrades to our existing trail system throughout the area,” said park supervisor Mike Boyko. “Now, you can get from one end of our day use area to the other with relative ease on a fully-accessible trail.”
Not only is this good news for people who use wheelchairs, walkers, or canes, but also parents with strollers.
“We’ve also redone the concrete walkway around our washroom. The old walkway was becoming aged, and a bit dangerous. The new walkway is wider, and the slope is much less,” Boyko said, noting that now it would be easy for two wheelchairs or strollers to pass each other, whereas before that would have been a challenge.
The final improvement is a matting system that allows for access to the beachfront.
“Now, people can easily access the beach. They couldn’t before,” Boyko said.
He said that the matting system, not being a permanent structure, can easily be moved if needed and stored for the winter months.
“It can even go into the water if we want,” Boyko said.
“Collectively, the improvements are part of our having greater accessibility. A big part of what we do is provide a public service,” he said, noting that these upgrades are all part of the park becoming compliant with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA).
Funding for the project came from the Department of Employment and Social Development and the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority.
“The Niagara Peninsula Conservation Foundation initiative [sic] the project. They applied for the grant,” Boyko said. “The foundation played a huge role in securing that for us.”
The Binbrook Conservation Area is located at 5050 Harrison Rd.
Tamara Botting
Award-winning senior reporter Tamara Botting has been covering community news in Glanbrook and Haldimand County for almost a decade. She also writes the Glanbrook Glimpses column. Tamara can be reached at tbotting@sachem.ca. Follow The Sachem on Twitter, and Facebook eMail: tbotting@sachem.ca
Original at https://www.sachem.ca/news-story/7389116-binbrook-conservation-area-sees-many-improvements/