The Civic Centre is now accessible to anyone and everyone, as the City of Kimberley completed work on new accessibility doors into the facility through the use of a federal grant.
Receiving funding from Employment and Social Development Canada through their Enabling Accessibility Fund, Kimberley staff were able to build a new entrance to the Civic Centre allowing people to access the walking track and any special sporting events like Kimberley Dynamiters hockey games.
“Having this accessible doorway will allow us to welcome people from all walks of life, if they have accessibility issues or not, and it’s a great way for everyone to come in and enjoy the Civic Centre,” said Brett Clark, Manager of Operations.
Clark said they are excited to have the accessible doors complete, noting that the Civic Centre struggled with appropriate access with the large staircase out front of the facility, which acts as the main entry point for everyone coming into the building.
“It didn’t meet accessibility standards, which means there wasn’t a proper grade for wheelchair access, there wasn’t a covered entranceway, there wasn’t the proper buttons to activate an accessibility door, that’s been many years in the making,” Clark told MyEastKootenayNow.com. “We’ve been planning this for about a year now but it’s great to see it finally come together.”
Anyone using the walking track is encouraged to use the new doors by swiping their entrance card, as they would have done beforehand. The City of Kimberley said that anyone with special is still required to swipe their card and press the automatic door button to gain access to the Civic Centre. The walking track is open to residents from 9:00 am to 9:00 pm daily.
The project wouldn’t have been possible without the grant from the Enabling Accessibility Fund, which provides funding to eligible projects that increase accessibility for those with special needs in communities and workplaces across Canada.
More: Enabling Accessibility Fund (Government of Canada)