'We can be proud': Regina city council unanimously in favour of improving city's accessibility
Work to improve accessibility in Regina will move forward after unanimous approval from city council that will see a plan address issues from snow removal to transportation and employee training.
In all, the initiative known as the Regina Accessibility Plan, includes 17 recommendations on how to make the Queen City more approachable for everyone.
“This isn’t just a little bit of people, this is 30 per cent of the community,” mother Sarah Turnbull said.
Turnbull’s five-year-old daughter Blake uses a wheelchair. Blake is a familiar face at City Hall and is someone who has advocated for a more accessible city on numerous occasions.
Blake’s mother says her daughter faces daily challenges that even include using playgrounds around the city – due to wood chips or sand surrounding them.
“I like rubber parks,” Blake told city council.
City administration said the goal of the accessibility plan is to identify, remove and prevent barriers to participate in civic life.
For 2024, the city set aside $100,000 for the plan.
Ward 7 Coun. Terina Nelson has been an outspoken advocate for a more accessible city and said council needs to prioritize funding and budgeting for the project.
“This is what makes everybody in our community feel welcome,” Nelson said. “It’s a huge milestone and a step forward.”
Nelson also challenged her fellow council members to spend a day using a wheelchair to gain further perspective.
“You don’t know what it’s like until you’ve been in their shoes,” she said.
The challenge was something Mayor Sandra Masters believed more than a few would be willing to try.
“At the end of the day, it’s much more important we invest in what is being recommended,” Masters said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
DEVELOPING Hamas accepts Gaza ceasefire proposal from Egypt and Qatar
Hamas said it has accepted a ceasefire deal proposed by Egypt and Qatar, which seeks to halt the seven-month war with Israel in Gaza, prompting Israel to say it would send a delegation to negotiate – though it warned the proposal remained far from the 'necessary requirements.'
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
2024 Met Gala: Everything to know about fashion's annual soiree
Fashion’s biggest night out — hosted at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York each year on the first Monday of May — is both a forever-evolving spectacle and a carefully crafted event.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Concern over speeding in Fredericton neighbourhood grows after 2 teens, young adult killed in crash
Three people – including two teens – are dead, and two others are injured after a crash that has left a greater Fredericton community shaken.