100 Mile House celebrated Access Awareness Day in style on June 4 with the official opening of the 100 Mile Marsh Trail.
A lot of work has been done on the trail around the marsh during the past couple of years to make it wheelchair (and other wheeled devices) accessible for area residents and visitors so they can enjoy the birding opportunities.
During the ceremonies, it was announced the District of 100 Mile House is going to pave the remaining gravelled portion of the trail to further enhance its accessibility.
It's great news for our friends and neighbours who have mobility issues whether they're confined to a wheelchair, need a scooter or other walking devices, or just experience difficulties while walking.
Furthermore, it's a real feather in the cap of 100 Mile, as it shows we are a progressive community when it comes to accessibility issues.
And it just didn't stop at the marsh trail, as the district is also purchasing a grinder to smooth over the transitions from the sidewalks to our crosswalks and parking lots.
All of this will make it a lot easier for people - able bodied or not - to get around in our community and, in turn, it will make 100 Mile more attractive when people are considering whether they want to relocate here.
The most recent concern about being more accessible began when Cariboo-Chilcotin MLA Donna Barnett was mayor, and it has been building ever since, thanks to the current council and other volunteer groups in our community.
As our hair greys with age and we're a little less steady on our legs, accessibility is going to become the No. 1 issue for the vast majority of the population.
So, it makes sense to begin working on improvements now.
Already, developers are building residential units with accessibility in mind, with larger doors and bigger washrooms and the like.
Our business community is starting to look at embracing this need to change, and with time, we're sure it will happen in spades.
Meanwhile, the public needs to be educated on the problems associated with mobility issues, so they can understand what handicapped parking stalls are all about, as well as the issues some of our friends and neighbours have in negotiating the crosswalks, parking lots and doorways.
Together, we're sure we will be a better community because we're more accessible.
