Courtesy of the City of Williams Lake:
At the July 21 Council meeting, Mayor Walt Cobb presented George and Gloria Atamanenko with the 2015 Accessibility Award of Merit.
George has been on the Accessibility Advisory Committee for many years. Recently he took the lead role as Chair of this committee. In his role as Chair of the committee, the past two years he has led the committee to assist in establishing more accessible parking stalls downtown, negotiated with local taxi drivers to assist with getting more disabled persons access for rides, worked with BC Transit giving input and advice on transit issues for seniors and those with mobility issues along with communicating needs to our hospitals, services and construction community for livable housing and habitable areas for all to access in and around Williams Lake.
Gloria has been growing hundreds of seedling tomato plants that she donates for sales at the Scout Island Spring fundraising sale annually. These seedlings are just a small portion of what Gloria does for local organic food production and protecting our resources. Gloria is an advocate for the growth of arts and culture, along with venues that can be accessed by all residents.
Together, George and Gloria are members of the local chapter of the Council of Canadians, which advocate for environmental and water concerns. They are both supporters of Scout Island, Seniors activities, accessible transportation, visitable housing and supporters of downtown businesses that allow for easy access to shop in their establishments.
The City of Williams Lake Accessibility Advisory Committee invites nominations each year for the award, to recognize people, businesses, and organizations that make a difference in removing physical and social barriers which impede the full participation of persons with disabilities in all aspects of community life.
Honourable mentions for 2015 are:
• Sacred Heart Catholic Church nominated by Shirley O’Conner for the dedication to services in the community and the installation of a ramp for access to the lower level of the church
• Bill Reid nominated by Chris Hornby for his dedication to disability issues and advocacy for seniors and the endless hours bill and his late wife put into the local Meals on Wheels program.
• Cariboo Memorial Recreation Complex (Facility and Staff) nominated by Margaret Waring for the continual encouragement to participate in activity and services in a building striving to upgrade change rooms, automatic door openers and spectator viewing for those with mobility issues.
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