City of Williams Lake Commits to Achieving Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certified™ (RHFAC) Gold

Courtesy of the City of Williams Lake:

The City of Williams Lake, in partnership with the Rick Hansen Foundation, is furthering its commitment to making Williams Lake more accessible through a series of targeted goals.

During its Tuesday, June 20 Regular Meeting, City of Williams Lake Council approved a framework for City accessibility standards moving forward as a community, including setting the following goals:

• Implementing the steps necessary for all new future City-owned buildings to be designed and built to meet RHFAC Gold;
• Ensuring all future major renovations of existing City-owned buildings will meet Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification;
• Training and designating one or more City staff to be an RHFAC Professional, to support the RHFAC process in City-owned buildings; and
• Encouraging the building design, construction and development community in Williams Lake to adopt RHFAC as other new buildings and renovations are contemplated.

The goals will be included in the City’s forthcoming Accessibility Plan, which is required to be in place by September of 2023. The plan will provide a framework of goals and priorities to identify, remove and prevent barriers to accessibility.

“Congratulations to the City of Williams Lake, Mayor and Council for being the third municipality in Canada to commit to all future City-owned buildings to be designed and built to meet RHFAC Gold,” Hansen said.

“Following my Tour, the City of Williams Lake put up a sculpture of a large empty wheelchair as an ongoing symbol of my dream of finding a cure for paralysis and to making the world more accessible. It’s extra meaningful to me today that my hometown of Williams Lake is reinforcing their promise of making the city a model for accessibility.

“We have come a long way, and there is still more work to be done. By committing to meaningful accessibility for all, together we will achieve the dream.”

The City and Rick Hansen Foundation are also thrilled to invite the entire community to celebrate the official grand opening of a new Rick Hansen Man in Motion Exhibition at the Museum of the Cariboo Chilcotin on Thursday, June 29 from 3:30 to 6 pm.

The exhibition opening will feature a special announcement from Rick Hansen and the City of Williams Lake, plus live performances from the Williams Lake Youth Fiddlers and Williams Lake’s own world-famous, award-winning fingerstyle guitarist, Don Alder. A special presentation to Hansen and Alder is also planned, and cake and refreshments will be served.

Hansen, who grew up in Williams Lake, will be visiting the city as this year’s honourary parade marshal for the 95th Annual Williams Lake Stampede taking place from June 29 to July 2. The Museum of the Cariboo Chilcotin’s Man in Motion Exhibition will feature a collection celebrating Hansen’s 1985-87 historical journey around the world promoting spinal cord injury research and awareness about the potential of people with disabilities.

“The City of Williams Lake is dedicated to working closely with Rick Hansen and the Rick Hansen Foundation to help make our community accessible for people of all abilities,” said City of Williams Lake Mayor Surinderpal Rathor. “We have been working with RHF over the past several years to help ensure City-owned buildings are accessible, and are looking forward to continuing to make strong strides toward achieving Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification. As the hometown of Rick Hansen, the City is honoured to help carry on the groundbreaking work that Rick started during his Man in Motion World Tour, with a goal of providing accessible, inclusive spaces for residents and visitors to Williams Lake.”

To learn more about RHF Accessibility Certification visit www.RickHansen.com/RHFAC

Final Community Medal Bearer for Rick Hansen 25th Anniversary Relay named

Courtesy of the City of Williams Lake:

The Rick Hansen End of Day Celebration Committee is pleased to announce that Horsefly resident Bruce MacLeod has been chosen as the Final Community Medal Bearer. Mr. MacLeod will carry the medal to the stage during the End of Day Celebration when the Rick Hansen 25th Anniversary Relay arrives in Williams Lake March 25th, 2012.

“Bruce MacLeod is a dedicated volunteer in his community and Horsefly, and is an excellent representative of our community,” says Councillor Surinderpal Rathor, who is the City’s Accessibility Committee’s representative on the End of Day Committee. “Not only does he work to increase accessibility – he promotes his hometown and volunteers for a long list of community projects and organizations. We are so proud to have him be the final community medal bearer when Rick Hansen himself comes to Williams Lake.”

“This was a complete surprise to me, but I am both honored and humbled to be even considered for anything. Nothing I have ever achieved in life before or after my accident on December 16, 1981 has been accomplished without a network of support from many different sources,” says MacLeod. “I look forward to meeting Rick, who is after all the real reason for the relay, and whose accomplishments are responsible for this 25th year celebration.”

There is still an opportunity for local residents to participate in the Relay, by entering the contest at www.rickhansenrelay.com for a chance to carry the Rick Hansen Medal for a 250-metre leg of the relay. The relay, which began in Cape Spear, Newfoundland, on August 24, and ends in Vancouver May 22, 2012, commemorates Hansen’s Man in Motion world tour 25 years ago.

Attached to this release is Mr. MacLeod’s nomination form from local residents Joan Sorley and Linda Bartsch, and below are expanded comments from Mr. MacLeod.

View that here (nomination form) and here (expanded comments from Mr. MacLeod)

Deadline to Nominate a Difference Maker (Rick Hansen Relay) extended

Courtesy jointly from CRD/City of Quesnel:

The deadline for nominating a community difference maker who will complete the final leg of the Rick Hansen Man in Motion 25th Anniversary Relay when it visits Quesnel has been extended. If you know a difference maker, an individual who can tell an extraordinary story of determination, excellence and teamwork and is someone you feel has helped make Quesnel a better place to live, consider submitting a nomination.

The individual will have the honour of carrying the Rick Hansen medal onto the stage during the End of Day Celebration held at the Spirit Square on March 22, 2012.

Nomination forms are available at the Quesnel & District Arts and Recreation Centre and must be returned by Nov. 14, 2011. Nominations will be reviewed by the Community Organizing Committee, with three worthy individuals recommended for consideration by the Rick Hansen Foundation, which will make the final selection.

For more information, contact Jeff Norburn, General Manager Community Services at 250-991-7479 or jnorburn@quesnel.ca

You can follow the Rick Hansen Man in Motion 25th Anniversary Relay on Facebook at www.facebook.com/rickhansenfdn

Friday Wrap Up - July 22nd edition

Hope your Friday was well.  Most local governments are on a break until mid August.  Wells doesn't resume until August 16th, Quesnel until August 15th, Williams Lake until August 9th (Committee of the Whole Meeting) and 100 Mile House meets next Tuesday (July 26th).  Cariboo Regional District Board meets again on August 26th and the 2 School District Boards do not meet until September

Over at Welcome to Williams Lake:

* Rick Hansen Monument to be established at the TDC (Tourism Discovery Center).  See here.  I should clarify, contary to information posted here yesterday, that the City of WL's Manager of Economic Development states that no local taxpayer money is going into this project.  The local Rick Hansen Committee will be looking after raising the necessary funds for this particular project

* Williams Lake City Council, as posted here earlier this week, will spend $25,000 (money coming from 2011 Water Budget) to educate the public on the issue of continuing to put fluoride in the City's Water System - see here.  If the comments I had on this subject on my personal Facebook page (22 comments in 7 hours) are any indication of the general mood of the public - this decision will not be a popular one, going into November's vote

* One local landlord takes exception to WL Council's decision to give 3 readings to Bylaw Amendments to the City's Noise and Nuisance Bylaws - see here

Over at the Rush - Councillor Rathor reports repairs to the Sam Ketchum Memorial Pool are now done and the pool should be operational by Tuesday, August 2nd - see more here

Local Events this weekend:

* Oliver St Market on Saturday from 10am - 3pm
* Racing at Thunder Mountain Speedway (West of Williams Lake on Highway #20) - Time Trials at 5pm and Racing at 6pm
* Lakers' Club "Show and Shine" at Canadian Tire (South Lakeside Drive) on Sunday from 10am - 2pm

Food for Thought:

Earlier this year (Jan 11th, 2011) - the City of WL adopted a new Social Media Policy which called for a Facebook Page (already established in late December of 2010) and a Twitter account (not established) to both be established for the purpose of online communications with the general public at the time that the new City of WL website is brought online.  The date for this was the end of May.  I would suggest that one of the two options be employed by City Staff:

1) Begin using Facebook/Twitter forthwith until the new City website can be established.  One advantage is to immediately communicate with City residents' on emerging or immediate issues that residents' would have an interest in and would appreciate a "conversation" between City Staff and the general public

2) If #1 is unacceptable - the City of WL CAO should then advise Williams Lake Council and the Williams Lake community as to the date when he expects the new City website to be active.  In any event - an update is warranted, in my opinion, given it has been 60 days since he stated the new City website was to be "online" (end of May)

Tomorrow, on the blog - I'll have Pat Bell's latest "Top Ten" (2010-2011 Public Accounts) and on Monday - I'll be reviewing the City's 2009-2011 Budgets

Have a great weekend!!! :)