THUNDER BAY – It is the next steps for the Thunder Bay of Change. Well steps might be the operative word. Anyone who has been to the former Hillcrest High School will remember the stairs. The Thunder Bay Centre of Change has achieved their goal of creating a viable business community but they are not yet fully inclusive.
The stairs of Hillcrest are known to many in our city and this is an obstacle that must be overcome! That is the word from Sandi Boucher, the General Manager of the Centre of Change. Sandi shares, “Our business plan, our business concept has always been to ensure that as many people as possible can benefit from the Centre of Change and the 60+ businesses housed there. The stairs restrict access to the elderly and those with accessibility issues so overcoming these barriers is of upmost importance to us”.
Today, at City Hall in Thunder Bay, the Centre for Change, along with Mayor Keith Hobbs and Darren Lillington, the Regional Services Coordinator for the Canadian Paraplegic Association – Ontario are starting a move to change the Centre of Change to make it more accessible.
The Canadian Paraplegic Association – Ontario is all too familiar with this type of challenge and that is why the CPA – ON and the TBCOC have partnered to host a Wheelchair Basketball Challenge!
“Attaining funding for equipment and accessibility modifications can often prove challenging for individuals with disabilities. Funds raised from this important event will help to offset these expensive costs, thus assisting many individuals to live more independently in our community,” said Darren Lillington, Regional Services Coordinator, Canadian Paraplegic Association Ontario.
There will be a Wheelchair Basketball Challenge to be held on June 9, 2012 at the Sportsdome and all of the proceeds go to the CPA Fund of Last Resort (to assist persons with accessibility issues to properly equip their homes) and the Thunder Bay Centre of Change to construct their first fully accessible workshop room.
