Access Smithers is celebrating their successes on Wednesday.
Bulkley Valley groups, elected officials and community members are invited to attend the group’s regular monthly meeting, from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. at Town Hall to share ideas and hear more about ways to make Smithers more accessible, said board member Glenys SnowDymond.
“We wanted to bring people from our community together to celebrate the things that have happened in the community that have made it more accessible for all people,” she said, adding the executive director of North Central Local Government Association, Oliver Ray is also coming.
“We’re just trying to bring people together to realize there is quite a nucleus of people and businesses who are committed to improving access in our area.
“We want to celebrate our accomplishments, encourage each other and move forward in our strategies of how to develop Smithers into a more accessible community.
“We’re all striving for the same goal, which is a community that can accommodate all individuals.”
Since Access Smithers was formed, there have been a number of initiatives that have taken place in the community, SnowDymond pointed out. Central Park building now has new automatic doors and an accessible washroom, Hudson Bay Mountain is involved in the Northern Adaptive Snow Sports program and The Bulkley Valley Regional Pool added a lift last year, to name a few.
The timing of the meeting also coincides with B.C. Access Awareness Day, June 7. According to the Social Planning and Research Council of BC’s website, “Access Awareness Day is about the recognition that the right and the opportunity to participate in all aspects of community life are both essential for building healthy, vibrant and diverse communities.
One of SPARC BC’s main focuses is on working with communities to solve accessibility issues.
Like many volunteer organizations, Access Smithers is always looking for new members to join. SnowDymond said the time commitment can be as little as two or three hours per month.
The Access Smithers Committee meets for two hours once a month, on the first Wednesday. After today’s meeting, they break for the summer and will meet again in September.