THUNDER BAY – Chippewa Park Campground has taken an essential step towards improving accessibility for wheelchair users.
Starting from the 2024 camping season, visitors with mobility challenges will be better able to enjoy the great outdoors, with the added convenience and safety of new lift tracks in two of its accessible cabins.
Both cabins have been equipped with a ceiling track system over one of the beds, which ensures that individuals who require a lift to transfer from their wheelchairs to the bed can do so with ease and safety.
The ceiling tracks aim to make the transfers smoother and eliminate the need for manual lifting, reducing the risk of injury to both the camper and the caregiver.
Alongside the ceiling tracks, a lift is also available for campers who bring their own compatible slings.
This initiative was made possible through collaboration between the City of Thunder Bay and the Friends of Chippewa Park, with funding made available through the Small Project Component of the Enabling Accessibility Fund program offered by Employment and Social Development Canada.
“The installation of the tracks and purchase of the lift are part of a broader effort,” said Tom Forsythe, Supervisor, Parks Operations (South), in a release on Friday.
“This past season, we installed door assist devices at both the Pavilion and the Administration Building, as we continue to work to make the campground more inclusive and accessible to all visitors.”
The camping season at both City of Thunder Bay campgrounds begins in June, and more information can be found at thunderbay.ca/campgrounds.
