Even though parks are public, they aren't always accessible to everyone. A new project hopes to help those with disabilities navigate which northern trails are the best to try.
By the end of a months-long project, more than 150 provincial and regional parks, trail systems and roadside attractions in northern B.C. will have an accessibility grade attached to their name.
The "Access North" project, announced Monday, employs 16 EI-eligible who will profile and rate those sites. It will then be mapped and placed on an interactive website.
Both local MLAs Shirley Bond and Mike Morris were at the announcement in Prince George Monday and praised the project for its efforts to raise awareness of accessibility with northern parks.
"With the data this project's participants compile for us, we will have a great idea of what we have and what we need to work on to continue to make B.C.'s north an eco-tourism destination," said Morris in a statement.
The province gave $215,000 and the Northern Development Initiative Trust committed $80,000 to the effort.
The executive director of Spinal Cord Injury BC said the site will of central resource for locals and travelers alike to have an inclusive outdoor experience.
"Northern British Columbians are justifiably proud of their work to improve the accessibility of the region's public recreation spaces, but very few people know about it," said Chris McBride in a statement.
Both funders said the province will support B.C.'s tourism industry.
"The Access North project means more people can get outdoors and enjoy what the north has to offer, increasing the number of visitors to our region and supporting healthy lives and a healthy tourism sector," said Evan Saugstad, chair of the Northern Development Initiative Trust. "It's great to see this project get underway."
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