The Corporation of the Township of Hornepayne

By-Law No. 1029

 

 

 

WHEREAS, the Province of Ontario has passed an Act,  referred to as the Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2001 which provides for the formation and implementation of an Accessibility Plan for every municipality. This Act also requires that all accessibility plans are to be reviewed and prepared annually.

 

The municipality created the original accessibility  plan in 2003, the purpose of this new plan is to update the original plan passed which did identify, remove and prevent barriers faced by persons with disabilities.

 

NOW THEREFORE, the Council of the Corporation of the Township of Hornepayne enacts as follows:

 

1.                 That the Accessibility Plan attached hereto as Schedule “A” to this by-law is hereby adopted;

 

 

 

Read a first and second time this 14th   day   of February   2007.

 

Read a third time and finally passed  this   14th     day   of February   2007.

 

 

 

 

 

                                                          ____________________________

                                                          Presiding Officer

 

                                                          ____________________________

                                        Clerk

 

 

 

 

 

 

Schedule “A” to By-Law No. 1029

 

THE CORPORATION OF THE

TOWNSHIP OF HORNEPAYNE

 

 

 

Accessibility Plan

2006-2007

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Submitted by:

Susan Smith, Clerk

Township of Hornepayne

Co-ordinator Accessibility Working Group

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CONTENTS   OF   PLAN

 

 

Executive Summary…………………………………………………………………3

 

Aim…………………………………………………………………………………..4

 

Objectives……………………………………………………………………………4

 

Brief Description of the Township of Hornepayne…………………………………..5

 

Council Commitment to accessibility planning………………………………………6

 

Recent Barrier Removal Initiatives…………………………………...………………7

 

Informal site audit of the municipally owned buildings………………………………8

 

Barrier Identification Methodologies…………………………………………………9

 

Barriers Identified/ Municipally Owned……………………………………………..10

 

Barriers Identified/Other than Municipally Owned………………………………….12

 

Barriers to be addressed in 2007 and beyond            ………………………………………..15

 

Review and Monitoring of the Process………………………………………………15

 

Communication of the Plan…………………………………………………………..15

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Executive Summary

 

The purpose of the Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2001 (ODA)  is to improve opportunities for people with disabilities and to provide for their involvement in the identification, removal and prevention of barriers to their full participation in the life of the Province. To this end, the ODA mandates  that each Municipality prepare an annual accessibility plan.

 

This is our second plan. The original was prepared in 2003 with input from the working group (department heads and Council Members) of the Township of Hornepayne. This report is basically the same plan with one barrier removed since our last plan was adopted. The municipality will strive in the next few years to remove and prevent barriers to people with disabilities who use the facilities and services of the Township, including staff and members of the community at large.

 

This next year the Township committed itself to the continual improvement of access to municipal facilities focus being on recreation facilities having existing barriers.

 

The Department Heads identified a number of barriers to people with disabilities. The most significant findings were that recreation facilities were not fully wheelchair accessible. Over the next several years, the working group recommended focusing on those barriers which deny access to the recreation facilities on a day-to-day basis.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AIM

 

This report describes the measures that the Township of Hornepayne will be taking to identify, remove and prevent barriers to people with disabilities who utilize the facilities and services of the Township, including staff.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

OBJECTIVES

 

This report:

 

     1.          Describes the process used by with the Township of Hornepayne in 2003  to identify, remove and prevent barriers to people with disabilities.

 

2.     Review past efforts to remove and prevent barriers to people with disabilities.

 

3.     List the facilities, policies, programs, practices and services the Township will review in the coming years to identify barriers to people with disabilities

 

4.     Describe the measures the municipality will take in the coming years to identify, remove and prevent barriers to people with disabilities

 

5.     Describe how the municipality will make this accessibility plan available to the public.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Brief  Description of the Township  of  Hornepayne

 

The Township of Hornepayne is located in the District of Algoma, approximately 400 km northwest of Sault Ste. Marie, 97 Km north of White River and 132 Km southwest of Hearst.

 

The Township was incorporated in 1928, we are a fairly young community with 1265 residents. (figures from the 2001 census information) The two main employers are Canadian National Railways and Haavaldsrud Timber Company with approximately 130 employees each.

 

Located in the Township is a major commercial facility called the North Star Centre which took approximately 2 years to build and opened in 1980. The Centre contains our local highschool, post office, senior citizens and other apartments, hotel/motel, medical/dental clinic, Northern Department Store, Financial Institution, Restaurant and Dining Room, Gift Store, Variety Store, Children’s Resource Centre, Gymnasium, Library, Pool & Sauna, LCBO, Ontario Provincial Police and Outdoor Recreation Facilities.

 

The local arena and curling clubs are owned and operated by the Municipality.

 

The  airport is owned and operated by the municipality.

 

Located in the Township along with the highschool are two other schools with gymnasiums, one school was renovated  about 20 years ago and the other was built in 1992.

 

The Ministry of Health built a new Hospital in 1990 with 24 hour emergency service, long term care beds and regular hospital beds.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Council Commitment to Accessibility Planning

 

The Council of the Corporation of the Township of Hornepayne is committed to:

 

·                    The continual improvement of access to all municipally owned facilities, premises and services for all those with disabilities

·                    The provision of quality services to all members of the community with disabilities.

 

The Council has authorized the municipal clerk to prepare a second  accessibility plan that will assist the Council (Township) to meet these commitments.

 

The major stumbling block being the availability of funds for improvements that are identified and needing to be completed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Recent Barrier Removal Initiatives

 

The municipality installed a ramp at the Hornepayne Municipal Airport to allow those with disabilities access to the terminal building.

 

Sidewalks on Front Street have access ramps to allow those with disabilities access to our few sidewalks in the municipality.

 

Since our first plan was passed a ramp has been purchased for those with disabilities to enter our swimming pool for exercise/leisure/theraputic use.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Informal site audit of the municipally owned buildings

 

The first week of April in 2003, Department Heads and Council were asked to complete a survey of the municipally owned buildings and in particular to assess any barriers that may exist. Staff members were also asked to provide solutions to removing those barriers in order to comply with the current legislation under the Ontarians With Disabilities Act.

 

There have been numerous barriers identified in the various locations.

Those barriers will be discussed further in this document under Barriers Identified.

 

This practice has not been updated due to very little or no changes to the facilities and virtually no buildings have been erected since the first plan was passed in 2003. Unfortunately our community is in a very depressed economic state with little or no growth occurring.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Barrier Identification Methodologies

 

Methodology                Description                              Status

Survey to Staff and                   A survey was given to all                    The survey was Councillors                               members of staff and Council             completed by all                   

                                                to help identify any barriers at            of the department

                                                Municipally owned/operated                      heads and Council

                                                Facilities                                               Many barriers were

                                                                                                            identified.

 

 

Mail-out was sent                  mail-out asked for all residents            all comments received

to all residents                           to contact municipal clerk to                     were noted and

(720)                                        identify barriers that exist in our            placed in plan as a

                                       municipality                                          barrier

 

 

NOTE:                         Survey to Staff and Mail-out was not completed since 2003, very

few if any changes to complete process again at this time. I plan on completing the survey again in 2007.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Barriers Identified- Municipally Owned Facilities

 

Those  Councillors and Staff who completed the survey identified the barriers listed below. Over the next several years Council will have to decide which barriers should be addressed each year keeping in mind budget restraints and feasibility. In the Survey we also identified the barriers we felt are the top 6 priorities

 

 

Barriers                 Type of Barrier                              Strategy for removal

                                                                             or prevention

 

Doors                              physical/                                  install automatic door

                             architectural                                      openers at arena facility

 

Arena Bleachers          architectural                                      ramp to bleachers for

                                                                             Wheelchairs to have

                                                                             clear view of ice

                                                                             surface

 

 

Stairs at Pool          architectural                                      engineer design to enter

Pool deck from outside and add washroom for changing to deck as well

 

Municipal Office          architectural                                      ramp to come in main

                                                                             Door

 

 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Barrier                 Type of Barrier                       Strategy to

                                                                             Removal or prevention

 

 

Curling Club          architectural                                      ramp from outside

Ice Surface                                                            to ice surface for

                                                                             Disabled to attend

                                                                             Dances, weddings etc.

 

Council                  architectural                                      ramp with outside

Chambers                                                              entrance into chambers

 

Seniors                  physical/                                  chair lift or ramp

Clubroom              architectural                           

 

 

town centre            physical                                   pave walkway for easy

park                                                                       mobility for wheelchairs

 

parking

municipal office          physical                                   spot needs to be

                                                                             designated and marked,

                                                                             parking by-law enforced

 

cemetery                physical                                   paved or interlocking stone

 

 

 

 

 

Barriers Identified- Other than municipally owned facilities

 

A mail-out was sent the first week of April, 2003 to all residents in the municipality, few barriers were identified involving municipally owned facilities, most barriers were in privately owned commercial facilities. These barriers are listed below:

 

Barrier                                                                 Strategy to

                                                                    Removal or prevention

 

North Star Centre

Doors into Centre                                                         install automatic doors

cannot open

 

Doors to washrooms                                       

          cannot open                                                          change to lighter doors

        too heavy, handles too high                       lower handles

 

Various levels cannot access

          without going outside                                     interior ramps to each level

 

Apartments, stairs in hallways                                    interior ramps vs stairs

 

Apartments, washrooms and bedrooms

doorways not wide enough for          widen doorways inside

wheelchairs          apartments

 

Restaurant- not accessible          chair lift or ramp to restaurant

 

Door locks and handles too high

          for those in wheelchairs                               lower locks and handles

 

Disabled parking                                                        needs to be enforced

 

High School

          Second level inaccessible                              chair lift or elevator needed

 

 

Barriers                                                               Strategy for Removal

                                                                             Or prevention

 

Valu-Mart

Main Doors                                                           automatic doors

          cannot open

 

Parking                                                                  enforced, signs larger

                                                                             pavement to be marked

 

G & L Variety

Main Door                                                           

Cannot open doors           install automatic

 

No access to store level                                                ramp to store level

 

Royal Canadian Legion

Main Doors

          Cannot open                                                        automatic doors

 

Clubroom downstairs                                          access by ramp to basement

                                                                             clubroom

                                                        

4-Stevens

Main door

            Cannot open          automatic door

 

Step at main door          ramp needs to be extended to door

 

Anglican Church

United Church         

Calvary Gospel, access          ramps to seating area

Cannot open doors          automatic door

 

 

 

 

 

Barriers                                                               Strategy for removal or

                                                                             Prevention

 

 

Credit Union                                                        

          Access                                                         ramps to main level           Cannot open doors                                       automatic door

 

Bear News

Access          need ramp to access building, once inside

                                                                   Building, stairs inside

 

Home Hardware                                                     isles need to be cleared

          Inside access                                                to allow wheelchair to

                                                                             move freely

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Barriers to be addressed in future years

 

The first barrier to be addressed is the need for an automatic door system to be installed at the arena facility.

 

The second barrier that should be addressed is the need for a ramp going up into the bleachers at the arena for viewing the ice surface.

 

 

 

Review and Monitoring of the Process

 

Council is committed to following through with this plan. This plan will be reviewed annually thus allowing Council, staff and the public to monitor the barriers identified and the direction to which the Township is moving to remove all barriers under the Ontarians With Disabilities Act.

 

 

 

Communication of the Plan

 

Once adopted by Council, This plan will be available at the municipal office and our municipal web site. A copy of the plan will also be forwarded to the Manager of the North Star Town Centre, many barriers identified by the public were in the Town Centre. A copy will also be forwarded to all owners of properties identified with barriers.