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One ramp, no ramp Wheelchair users have access to CIBC bank; still waiting for mall to fulfill fire marshal orderKevin Allerston Northern News Services Published Friday, October 21, 2011
Back in June the latest holdup with the ramp was an encroachment agreement between mall ownership and city hall; that was signed Aug. 8. Mayor Gord Van Tighem said the city is still waiting for mall management to obtain a building permit to begin the work.
Wheelchair users and mothers with young children in strollers have been calling for ramp onto Franklin Avenue ever since upper mall management built a glass partition door between the mall and the Yellowknife Inn, in early 2009, which made accessing the mall much more difficult.
The Yellowknife Inn entrance is the only one leading to the upper level mall that has a wheelchair-accessible ramp.
"I'm not surprised," said wheelchair-bound resident Bill Burles, of the lack of progress.
"I was moderately optimistic because the manager of the hotel said it would be there before winter, but pessimistic at the same time."
"I was pessimistic because I knew how fast winter could potentially come ... You don't want to pour concrete at -10 C or on a day like today when it's raining."
Attempts to reach management of the upper level mall - owned by Royal Host Hotels and Resorts of Halifax, NS - for comment were unsuccessful. Fire marshal Stephen Moss also didn't return phone calls before press time.
It's a different story across the street at the CIBC Bank. The bank on the corner of 50 Street and Franklin Avenue completed its wheelchair ramp in August - three weeks after work there began. It signed its encroachment agreement with the city June 15.
Courtney Brebner is a young mother who uses a stroller. Brebner said she is not surprised there is no ramp yet at the upper level mall, but is also pleased to have one at the CIBC.
"My boyfriend uses that bank. I personally don't, but it's made a difference in that it's made it easier to deposit my part of the rent.
"I went (to CIBC) one time with the stroller and noticed they had a wheelchair button (for the door), but no ramp, so I thought 'that's kind of silly' to have the button if you can't actually access it."
CIBC bank manager Wendy Anderson said building a ramp was something that has been on the bank's to-do list since 2007.
"We knew we were going to have a major renovation on the branch last year and the ramp was supposed to be completed as a part of those renovations," said Anderson.
"It was a very long process. It was not an easy process dealing with the city," she added.
"(The bank) had to adhere to this downtown beautification and ended up having to purchase part of the curb. Getting clear guidelines from the city, this is what I've heard from the project managers ... and my understanding was that they weren't getting clear guidelines from the city as to just exactly what they wanted."
Van Tighem said, "It's not unusual to have some debate with regard to the beautification requirements which have been in place now for maybe almost a decade.
"There's always some discussion about how many plants needed and where they go."
As for the mall entrance, he said the city is still waiting for upper mall management to request a building permit.
When asked for a comment about the mall entrance the NWT Disabilities Council issued a statement, which reads:
"The Council understands that there may be on-going negotiations and legal issues between the main parties and these may include information that the Council is not privy to and therefore cannot comment on.
"In order for people with disabilities to have full citizenship all barriers, both visible and invisible, need to be removed."
It goes on to say that the council hopes the issue can be resolved.
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