NANAIMO — Improvements to Westwood Lake Park are making the area more accessible for all.
While phase one upgrades included parking lot upgrades, which were completed two years ago, the latest round of improvements to First Beach opened in time for the May long weekend.
Improved accessibility was a big focus during the upgrades, with wheelchair user Haley Young thrilled to be able to enjoy her local beach with ease.
“Having two accessible bathrooms is such a game changer… you have people with families, it might be a single parent with multiple kids who use those for changing. Limiting the amount of wait time you have is incredible, and it’s awesome to see that change happening in Nanaimo,” said Young.
New accessible wayfinding signage with braille and audio features, more native plants, and enhanced pedestrian and bike connected are now included at Westwood Lake Park. (Jordan Davidson/NanaimoNewsNOW)Work on phase two began in September and included almost doubling the size of First Beach, new accessible washrooms and change rooms, new seating and picnic areas, an upgraded boat launch, an accessible deck/boardwalk, and new trees.
A pair of brand new accessible washrooms are open with reduced hours for now, while the older washroom facility will stay open during construction.
A new block of washrooms is still a few weeks away from completion, according to City staff.
Young said they really went the extra mile to ensure every part was easily accessible, focusing on details anyone who’s not in a wheelchair might not even notice, such as the spacing between tiles along the boardwalk.
“They really went for as small as possible for the tile placement, and same with the wooden boardwalk. It was super comfortable to roll around, and same with the boardwalk; I wasn’t getting my feet bumped out of my chair or anything.”
Spaces for food trucks, public art, and an accessible beach ramp, a mobility mat and more are some of Westwood Lake Park’s new additions. (Jordan Davidson/NanaimoNewsNOW)The boardwalk also features a gradual and wide sloping path towards the water, with two mobility mats already in place in the sand so everyone can enjoy the water.
Young said the new accessible parking spots, combined with the smooth walkways and mobility mats, make it possible for her to get from her vehicle to the water with little difficulty.
The City has a few mobility mats in other bodies of water, including Colliery Dam, Neck Point, and Loudon Parks.
The City of Parksville has also had great success with their mobi-mats installed last summer.
After she spends time on the beach, Young can also take advantage of the new bike wash and repair station in case her chair needs some minor adjustments, which for her can mean the difference between going home and enjoying a day at the beach.
“Especially if I am getting more adventurous in the chair, where one of the wheels comes loose. They’re expensive, so you want to be able to fix it quite quickly. I could change my wheel right on the beach and tighten everything up cause they have all the tools there for the bikes. That wasn’t even an intentional thing, just a happy little accident, but how perfect.”
Both phases combined were budgeted by the City at about $5.1 million.
While a special chair is usually required to get fully submerged in water, wheelchair users like Young can now get right to the water at Westwood Lake. (Jordan Davidson/NanaimoNewsNOW)Local news. Delivered. Free. Subscribe to our daily news wrap and get our top local stories delivered to your email inbox every evening.
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