The B.C. government recently announced it is renewing and expanding its commitment to make B.C. parks more inclusive and accessible with the release of the BC Parks Commitment to Inclusion.

The commitment comes with additional funding to upgrade park facilities to accessible standards, so that more people can experience the benefits of being in nature.

The BC Parks Commitment to Inclusion outlines a vision to ensure everyone feels welcome in provincial parks, as well as eight guiding principles that can be applied to any aspect of park management, including natural places, digital services, facilities and programs. These principles will help remove barriers that restrict people from accessing outdoor recreation in their community.

“We know that being outdoors can help build community and provide many positive health benefits – physical, mental and spiritual. British Columbians love and appreciate the beauty of B.C.’s natural and wild spaces, but there continues to be far too many people who face barriers to being included, welcome and safe in our parks,” said George Heyman, Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy.

“Our government is dedicated to ensuring that everyone in B.C. can both access and feel comfortable in our parks, and we will continue our work to break down the barriers that discourage or prevent many of our neighbours from accessing the natural beauty of our province.”

Budget 2023 provides $3.6 million over the next three years to continue upgrading facilities, such as washrooms, parking lots and trails, to an accessible standard in parks near urban centres.

The Commitment to Inclusion outlines the range of actions the province has taken to ensure provincial parks and protected areas are more welcoming to people, along with a pledge to continue several initiatives, such as:

* ensuring front-country campgrounds and day-use areas have accessible, inclusive features;

* where practical, building new front-country campgrounds to a universal design standard, and making the maximum possible number of campsites accessible to all;

* shifting to gender-neutral, universal facilities wherever feasible;

* sharing diverse cultural connections through increased storytelling and interpretation;

* supporting partnerships and programs for adaptive recreation equipment; and

* fostering a culture of inclusion among BC Parks staff, park operators and volunteers.

The Commitment to Inclusion was created with input from community organizations that serve equity-deserving groups. The groups provided insight on how their members use provincial parks and what barriers members face when accessing them.

There are several categories of barriers, such as physical, cultural, financial, language, sensory, technology and visual.

Accessibility upgrades are being made in several parks throughout the province, and universal design standards are incorporated into new campgrounds and recreation expansion projects.

e-KNOW

Article Share