Every Canadian deserves to fully participate in all aspects of society and to contribute to our communities and the economy.  For this reason, the Government of Canada continues to support organizations across the country, who are investing to make spaces, communities, workplaces, services and systems more accessible and improving the inclusion of persons with disabilities.

The Department of Diversity, Inclusion and Persons with Disabilities has invested $13,000 to the Crisis Centre of North Bay through the Enabling Accessibility Fund (EAF). The EAF is a federal grants and contributions program that supports infrastructure projects across Canada that improve the accessibility, safety and inclusion of persons with disabilities in communities and the labour market. In North Bay, the goal of the funding is to construct and retrofit accessible doors at the Centre.

The Honourable Anthony Rota, Member of Parliament for Nipissing-Timiskaming says, “When barriers to accessibility and inclusion are removed, Canadians with disabilities can participate fully, helping our communities thrive and our economy prosper. This funding for the Crisis Centre will make a big difference toward their overall operations and help us move forward towards a more inclusive community.”

Susan Rinneard, Executive Director of the Centre said, “This fund will allow Crisis Centre North Bay to install automatic accessible doors at the main entrance of our Four Elms Emergency shelter. The current doors consist of a manual exterior door as well as a manual interior door. The Four Elms Emergency Shelter serves a diverse population which includes clients with disabilities and mobility issues.  We are thankful for the funding that will allow us to upgrade our entrance.”

This funding is part of the Government of Canada’s $70.8 M investment in small-scale construction and technology projects led by 903 organizations across the country.

The small projects component of the EAF provides grants of up to $100,000 per project for small-scale construction, renovation or retrofit projects that enable persons with disabilities to live and work in more inclusive and accessible communities.

This funding supports the employment of persons with disabilities and the development of accessible and inclusive communities, which are two pillars under the Government of Canada’s Disability Inclusion Action Plan. It also contributes to the Government’s on-going commitment to create a truly inclusive Canada, free of physical, societal, and attitudinal barriers.