Accessibility
Collingwood’s Commitment to Accessibility
The Town of Collingwood is committed to providing all people with consistent opportunity and access to all Town goods, services and facilities while ensuring that policies, procedures and practices are provided in a timely manner and address integration, independence, dignity and equal opportunity.
Accessible Barrier Complaint Policy and Feedback Form
Accessible Customer Service Feedback Form
If you require an accessible format or communication support please contact Customer Service at 705-445-1030 or email service@collingwood.ca. Let us know how we can best meet your needs.
We all benefit from Accessibility
Our Town recognizes that accessibility is essential to build on our unique profile as a major tourist destination, a retirement community and a community that attracts businesses. Many of our businesses recognize that accessibility can strengthen their bottom line, and grow their client base. Many of our leisure activities include people with varying abilities. Our residents told us that accessibility represents freedom, equality, independence and community to them.
Visit the links below to learn how we are all building a more accessible Collingwood.
The Town of Collingwood recognizes that accessibility is essential to build on our unique profile as a major tourist destination, a retirement community and a community that attracts businesses. Many of our retirees are active and fit, but people over age 65 are more likely to have accommodation needs for different abilities.
Collingwood appreciates that most people of all ages and abilities want to stay active and involved. Many of our leisure activities include people with varying abilities. A few of the universal activities offered in Collingwood include sledge hockey, curling, golfing, swimming, trail use and special events.
Collingwood strives to ensure that its residents and visitors of all abilities can visit and enjoy our facilities. Each building listed below has accessibility features to ensure that everyone is included. If you are planning to visit one of these facilities, you may want to check out these features.
Collingwood Town Hall (97 Hurontario Street)
- Designated accessible parking available on Hurontario Street and in the municipal parking lot behind the Business Development Centre
- Street level access with clear path of travel (no steps)
- Power assisted doors (exterior and interior)
- Lowered service counter
- Elevator to access the second level of the building
- Accessible washrooms on the second level of the building
- A manual wheelchair and a transfer chair are available
- Documents available in alternative formats (by request)
- Fire alarms that have both an audible and visual flashing light signal
Business Development Centre (105 Hurontario Street)
- Lowered service counter at the BDC
- Designated accessible parking available on Hurontario Street and in the municipal parking lot behind the Business Development Centre
- Street level access with clear path of travel
- Power assisted entrance door
- Lowered service counter
- Universal washroom available
Collingwood Curling Club (250 Hume Street)
- Designated accessible parking
- Street level access with clear path of travel
- Power assisted entrance door and lobby door to the change rooms
- Power assisted doors to the rink surface
- Elevator to access upper level spectator areas
- Accessible change rooms available
- Accessible washrooms available
Eddie Bush Memorial Arena (97 Hurontario Street)
- Designated accessible parking available on Hurontario Street and in the municipal parking lot behind the Business Development Centre
- Street level access with clear path of travel
- Power assisted entrance door
- Accessible washroom available in the lobby
- Power assisted door to the arena area
- Ramping to allow access to the viewing area
- Companion seating available
- Four of seven change rooms are accessible
Central Park Arena (85 Patterson Street)
- Designated accessible parking
- Street level access with clear path of travel
- Motion sensored entrance door
- Accessible washrooms on both main floor and second floor
- Elevator to access second floor mezzanine, meeting room and washrooms
- All change rooms accessible
- Ramping to allow access to the viewing area
“The Station” (45 St. Paul Street)
Home to the Collingwood Museum and Georgian Triangle Tourism Association (GTTA)
- Designated accessible parking available
- Street level access with clear path of travel
- Power assisted entrance door
- Men’s and women’s accessible washrooms
- Audio exhibits are available
Public Library and Municipal Offices (55 Ste. Marie Street)
- Designated accessible parking available in the library parking lot and in the municipal parking lot adjacent to the building
- Street level access with clear path of travel at front and parking lot entrance
- Power assisted doors at front and parking lot entrance
- Lowered service counter
- Universal washroom on first and second floors
- Accessible washrooms in the FreeSchools World Literacy Room
- Elevator to allow access to the second and third floors
- Public access computers with assistive technology
- Wheeled baskets to carry books and documents within the library
- 1 wheelchair for public use
- Portable infrared assistive listening system (which can be used during meetings, presentations, etc.)
- 1 DAISY player available for checkout (Victor Reader Stratus 4 M)
- Specialized memberships that provide special accommodations for clients of Breaking Down Barriers and for people registered with CNIB (Canadian National Institute for the Blind) or CELA (Centre for Equitable Library Access)
- Smartview 360 desktop video magnifier
Learn more about the Collingwood Public Library and accessibility at www.collingwoodpubliclibrary.ca.
Centennial Aquatic Centre (451 Third Street)
- Motion sensored entrance door
- Push button to the main entrance of the pool – lever handles on all other doors
- Three large accessible parking spaces (one larger than the other two) with direct access to a cut curb concrete sidewalk into the pool (75 regular sized parking stalls)
- Accessible washroom stall in both women and men washroom change room areas
- Ramp access to therapeutic pool and lift for large pool
- Waterproof wheel chair
Collingwood Fire Hall (45 High Street)
- The new Fire Hall was designed on one level to be fully accessible and to avoid the potential problems that elevators can present in an emergency.
- The front entrance and the parking lot were redesigned before construction once the Accessible Design of Public Spaces Standards were released even though these requirements do not come into effect until 2016.
- This redesign means that counters are at a level that is comfortable for people in wheelchairs, scooters, or those who just want to sit while speaking to Fire Department employees.
- The entrance is spacious to make it easy for people with mobility devices to maneuver. The building also makes use of natural light so it is welcoming for people with low vision.
Collingwood is continuously incorporating the Accessible Design of Public Spaces requirements into all new park and trail construction. Parks, Recreation and Culture offers two programs to the public – Active Living across the Life Span & Community Inclusion through Art, Culture and Social Connection. Inclusivity and accessibility are key to the success of the programs offered by the Parks, Recreation and Culture Department. For more information on past projects or future projects please contact Customer Service at townhall@collingwood.ca
If you require an accessible format or communication support, please contact Communications at 705-445-1030 or by email at townhall@collingwood.ca. The Town of Collingwood’s documents are available in alternate formats upon request. Please feel free to contact us to discuss how best we can meet your needs.
Colltrans & Blue Mountain Link
Town of Collingwood public transit buses are fully accessible and can be used for wheelchairs, motorized scooters, pull behind shopping carts, as well as strollers. The buses are all equipped with a passenger side access ramp which is available for use upon request as well as Q-STRAINT securement. All buses are outfitted
Collingwood’s town buses are all fully accessible and can be used for wheelchairs, motorized scooters, pull behind shopping carts, as well as strollers. The buses are all equipped with a passenger side access ramp which is available for use upon request as well as Q-STRAINTsecurement. All buses are outfitted with bike racks as well which are available for use at no extra charge. Bus service operates on all days except statutory holidays.
Colltrans, the Town of Collingwood's public transit system, operates three regularly scheduled transit routes and the frequency of pickup at the terminal is every thirty minutes. The Colltrans terminal is located on the corner of Second Street and Pine Street adjacent to the municipal parking lot at 100 Pine Street.
Other ways we ensure that our buses are accessible:
Our bus drivers are trained to provide accessible customer service for people of all abilities.
If you are a person with a disability who requires a support person to accompany you, your support person will be able to ride free of charge.
Do you have a request for a stop or shelter? Visit Stop and Shelter Design Guidelines to better understand our selection process.
If you want to know if a bus is on time, is delayed or if its route has been changed, you can call the bus company directly at 705-446-1196. They will tell you the status of the buses on the route, date and time you require. If you are at the bus stop and the bus is late, when you call this number, an employee will radio the bus driver to find out his or her exact location and expected time of arrival at your stop.
Accessible transit links to Wasaga and Blue Mountains
The Town of Collingwood offers two transit links to complement Colltrans service. The Collingwood/Wasaga Beach transit link and the Collingwood/Blue Mountains transit link. For route and schedule information, please click on this link. These buses are also fully accessible.
Detailed information on accessibility equipment for any of the Town’s buses can be made upon request by emailing Collingwood Transit
For more information on fares and bus routes, go to the Town’s main transit page.
Provides door-to-door accessible transit service for residents of Wasaga Beach, Clearview and Collingwood. Pre-registration is is required by contacting Landmark Bus at 705-446-1196 or reserveST@landmarkbus.com.
For information on eligibility requirement, booking, and service standards are available on the transit page of the Town's website
by Ella Northcott
Have you ever gone to a store, traveled
somewhere, or taken your dog for a walk and
were faced with a bunch of obstacles preventing
you from doing the things you love. Well these
are things I am familiar with as a wheelchair user.
Today I am going to tell you why I think the world
we live in should be more accessible for
wheelchair users and some of my experiences in
a Non Accessible world.
What does accessibility mean to you? Well
to me it means the practice of making activities
and or environments accessible and usable for as
many people in wheelchairs as possible. Imagine
being in New York City stuck in a subway station
with no elevators, no ramps and no accessibility.
What would you do? As a Wheelchair user,
traveling on an Airplane is one of the biggest and
most frustrating challenges that I’m faced with. I
love to travel but… the biggest inconvenience is
flying. The amount of pain and discomfort I go
through just to go somewhere fun with my family
can be pretty awful at times.
Usually when you travel somewhere with
your family you're excited “Right?”, well for me I
am stressed and worried If my wheelchair could
be damaged or worse broken by the airlines. 30%
of the time wheelchairs are damaged in some
form. Imagine coming off the plane and seeing
your only way to get around completely ruined.
“How would you feel?”
The most difficult part of everyday outings
is getting an accessible parking space. I need this
to get in and out of our van. By law, you need to
have an accessible parking permit. Many times
people use these spots when they don’t
necessarily need them.
Some other types of accessibility issues that
people can face are narrow or uneven
pavements, not enough dedicated wheelchair
spaces on buses or trains, doorways that aren’t
wide enough, or lack of step-free access and no
ramps available if needed. These obstacles can
make people with disabilities feel stressed and
unwelcome which I know from past experiences.
Some people may think that we already
have enough wheelchair accessibility but
research shows that 11 percent of our population
are wheelchair users and as the population ages,
this figure is expected to increase. Accessibility
needs to be part of everything we do. Our
province, Ontario, has an act that will require all
businesses and communities to be more
accessible by 2025. We all need to work together
to make this happen. I think Once people and
communities become more aware about the
barriers and accessibility challenges this Change
will happen.
You might be asking yourselves, “what can
we do to help Canada become more accessible?”
Well, you can have conversations, create
awareness and take positive steps towards full
accessibility, so we can have a truly inclusive
nation.
You all may have something you are very
passionate about, as you may tell this topic is
mine and I believe that the world is getting
better and better with accessibility but we
still have a long way to go.
by Chantal Wolf
an adventure—that’s what I’m calling it, because attitude is everything
—a not necessarily delightful, but always interesting—adventure
living in a body that has a mind of its own
a body that has clearly exceeded its ‘best before’ date
and continues to slide ever closer to ‘old lady’ status
with those overpacked bags under my eyes
and decades of next level wisdom carved along my forehead
I know, aging is inevitable, and it does have its perks
—although I can’t think of any at the moment—
but when I got smacked with a surprisingly
not surprising diagnosis of Parkinson’s Disease
it felt like the gentle glide into old age just ramped up
this is the part where I talk about how I’m living a life of adventure
like ’adventures in moving’—my body that is
I used to get around fairly quickly and efficiently, even gracefully on occasion
now instead, I often move as if I’ve staggered away
from several empty bottles and a warm bar stool
then, there’s the twitchy shaky thing—
which makes an ‘adventure’ of pretty much every task ‘at hand’
—writing a note that I can actually read,
—putting on makeup without poking an eye out
—navigating a forkful that will bypass the lap on its way to my mouth
and of course the full on concentration needed to make art
—even those wiggly wonky marks or painting with my left hand
because the tweaks and adjustments, the creative solutions
must be packed alongside for this arduous ride
a complex life adventure I’ll say,
there’s plenty more I could list, that really, nobody wants to hear
but I will share this—
something I have recently learned—
underneath my quiet, unassuming exterior
beats the heart of a badass
…..or so I’ve been told
it has taken me many years to find
and embrace this ‘badass’ me
she is brave and bold, she sees the silver linings and the possibilities
the joy and the magic in this always intriguing adventure
she is the reason I stand here today
and why I will not let these ‘adventures’ interfere with my creative process
I’m bound and determined to be the last one (trying) to stand up straight
keep my cement legs moving and make stuff, paint stuff, write stuff any way I can
no matter what!
Self Advocacy is the ability to speak up for yourself and the things that are important to you. It means you know your rights and responsibilities, and can make your own choices and decisions that affect your life.
We Believe started in February of 2020, shortly before the Covid-19 pandemic. Due to the pandemic, the group had a difficult start as we were not permitted to meet in person. As of today, we have just had our first face to face meeting.
We Believe supports people with disabilities to speak up for themselves and others.
We encourage people to learn about their rights.
We strive for an accessible community.
We want to bring more understanding to the barriers, mentally, physically, socially and intellectually of someone with a diability.
We Believe stands by the following rights:
- Right to an accessible community
- Right to affordable housing
- Right to relationships
- Right to education
- Right to paid employment - equal pay for equal work
- Right to make our own choices
- Right to vote
- Right to play sports
We Believe has a Facebook page, We Believe - E3 Self Advocates. For more information contact webelieve@e3.ca.
Hi My Name is Casey
You may have seen me around town. I love to take the trails, visit the parks, enjoy the community with my worker and listen to music when I drive.
My wheelchair is a tool I use for independence.
This winter I took on the role of advocate to get the taxi back in Collingwood. It was a lot of work, but the independence of people with disabilities is just as important as it is for people without disabilities.
So now if the wheelchair breaksdown, or weather changes or I just want to have fun, I can call a cab to get me where I need to be. For example, I went to the Summer Country Kickoff at the Curling Club recently and I took the accessible taxi home at midnight!
The accessibility standards for Ontario require every employee, manager, board member and volunteer of all organizations with one or more employee to take accessibility training.
In addition, the legislation requires that contractors, vendors and any other parties or individuals who provide goods, services or facilities on behalf of the Town of Collingwood ensure their employees are trained on accessibility standards.
AODA Training Booklet (PDF)
AODA Contractor Compliance Statement Form (PDF)
There are many free training resources available. You can get started by going to these links:
www.accessforward.ca
www.aoda.ca/free-online-training
www.ccohs.ca/products/courses/aoda
www.ontario.ca/page/how-train-your-staff-accessibility
www.ohrc.on.ca/en/learning/working-together-code-and-aoda
Businesses across Ontario are responsible under Ontario’s accessibility legislation to provide accessible customer service under the Accessibility Standards for Customer Service Regulation and to make their businesses accessible in accordance with the Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation and the Ontario Building Code accessibility requirements. More and more businesses in Town are proud to be able to serve customers of all abilities and to show that they are committed to accessibility. Businesses know that accessibility can increase their client base and build customer loyalty.
If you have a complaint or comment about the accessibility of a business, please go to them directly with the complaint or comment. Businesses are responsible to ensure that they are in compliance with Ontario’s accessibility regulations.
Collingwood is committed to providing people of all abilities consistent opportunity and access to all Town events. Making your event accessible can increase the number of people who will attend. Letting people know about accessibility features in your promotional material will help them plan to participate.
Accessibility features are included throughout the event planning kit. This section will help you think in a more focused way about how accessible your event can be.
- Is your event on or near a public bus route?
- Is there accessible parking nearby?
- Is there room for someone with an accessible van to park and then to exit the van from the van’s side ramp?
- Is there a shuttle available for your event? Is it accessible for someone in a wheelchair?
If your event is inside a building:
- Are there stairs to get to the main entrance?
- Is there any entrance with a ramp or no stairs? If yes, where is it located?
- Is there an automatic door opener to any of the entrances? If yes, which entrance?
- Can you make a portable ramp available for someone using a walker, wheelchair or scooter?
- On doors that don’t have automatic openers, is there a door bell or knocker to alert someone to open the door?
- Can you arrange to have a volunteer available to open the entrance doors that don’t have automatic openers?
- Is the layout of the meeting space open enough for someone in a wheelchair to navigate?
- Is the lighting bright enough for someone with a vision disability?
- Is there a microphone available to ensure that everyone can hear?
- If you are seating people at tables, is there at least one table high enough to allow a person in a wheelchair to sit at this table?
- Is there an accessible washroom on the same floor as the main event room or close to the meeting space if the event is outside?
- If this room is not on the main floor, is there an elevator to the room?
- If the meeting space is outside, have you checked that the surface is level and hard enough to allow someone in a wheelchair or scooter to get around easily and safely?
- Have you checked for possible tripping hazards?
- Have you used clear, simple language in your advertisements and any materials you have created?
- If you’ve used charts or pictures, have you added an explanation in words that can be read out loud for people who have difficulty seeing pictures or understanding charts?
- Is the colour contrast on your signs, print materials or slide decks clear enough that someone with low vision could see and understand them?
- Do you have microphones to make sure that everyone can hear?
- Do you have signs to direct people to the meeting space and to washrooms?
- In your initial advertisements or invitation letters/emails, please ask people to contact you if they have accommodation needs for a disability or different ability. Remember this can include requests to accommodate food or environmental allergies, lighting requests (fluourescent lighting can trigger seizures in some people), accommodations for a service animal (e.g. a bowl of water and a place for the service animals to relieve themselves), ample breaks in the day to allow rest times, and many other requests.
- Once you have received these requests, work with the people making the requests to find the best way to accommodate their needs.
- On your feedback forms, include a question around accessibility e.g. Were your accommodation needs met? Did you find the event accessible? If not, what could we have done better to meet your needs?
| Breastfeeding in Public Places | Parks, Recreation and Culture | |
| Applies to: All | POLICY NUMBER: A09-PRC1601 | |
| Effective date: September 12, 2016 (Resolution No. 307-16) | ||
| Policy Statement The Town of Collingwood welcomes and supports breastfeeding in all public places controlled by the municipality. | ||
1. PURPOSE/APPLICATION
This policy applies to all employees of the Town of Collingwood and members of the public.
2. BACKGROUND
The Town of Collingwood recognizes the important health benefits of breastfeeding for both the parent and their child. The Town aims to create an environment that protects, promotes, and supports exclusive breastfeeding for six (6) months and continued breastfeeding with addition of appropriate, complimentary foods for up to two (2) years of age and beyond (WHO, 2001). By supporting breastfeeding in this manner, the Town will strengthen the development of a breastfeeding culture throughout the Town.
In a policy document titled “Pregnancy and Breastfeeding: Your Rights and Responsibilities”, the Ontario Human Rights Commission states that “women are legally protected from discrimination and harassment because of sex. This includes pregnancy and breastfeeding. For children, breastfeeding provides the highest attainable standard of health. A breastfeeding mother should not be disturbed, asked to cover up, or asked to move to another area”.
3. CONDITIONS
Town of Collingwood staff will welcome and support breastfeeding in any public place controlled but the Town.
Incidents of harassment that happen in Town facilities, or with Town staff, can be reported to the Town Clerk’s office, as well as, the Ontario Human Rights Commission.
4. IMPLEMENTATION
Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit protects, promotes, and supports breastfeeding and will provide information regarding support for breastfeeding in public to town staff and members of the public.
The policy statement will be posted on the Town’s website.
5. EMPLOYEE RESPONSIBILITIES
Employees must demonstrate respect toward individuals breastfeeding in public.
Employees must allow and support breastfeeding individuals to breastfeed in public.
Employees will not disturb a breastfeeding individual, will not ask them to cover up or to move to another area.
A reasonable effort will be made to find a private space for a breastfeeding individual if they request it.
6. MANAGEMENT RESPONSIBILITIES
Managers will ensure that their staff is aware of this policy.
Managers will support their staff in allowing and supporting breastfeeding in public spaces controlled by the Town.
Managers will support breastfeeding individuals if difficulties arise in the provision of a public place to breastfeed their child free from harassment.
7. REFERENCES/RELATED INFORMATION
Ontario Human Rights Commission, Pregnancy & Breastfeeding: Your Rights & Responsibilities
Ontario Human Rights Commission, Policy on Discrimination because of Pregnancy and Breastfeeding, 2001
World Health Organization/UNICEF, Global Strategy for Infant and Young Child Feeding
We hope you agree from our information on these pages that Collingwood is committed to accessibility. But to meet this commitment, we need your help. We’ve provided these tools so you can help us make the Town more accessible:
Barrier Identification Form: Use this form to tell us about problems or barriers to accessibility in Town and to give us suggestions about how to reduce or erase these barriers.
Accessible Customer Service Feedback Form: Let us know if Town Staff treated you accessibly. We want to know how we can improve and what we are doing right!
We’re also interested in your ideas around accessibility. During Access Awareness Week, in the last week of May, we asked people who came to Town Hall to answer the question “What Does Accessibility mean to you?” Here are their answers:
- Access to: transportation, employment, entertainment and housing
- Affordability
- Affordable housing
- Badminton for seniors at Admiral Collingwood
- Be able to do all you are capable of doing
- Choice
- Community
- Compassion
- Control over my own life
- Elvis Festival and dancing
- Equality X2 ***
- Equity X2 ***
- Feeling secure that someone will help me if I need help
- Freedom X 5 ******
- Getting around town
- Getting involved
- Grateful that Collingwood has transit and stores my mum can use
- Great idea!
- Helping friends
- I would be able to see out of both eyes
- Inclusiveness X2***
- Inclusion
- Independently
- Independence
- Involvement
- Lowered fees for sports for my kids
- Lucky to live here
- Making it easy
- No divisions and excluding
- On my own
- Opportunity
- Participation
- Personalized support
- Positive attitude and accommodations
- Remember invisible disabilities and different ways of learning
- Respect
- Safe
- Scent free X2 ***
- Someone to read to me. I can’t read or write
- Support for family caretakers of people with illness and disability
- Take Allergies seriously
- We all need it!!
- We love the playground at Black Ash Park!
We also want to know if you can access the information on this website or on our Town Page every week. Documents are available in alternate formats upon request. If you require an accessible format or communication support, please contact the Customer Service at 705-445-1030 or by email at townhall@collingwood.ca to discuss how best we can meet your needs.
