By: Linda Saxon, The Burg Watch
When a politician brings forward a motion on accessibility, it is easy for casual observers to applaud it as a heroic step forward.
Last month, Councillor Molly Allaire told council and the local press that recovering from knee surgery on crutches made her realize “how inaccessible our town is.” While that realization may look like leadership on the surface, it is a textbook example of conditional empathy—only noticing a systemic barrier once it affects you personally.
Allaire sat at the council table for four years while residents delegated and sent emails about these barriers, and she ignored The Burg Watch pre-election accessibility audit entirely.
In response to her motion, council bounced the issue down to the Accessibility Advisory Committee. On November 10 the committee finally met to discuss it, and what unfolded put Town Hall’s administrative stall loop on full display.
What Actually Happened at Yesterday’s Meeting
- Staff Already Had the Data: Parks Director Heidi Baillargeon presented a complete inventory of 26 parks and already had an exact quote of $7,018.82 to install automated door openers at Toddy Jones Park. Administration did not need a months-long mission to discover where the barriers are.
- Outdated Building Standards: Staff openly admitted that while our 40-year-old park washrooms meet older Ontario Building Codes, they do not fully comply with current accessibility standards or the town’s own Facility Accessibility Design Standards (FADS). Many buildings have narrow doors and lack the interior space for full compliance.
- The Porta-Potty Band-Aid: Six parks—Anderdon, Beaudoin, Jack Purdie, Larry Bauer, Malden Centre, and Thrasher—currently rely on portable toilets. Staff admitted that portable units are not permanent solutions, noting that major hubs like Malden Centre and Larry Bauer parks require permanent, compliant buildings.
- The committee discussed a potential $50,000 accessibility budget for parkland that may stretch into 2027, along with potential 2027 EAS grants.
- More Review: Instead of pushing for immediate funding to install automated doors where possible, the clerk stated, “At this time, it would be appropriate if the committee wanted to that you could add this to the multi-year plan, or recommend that Council add this to their multi-year plan as targeted objective, and you could then drill down, and that will make sure that it’s a standing item that you continue to come back to as money becomes available. It’ll be sort of a highlighted bullet point…when the director is preparing budgets, of course, that’ll be one of the things to consider in terms of are we are we moving ahead those goals?”
Christine Easterbrook asked if she could make a motion then to do that.
The clerk worded the motion, “Just to capture the spirit of it, if I may, and of course you can identify any changes that are required. That the accessibility of washrooms in the town of Amherstburg Park System be reviewed, and identify changes for targeted improvements be brought back for consideration.” Carried.
What Happens Next
Residents with disabilities should not have to wait until 2027 or rely on temporary portable toilets while Town Hall debates whether removable grab bars and automated door openers are “cost-effective.”
The Burg Watch will be tracking the upcoming Malden Park washroom grant proposal when it goes before council, and I will be tracking how our newly elected officials vote when it comes time to fund actual, immediate compliance.
