Coaticook, QC, September 3, 2020 – Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and MP for Compton—Stanstead, stopped in Coaticook to join Mayor Simon Madore in marking the end of construction on an elevator at the Pavillon des arts et de la culture de Coaticook. This addition to the facilities will enable people with mobility issues to move through the entire Pavillon building.

Elevator construction was made possible thanks to Employment and Social Development Canada’s Enabling Accessibility Fund, which awarded $72,515 for this project. This federal program provides funding to build, renovate or retrofit public spaces so that they can meet the needs of people with disabilities who are trying to integrate the labour market or participate in social activities.

“Making more public spaces accessible contributes to the well-being of people living with a disability and gives them a chance to contribute to our community as well,” said Minister Bibeau.

For the Town of Coaticook and the Pavillon des arts et de la culture, the new elevator is a powerful symbol of their desire to offer cultural spaces that are open to everyone. There are many rooms for rent in the basement of the building, and the new elevator will give more people access to arts classes and much more. The rooms can also be booked by businesses and independent workers for meetings or work sessions. Thanks to the elevator, the Pavillon des arts et de la culture can now meet this need.  

“The installation of a high-quality elevator reflects our ongoing commitment to adding services to the Pavillon and expanding our client base,” said Sylviane Ferland, Chair of the Pavillon des arts et de la culture de Coaticook. “We are delighted to have secured this grant, as it would have been hard to complete this project without it.”

“The Town of Coaticook is pleased to once again be collaborating with the federal government to improve its infrastructure,” said Simon Madore, Mayor of the Town of Coaticook. “The Coaticook RCM’s association of persons with disabilities has long called for barrier-free access to town buildings. We are happy to have a cultural centre that is accessible to everyone.”

The Pavillon des arts et de la culture received an additional financial contribution of $25,000 from the federal government, including $20,000 from the Canada Arts Presentation Fund to support the richness and diversity of its arts and culture programming for the 2020–2022 season and $5,000 in emergency funding in response to COVID-19.

Quick facts

• The annual budget for the Accessibility Fund is $20,650,000.

• The latest statistics from the Canadian Survey on Disability show that 22% of Canadians aged 15 and over report having a disability. That is one in five Canadians. This figure tends to increase with population aging.

• Note that as part of the federal government’s response to COVID-19, Bill C-20, which was passed on July 27, expanded eligibility for the one-time payment of $600 to persons with disabilities who, as of July 1, 2020, were receiving Canada Pension Plan disability benefits, Quebec Pension Plan disability benefits, or disability supports provided by Veterans Affairs Canada.

• Since 2015, the Government of Canada has announced numerous support measures for overcoming barriers, such as:
  • $12,000,000 over three years through the Opportunities Fund for Persons with Disabilities to improve employment readiness among persons with intellectual disabilities and autism spectrum disorders;
  • $13,700,000 over five years to help identify, remove and prevent technological barriers in federal government workplaces; and
  • $25,800,000 over five years to make reading materials accessible to persons with print disabilities.

• Visit the web page for National AccessAbility Week, which was celebrated again this year in Canada.

• Consult the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, to which Canada is a signatory.

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For media enquiries, please contact:

Kimberly Luce

Constituency Assistant

Office of the Hon. Marie-Claude Bibeau, Member of Parliament for Compton—Stanstead

Cell: 819-571-8926

Shirley Lavertu

Culture and Communication Manager

Ville de Coaticook

Tel. : 819 849-2721, poste 256