The Island that time forgot

Huge traffic volumes make a walk on the island akin to a stroll in a very busy parking lot

The railway tie boardwalk that surrounds the perimeter of Granville Island is not well suited for mobility devices

The children's market calls itself accessible but with no automatic doors, over stuffed aisles, crowds and washrooms that are not up to today's accessibility standards it isn't. The public market is only slightly more accessible.

Granville Island opened its doors in 1979. The federal government bought this large plot of what was once industrial wasteland just under the Granville Bridge with the dream of creating a mix of housing, business, art and parks for all people. Huge crowds flock to this mecca of music, markets, crafts, restaurants, arts and culture. The island is humming with activity from dawn to the wee hours all year long.  Unfortunately this CMHC operated social hub has not kept up with the enormous strides in accessibility made by the City of Vancouver. Very little has been done to make the market accessible in keeping with 2011 standards.

If the island psychics really knew I wanted a reading they should have come downstairs.

Pockets of accessibility include the Emily Carr University of Art and Design, The Arts Club Theatre, Bridges Restaurant, Granville Island Hotel, The Tap Room, the False Creek Community Centre and adjacent children's play areas . But getting from place to place is made difficult by heavy traffic and the lack of sidewalks and proper cross ways.

The community centre's water park and children's play area is not fully integrated but does have many accessible features

Come to the island using the accessible cyquabus system (see post "False Creek transportation truly innovative")

Most artist galleries and shops are not accessible

On Canada day this amplatheatre and the adjoining Arts Club will be grooving as the island plays host to the Vancouver Jazz Festival

On July 1 Granville Island will host its annual Canada Day celebration. We canucks celebrate our right to live in a safe and diverse culture and in 2010 the Canadian government ratified its agreement with the United Nations on The Convention of Rights of Persons with Disabilities. This convention builds on the Canadian values of equality, non discrimination and the duty to accommodate. It's time for CMHC and other branches of the federal government to prove Canada's support for people with disabilities. Granville Island generates millions in revenue annually for government coffers. Surely the federal government has a duty to put some of this revenue towards a long overdo accessibility retrofit. If you want more information on Granville Island check out the website http://www.granvilleisland.com/.