New lift makes Salmon Arm Fair easier for those with mobility challenges

Photo: Salmon Arm Fair

Navigating the Salmon Arm Fair is going to be easier for those with mobility challenges.

Recently, The Salmon Arm and Shuswap Lake Agricultural Association (SASLAA) purchased a mobility lift courtesy of the RCMP Musical Ride held on Canada Day.

The Musical Ride made a $42,000 surplus, which was split between SASLAA and Salmon Arm Rotary.

SASLAA put proceeds towards supporting local producers and making the fair and fairground events more accessible for guests with mobility challenges.

In the past, it had been a challenge for guests with scooters, wheelchairs or any mobility issues to access and view entertainment in the grandstands. The agriculture association has renovated a viewing area by the announcer's booth with the mobility lift for guests in wheelchairs or scooters to provide greater accessibility to the grandstand.

Staff will roll the Mobilift into position to provide access without having to modifying the facility.

“This is a great milestone for us,” SASLAA president Phil Wright said. “We want the fair to be accessible to everyone and be able to provide safe, reliable access to our historic site.

“The fair is a rather large area, with many thousands of people making it sometimes quite difficult to get around in a timely manner. I would strongly suggest that anyone, especially someone with a physical disability, spend some time on the fair website to plan their visit”.

SASLAA provided $4,500 from the Musical Ride proceeds to Zest in Salmon Arm to purchase a new floor model blast chiller and freezer.