Accessibility and Inclusion Spotlight: City of Lloydminster

Introduction

The City of Lloydminster (AB/SK) participated in a multi-year process to design, build and operate a new recreation facility, the Cenovus Energy Hub, in their community that emphasizes inclusion and accessibility for persons with disabilities.

Active Abilities Canada sat down with Tracy Simpson, Executive Manager for Community Development Services for the City to discuss the origins of this accessible facility design!

Read below for the City of Lloydminster’s success story. You can also learn more about the facility’s accessibility features here.

Success Story

The City of Lloydminster began planning the replacement of its aging arena with community engagement sessions, where they overwhelmingly heard from community members their desire to have a space that truly belonged to everyone. And thus, inclusion, become the pillar of the design of the Cenovus Energy Hub.

The city’s commitment to inclusion and accessibility was strengthened through an unexpected turning point: a local U13 girls’ hockey team. A father of one of the players is a wheelchair user and was unable to access coaching and scorekeeping areas in the existing arena. Rather than accept this as “just the way things were,” the team decided to act and speak out. The team conducted their own accessibility audit, navigating the arena in wheelchairs with the father’s support and participation, while identifying barriers to inclusion and accessibility.

The girls brought their findings directly to the City and through this advocacy, they persuaded decision-makers and shifted perspectives at City Council to support inclusive design in the new arena. The girls also went on to win the national Chevy Good Deeds Cup- the first female hockey team ever to do so – and donated $90,000 of their $100,000 winnings to increase inclusive features in the Cenovus Energy Hub (the remaining $10,000 was donated to Inclusion Lloydminster).

Inspired by the team’s leadership, the City expanded its vision. “The process with the girls and them winning the money really inspired our project team and our architects to think outside the box about what the facility could be like from an inclusive perspective in terms of barrier free”, shared Tracy Simpson. Partnerships with accessibility experts and national para hockey leaders further strengthened the design. The City engaged Inclusion Lloydminster early as a formal partner and as the design evolved, inclusion and accessibility was embedded into every detail: adjustable railings to expand accessible seating, single-user showers to support privacy, flexible dressing room layouts for mixed-gender teams, and a focus on the entire user journey—from arriving in the parking lot to stepping onto the ice, in the stands, or even in the scorekeeper box.

For the City leaders and staff, the design process with the Cenovus Energy Hub has systematically changed the way accessibility and inclusion is valued and at the forefront of any decision making today.

To learn more, read the key takeaways, tips, and strategies below that your municipality could consider in the design of your next recreation facility project!

Key Takeaways – City of Lloydminster

1. Prioritize lived experience and community partnerships in the design process.

• • Gather information on accessible design features from local and regional disability organizations (i.e., Inclusion Alberta)
  • Bring in the people who understand the sport-specific barriers such as para hockey athletes to support the design process
    • Design player boxes that are sledge hockey friendly, plan for storage for mobility aids between dressing rooms and benches, and generally rethink traffic flow from parking lot to the dressing room to the ice surface
  • Gather lived experience of users (parents, fans, staff, coaches, referees, youth, etc.) who access the facility

2. Use credible, convincing and values-based arguments that resonate with decision makers and elected officials.

• • Leverage youth presentations and authentic lived experience examples to influence Council members.

3. Hire an accessibility consultant to identify accessible design elements.

• • Single-use, private, accessible washrooms on all levels.
  • Washrooms that are suitable for both wheelchairs and scooters, exceeding code requirements for turning radii.
  • Improve seating options with accessibility at multiple vantage points—ice level, concourse, and premium suites.
  • Add adjustable railings for temporary expansion of wheelchair seating.
  • Include automated doors with push-button and foot-operated options.
  • Design individual shower stalls in dressing rooms instead of group showers.

4.   Consider integrating inclusive design with long-term foresight.

• • Plan for multi-use functionality (concerts, trade shows, community events)
  • Acknowledge potential growth in para-sport
  • Recognize evolving gender inclusion practices
    • Use flexible & inclusive dressing room layouts
      • Adding “flex rooms” between dressing rooms allow:
        • Mixed-gender teams to stay together
        • Female players on boys’ teams to avoid being isolated from the team
        • Coaches or trainers of different genders to participate appropriately
        • Individual shower stalls instead of group showers for wheelchair access, mixed-gender teams, individual privacy

Click here to view the full Municipal Guide.