 |
| Tracy Hurlbert (sitting right) and her mother Connie Hurlbert (standing left) spend time at the Wilderness Discovery Resort (WDR). (Credit: Tracy Hurlbert.) |
For people struggling with
disabilities, the Wilderness Discovery Resort (WDR) is a dream come
true. A picturesque resort located in Lake
Shebandowan, Ontario, Canada, the WDR provides all of the accommodations
that people with disabilities
need, giving much-needed relief to them
and their families. Unfortunately, the WDR is at risk of being closed
down, with plans to sell off the land. Now, every effort must be made to
save the WDR.
It is a scenario that should not be allowed to happen--a barrier-free
camp designed for people with disabilities being forced to shut down,
all to please a faceless millionaire. The fact that any type of public land could be sold off just to please a wealthy person without knowing
all the details is insulting; to allow this private sale to take place
on land that is designated for people with disabilities makes this
possibility even more outrageous. However, one person is willing to
fight for the WDR.
Kevin Johnson, an American citizen,
has been advocating to save the WDR. He, his wife, and his father, Kirk,
a disabled former U.S. Navy service member, often travel to the WDR to
accommodate to his father's needs. In the past, Johnson and his family
had thoroughly researched other facilities that are supposed to help
people with disabilities, but they had discovered that many "accessible"
areas often do not live up to their claims of being truly barrier-free.
Johnson believes so strongly in the WDR that he has launched a Change.org petition to help keep it open.
If
only people in positions of power would demonstrate the same type of
leadership as Johnson when it comes to saving the WDR. Many people
deserve to be blamed for the WDR's uncertain future, and Ontario Premier
Kathleen Wynne is one of them. Wynne has spent so much money on the
Toronto 2015 Pan Am & Parapan Am Games to try and make Toronto look
like a world-class city, yet will not provide appropriate funding for
the WDR. While the Toronto 2015 Parapan Am Games temporarily brought
attention to people with disabilities, keeping the WDR open with new
funding would provide a barrier-free facility for years to come, helping
people with disabilities in the long term. Wynne has also refused to
renew the lease for the WDR, showing that her commitment to helping
people with disabilities is nothing but empty lip service.
The Legislative Assembly of Ontario (LAO) are also to blame for being oblivious about the WDR. In a June 30, 2015 petition update,
Johnson observed that the LAO did nothing to save the WDR, despite an
impending summer recess at the time. Johnson also mentioned that the LAO
had received several requests from him and his supporters to extend the
deadline before the WDR is sold off, but their concerns have been
ignored. The LAO deserves to be publicly shamed for brushing aside the
needs of the disability community, and for showing such disinterest in
saving the WDR.
David Shannon, Executive Director for
the Handicapped Action Group Incorporated (HAGI), which runs the WDR,
must face the harshest criticism for mismanagement. According to an April 4, 2015 update on Johnson's petition,
it was revealed that Shannon wanted the WDR closed. In the same update,
Johnson also noted that since the creation of his petition, Shannon did
not comment on the future of the WDR at the time. In another April 29, 2015 petition update,
Johnson recalled that Shannon, as well as HAGI's Board of Directors,
failed to attend a public meeting held on April 25, 2015 to save the
WDR.
The scandals involving David Shannon do not end there. An additional May 3, 2015 petition update
disclosed that Shannon refused to sign Johnson's petition. Shannon has
also made questionable claims about having no money to maintain the WDR,
but somehow finding money to fund an arts program. With so much
hypocrisy coming from Shannon regarding the WDR, it is obvious that he
should be removed from his position as Executive Director.
It
is sad to see that the people who have the most power to save the WDR
are the least willing to take action on the issue. However, this
situation must strengthen our resolve to ensure that the WDR remains a
part of the Lake Shebandowan community. We must follow Kevin Johnson's
lead and do whatever it takes to save the WDR. When Premier Kathleen
Wynne, the LAO, and David Shannon see that people care about the WDR,
they will have no choice but to act on the issue. Allowing the WDR to be
shut down and failing people with disabilities is not a legacy we want
to be responsible for.
