The Fort Frances Lions Club is continuing to raise money to build a walkway for the disabled at the Lions Millennium Park here, nearing the halfway mark following a successful fundraiser held Oct. 26.
Lions Park committee chair Luke Schill said the dinner, held at La Place Rendez-Vous, netted about $3,000, bringing the fundraising total up to $22,000.
Schill noted an estimated cost for the walkway project is $50,000-$60,000, (including materials and labour), but the Lions again will be asking the Town of Fort Frances to donate in-kind services to help defray costs.
In late November, 2006, the Lions Club had requested the town consider having its workforce build the sidewalk at the park.
The Lions would contribute the granular material and concrete while the town would provide construction expertise and manpower to dig out the walkways, place the granular materials, and put in the concrete.
But after considering the request, the town’s Operations and Facilities executive committee recommended council not donate the labour in 2007 because the town already had a very busy construction year ahead of it and couldn’t spare the manpower.
The town, however, asked the Lions Club to consider re-submitting its request in 2008.
“I don’t think they were against the idea, but this past summer was probably their busiest summer yet,” admitted Schill.
Schill added the Lions will keep on fundraising for the walkway, whether it’s through dinners like the one on Oct. 26 or by selling bricks with individuals’ names on them that will be installed at the park (the Lions sell about 30 of the latter each year).
A few years in the making now, Schill said the Lions are eager to see the walkway become a reality.
“The walkway already has been engineered. We know what it’s going to look like,” he noted.
“It’s going to be two metres wide [to accommodate wheelchairs as well as people meeting and passing each other], and have some nice curvatures to it that will enhance the beauty of the park.”
The walkway will be roughly 287 metres in length, and will facilitate access between the handicapped glider swing and the fountain and washroom areas.
It also will enable those who are wheelchair-bound and seniors to better enjoy the park amenities, Schill added.
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