STRAIT AREA - As the deadline approaches for municipalities to submit their official accessibility plans to the Nova Scotia government, committees examining the issue in the Strait Area are confident that their efforts will force local residents to take a hard look at issues they may have taken for granted for years - even decades. 

Appearing on the latest episode of Telile Community Television's weekly series Roundtable, Port Hawkesbury Mayor Brenda Chisholm-Beaton - who also co-chairs her town's accessibility committee - and Richmond Accessibility Committee co-chairs Maxine David and Warden Amanda Mombourquette expressed optimism that their respective municipalities will be able to complete their work by the March 31 deadline imposed by the province. 

David, a D'Escousse resident, said she was inspired to join the Richmond effort after driving up a hill in her community while using a scooter to assist her mobility, only to be nearly struck by a passing vehicle. While the condition of roads in counties such as Richmond is typically the responsibility of the province as opposed to municipalities, David still feels her experience sets an important example in terms of the gaps in service that could ultimately lead to disaster for herself or others. 

"It's not only 'inconvenient' to not be able to do things - it's dangerous," warned David, who admitted that she had no idea about the issues faced by many persons with disabilities before she experienced her own loss of mobility in recent years. 

Warden Mombourquette suggested that David's example drives home the need for county residents to be a part of this discussion, which is happening on an overall county-wide level but also taking place separately for the Village of St. Peter's. 

Mayor Chisholm-Beaton concurred that the planning currently taking place in municipalities across Nova Scotia has been postponed for far too long, and she pointed to the long-running Granville Green outdoor concert series on the Port Hawkesbury waterfront as an example. 

"It's a 25-year-old concert venue that provides free music every summer to the entire region," said Chisholm-Beaton, whose committee has carried out online surveys and social-media discussions to bring these issues to the general public.

"So how do we look at that important piece of infrastructure and also that important recreation service that's provided, with an 'accessible' lens?"