The Canwood and District Bus Association now has a wheelchair accessible van. (Lake Country Co-op/Twitter)

By Michael Joel-Hansen

Transportation

Community organization adds wheelchair van

Dec 5, 2019 | 9:01 AM

The Canwood and District Bus Association has added an important vehicle to their fleet.

The not for profit group recently acquired a wheelchair accessible van.

Lorne Benson, with the committee said the new vehicle will serve an important need.

“There is quite a few elderly people that are wheelchair bound and we know they could use it,” he told paNOW.

Benson added Canwood, along with other communities in the area like Shellbrook, Deer Ridge and Debden, which will also use of the van, are ageing overall.

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“Its much easier to drive a van to a medical appointment at Royal University Hospital, you know go to a function in Saskatoon with the van,” he explained.

The new van will be available to rent at a rate of 50 cents per kilometer. Benson said in the event someone needs to get somewhere and they don’t have anyone available to drive, the association will look to find a volunteer driver.

The van cost around $49,000, and preparing the vehicle’s storage space will likely bring the entire project’s price tag to around the $50,000 mark. To pay for everything the organization received donations from a number of local service clubs, including the local legion, Kinsmen Foundation, Elks and Royal Purple among many others. The group also accepted private donations from individuals.

“We’re very lucky the community has supported us,” said Benson.

Among the contributors was Lake Country Co-op, which donated $2,500. Jill Dumanski, director of marketing and community relations, said the initiative was one they wanted to get behind.

“We thought for sure it’d be a great opportunity to donate the money to help our Canwood community,” she said.

Dumanski added they were happy to provide the money to the organization as they knew it would have a big impact in a community like Canwood.

Lake Country Co-op presented a check for $2,500 to help pay for the new van. (Lake Country Co-op/Twitter)

MichaelJoel.Hansen@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @mjhskcdn