Mossom Creek Hatchery and Education Centre becomes the first fish hatchery in Canada and first site in Port Moody B.C. to achieve top accessibility rating
(This meedia release is from the Rick Hansen Foundation website)
Port Moody hatchery receives Gold Rating through the Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification(TM) program
• Mossom Creek Hatchery is the first hatchery to achieve Gold certification under the RHFAC program
• Mossom Creek Hatchery is the first site in Port Moody B.C. to achieve RHFAC Gold; it has upgraded its facilities to remove barriers for visitors and make the facility more inclusive to the community.
January 16, 2023, Ancestral and unceded homelands of the Coast Salish Nations – including the kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (Kwikwetlem), səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh), xʷməθkʷəy̓ əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx-̱wú7mesh (Squamish), q̓ ic̓əy̓ (Katzie), qʼʷa:n̓ ƛʼən̓ (Kwantlen), qiqéyt (Qayqayt), and Stó:lō (Sto:lo) peoples / Port Moody, B.C – The Rick Hansen Foundation is pleased to announce that the Mossom Creek Hatchery and Education Centre has achieved an ‘Accessibility Certified Gold’ rating under the Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification(TM) (RHFAC) program. Achieving a score of 84 out of 100 points, this Gold rating is a significant milestone in the hatchery‘s journey towards accessibility, demonstrating its commitment to removing barriers and supporting the inclusion of people of all ages and abilities.
Mossom Creek Hatchery and Education Centre is the first site in Port Moody B.C and first hatchery in Canada to achieve Gold certification under the RHFAC program, making it the blueprint for hatcheries across the nation. Based on extensive community input, the site has a broad range of accessibility features that led to its Gold rating. Features included automatic door operators, the installation of safety vision strips to glass doors and sidelights at the education centre, deck glazing, enhancements to the accessibility pathway with a resting bench, and the additional wayfinding signage to exterior locations such as the Intake Trail and Viewing Ramp.
“Congratulations to the Mossom Creek Hatchery and Education Centre for your commitment and achievement of RHFAC Gold,” said Brad McCannell, Vice President of Access and Inclusion at the Rick Hansen Foundation. “Your leadership is a source of pride for the Port Moody community and an inspiration to others across Canada to ensure all aspects of our communities are inclusive and accessible to people of all ages and abilities – an important step in creating measurable results in Canada’s journey towards a more inclusive future.”
The RHFAC program allows organizations to rate the level of meaningful access of sites, based on the holistic user experience of people with varying disabilities affecting their mobility, vision and hearing. To-date, over 1,921 sites across Canada have been rated through the program. In addition to removing barriers for people with disabilities, the conservation of sturgeon and salmon and their ecosystems has been a strong priority for Rick Hansen throughout his life. This important project is a perfect combination of both of these priorities.
“The journey towards certification for the Mossom Creek Hatchery has been extremely enriching and educational in terms of how we view accessibility and how much I did not know,” said Patrick Dennett, Volunteer Project Manager. “The idea of accessibility and inclusiveness goes beyond having mobility access and also addresses the needs of people with visual and hearing barriers. Through the RHFAC rating process, enhancements to the hatchery will ensure all members of the Port Moody community and beyond are able to experience and participate in hands-on educational and nature experiences and help strengthen our ecosystem.”
The Mossom Creek Hatchery project was realized with the help of individuals Uli Egger, Tracy Green, Kerry Burns, Nick Butorac, Patrick Dennett, Rowan Langtry, Tony Nootebos and Stan Prince and the generous support of numerous collaborative community partnerships including the Advanced Listening Systems, City of Port Moody, The Rick Hansen Foundation, Done Right Painting and Sandblasting, Easi Entrance Automation Systems, Fast Signs of Coquitlam, Marcon, the Pacific Salmon Foundation, Port Moody Fire Fighters, Pottinger Bird, Rotary Club of Port Moody, Royal Canadian Legion Coquitlam Branch 263, Titan Window Films, Tri City Plumbing and Heating, Vancity, and the Vancouver Regional Construction Association.
For more on the Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification(TM) program, please visit www.rickhansen.com/RHFAC
About the Rick Hansen Foundation
The Rick Hansen Foundation (RHF) was established in 1988, following the completion of Rick Hansen’s Man In Motion World Tour. For nearly 30 years, RHF has worked to raise awareness, change attitudes, and remove barriers for people with disabilities. Visit www.rickhansen.com to learn more.
About Mossom Creek Hatchery
Started in 1976 by local high school volunteers from Centennial School in Coquitlam, the Mossom Creek Hatchery provides education through salmon enhancement and is supported by Fisheries and Oceans Canada. The Mossom Creek Education Centre provides hands-on experiential learning opportunities to students and the community and offers a home base for watershed and stream to sea explorations. Visit www.mossomcreek.org to learn more.
