Mobi Mats at Pomquet Beach Provincial Park

By Jane Landry

Antigonish County, a tight-knit community situated in the northeastern region of Nova Scotia attracts families, students and visitors to experience the culture of the county and the outdoors.

Surrounded by rolling hills, countryside and beaches, recreation represents just one aspect of the county’s charm. However, not everyone can access and enjoy the outdoors due to their level of mobility.

In recognizing this challenge, The Municipality of the County of Antigonish has made accessible recreation a strategic priority.

“Everyone and their dog have the mission of getting to the beach in Antigonish – and in saying that, we often do not realize how many people cannot get to the beach,” said Meaghan MacNeil, Active Living coordinator at The Municipality of the County of Antigonish.

The last several years has seen the municipality put accessibility at the forefront, which was kickstarted with the purchase of about 100-feet of Mobi-Mat.

A Mobi-Mat is a flexible material that can be rolled out on any terrain, such as rocks and sand to level the surface. The Mobi-Mat is placed seasonally at Pomquet Beach. There have also been several other projects done around the beach facilities to make it more accessible.

“The stories and experiences we heard about the Mobi-Mat were very heartwarming,” said MacNeil. “For example, we learned of someone who was able to visit the beach for the first time in their life due to the Mobi-Mat.”

Following the purchase of the Mobi-Mat, two Mobi-Chairs were acquired. Mobi-Chairs are high-quality wheelchairs that provide a smooth ride on land and in water – allowing for the enjoyment of the beach and the experience of getting in the ocean in a safe and comfortable manner.

“It is the little things that we take for granted, such as sitting on a beach and swimming in the ocean,” she said. “There are so many health benefits achieved when going to the beach; and simply being in the presence of the salt water and air is an experience we all yearn for.”

One Mobi-Chair remains at Pomquet Beach to accommodate visitors who wish to sign the chair out from lifeguards. The other Mobi-Chair is available at the county recreation office for people to borrow when requested.

Prior to the Mobi-Mat, the municipality had been growing their accessible equipment loan program. For example, a hippocamp chair, accessible PFDs, accessible sledges, accessible trikes and bikes and more are available to rent for free.

“Accessibility is a key consideration that we all need to be thinking about – especially those working in recreation,” said MacNeil. “Our purchase of the Mobi-Mat and Mobi-Chairs have opened our eyes in so many ways and we will continue to grow our accessibility opportunities.”

One Mobi-Chair was purchased with support from the wellness fund grant from the Antigonish Town & County Community Health Board (CHB). There are 37 community health boards across Nova Scotia. Community health boards are made up of volunteers who improve health and wellness in their area.

In 2019, this program received funding through the Antigonish Town & County Community Health Board (CHB) Wellness Fund.

Each year, Nova Scotia Health designates funds for each CHB in the province to distribute as Wellness Funds.

This Wellness Fund is for non-profit groups working to improve health in their communities and must address the health priorities identified by CHBs in their current community health plans.