Wheelchair accessibility is becoming a standard feature for church buildings in Centretown. A telephone survey conducted of 23 churches in the area by Centretown News found that 18 of the respondent 21 had wheelchair accessibility. Two could not be reached.
Of the three that don’t have wheelchair facilities, one isn’t interested in becoming wheelchair accessible and the other wants to but finds it too costly. The third expects to be accessible after a renovation project is completed.
McPhail Memorial Baptist Church, on 249 Bronson Avenue, is the latest to have a plan on becoming wheelchair accessible, which it will do by installing an elevator. To help finance the project, members of the congregation held a one-, two or five kilometer walkathon along Rideau Canal in a fundraiser dubbed “Give a Friend a Lift.” It raised $5000, says Pastor Rev. Wayne K. Sollows.