Many years ago, voyageurs would stop at Pancake Bay with just enough flour left to make pancakes before restocking supplies in nearby Sault Ste. Marie. Today, Pancake Bay is now a thriving provincial park that is visited by campers who enjoy the park's campsites and pristine beach along the east shore of Lake Superior. This provincial park is unique because campers of all abilities can enjoy their stay. That's because Ontario Parks' staff have made great strides to break down barriers and improve accessibility in the park.

Pancake Bay has integrated accessibility features into many different areas of the park. For example, the comfort stations, which include laundry, flush toilets and shower facilities, are accessible for people with mobility disabilities. The outdoor amphitheatre has a ramp up to the stage and includes plenty of space for people with wheelchairs to enjoy various outdoor programs and concerts.

"We always have barrier-free accessibility incorporated into our plans to allow everyone access to our facilities," says Chris Caldwell, Parks Superintendent for the Algoma parks cluster, which includes the Pancake Bay Provincial Park.

Yurts are another accessible feature of the park that have received rave reviews. A yurt is an eight-sided accessible tent-like structure installed on a wooden deck floor.

"The fact that they have these yurts and that they've taken the time to build a nice deck and ramps, makes camping and getting outdoors so much easier," says Diane Morell, who is the Chair of the Sault Ste. Marie Municipal Accessibility Advisory Committee and enjoys camping at the park.

Recently, the park installed a barrier-free ramp leading to the beach and right down to the water. The improvement came after a camper with a mobility disability wrote a letter suggesting a ramp be put in.

Since the ramp was built, "we've had a number of people write us to suggest how we can improve other things," says Shannon Lawr, Assistant Superintendent at Pancake Bay.

Many of the accessibility improvements at the park don't cost much, but just require a bit of creative thinking. For example, concrete barriers around fire grills are a safety feature for those in wheelchairs, and very low in cost. The park also has campsites that have four-by-four pieces of wood along the perimeter of the site, which helps people with a visual disability identify the boundary of the space.

Accessibility improvements can be a benefit to everyone, whether they're in a wheelchair or pushing a stroller. These improvements "are becoming important to the community as a whole," says Diane. "It really improves accessibility for everyone."

Small changes make a big difference and Ontario Parks staff are a driving force in change, because they believe that everyone should have equal opportunities to enjoy the natural beauty of Ontario!