The Quebec government will provide funds to improve accessibility in buildings that predate current code standards. A new incentive program announced last week in the 2017-18 provincial budget will dispense subsidies, to a maximum of $15,000, for upgrades to commercial buildings or community centres. Another $5 million will be directed to tourist attractions and accommodations.
The Société d’habitation du Québec will oversee the first program, which has a target to fund approximately 160 projects per year over a five-year period. Applicants can secure up to 75 per cent of the cost of implementing barrier-free design standards that ease access into and out of buildings. The $11-million provincial fund could also be used to top up similar incentives that the cities of Montréal and Trois-Rivères now offer, but recipients would be limited to a total of $15,000 from the combined sources.
Quebec’s $5-million allocation for tourist attractions and accommodations is aligned with a Ministère du Tourisme partner initiative with the not-for-profit consultancy, Kéroul. The organization assesses and certifies tourism facilities for capacity to accommodate people with disabilities — including motor, auditory, visual, cognitive, language or speech-related needs — and is also launching a province-wide certification program for municipalities later this year.
The newly announced funds will be made available to those already voluntarily enrolled with Kéroul. “The new investment will provide classified tourist accommodation establishments and tourist attractions with funding for a portion of the cost of the repair work to upgrade or improve their infrastructure,” the budget document states.
In particular, the Quebec government identifies mobility obstacles as an impediment to the tourism industry. “Few tourist sites offer access to persons with reduced mobility. Only three per cent of the 9,418 active tourist accommodation establishments and 11 per cent of the 4,400 active attractions can be considered accessible or partially accessible,” the budget document reports.
