The City of Prince Albert has begun the groundwork for its accessibility plan by bringing community voices together to help shape how the process itself should work.
The first meeting of the city’s Accessibility Advisory Table was held at the Art Hauser Centre, with the discussion centered less on announcing solutions and more on determining how accessibility planning should be carried out in a meaningful, inclusive manner.
Community Safety and Wellbeing Manager Anna Dinsdale said the city is still in the early stages of the process and is intentionally seeking guidance on how to move forward.
“We know that we need to establish an advisory table,” Dinsdale said. “We just don’t know how to in a way that isn’t bureaucratic, that is meaningful, that actually helps to hold us accountable.”
Dinsdale explained that council has already approved a high level Accessibility Plan covering the years 2026 to 2029, but described it as a starting point rather than finished product.
“The plan that was approved is really a plan for a plan,” she said. “What we’re trying to do now is build the plan and drive action at the same time, instead of spending years consulting and then years implementing.”
She said the advisory group, which may be renamed a public feedback group based on meeting input, is intended to be ongoing rather than temporary.
“The work of that table will never be done,” Dinsdale said in a post meeting interview. “It will be ongoing and iterative, and that should help inform how we prioritize moving forwards in the city.”
Much of the discussion focused on how accessibility feedback should be gathered and communicated. Several participants stressed the need to use plain language, avoid overly technical terminology, and provide information through multiple channels.
Community members and representatives from local organizations take part in a discussion during the City of Prince Albert’s Accessibility Advisory Table meeting.
Local resident Partick Fairburn said seniors and others without access to modern technology can easily be excluded.
“Not all seniors have cell phones and high tech at home,” Fairburn said during the meeting. “There’s way too much stuff put out high tech. I say keep it simple.”
Others at the meeting raised broader concerns about how accessibility information is communicated.
Inclusion consultant Nyx, who works with Inclusion Saskatchewan in Prince Albert, emphasized the need for accessible communication and meeting design. They pointed out that even the Art Hauser Centre presented challenges, noting issues such as acoustics and curb access.
Nyx suggested clearly advertising meeting topics in advance and using public updates, including the newspaper, to keep accessibility visible and ensure residents know how to participate.
“People need to know what the meeting is about so they can prepare,” Nyx said. “And it needs to be clear who it’s for, what it’s about, and why it matters.”
Mayor Bill Powalinsky, who joined the meeting shortly after introductions and helped refocus the discussion, said the session reflected strong community interest and personal lived experience.
“It was a great launch, and it certainly shows the interest and the passion for issues around accessibility and inclusion,” Powalinsky said in an interview afterward.
Powalinsky spoke about how facilities that meet technical standards can still fall short in real life.
“You can meet the standard, but that doesn’t mean it works for everyone,” he said. “Accessibility means looking at things through other people’s eyes.”
Participants also discussed practical considerations such as meeting times, transit access, and locations. There was broad agreement that future meetings should experiment with evening sessions to allow working residents and caregivers to attend, while also accounting for transit availability.
Dinsdale said the city plans to hold the next public meeting in April and will use a range of outreach methods, including posters, direct contact, and city communications, to reach residents.
“What success looks like to me is being able to show movement forwards,” she said. “Every meeting, we should be able to demonstrate some progress somewhere.”
