Rotary Club of St. John’s Donate Beach Access Mat

From left to right, Joby Fleming, City of St. John’s Inclusion Advisory Committee Co-Chair; George Tilley, Past-President of the Rotary Club of St. John’s; Krista Gladney, Manager of Healthy City and Inclusion with the City of St. John’s; Nancy Hollett, President of the Rotary Club of St. John’s; Danny Breen, Mayor of the City of St. John’s, Trisha Rose, Accessibility Facilitator with the City of St. John’s; gather at Rotary Sunshine Park on the new beach mat.

Today, the City of St. John’s announced the addition of a new beach access mat at Rotary Sunshine Park. The installation of the mat was made possible by a generous donation from the Rotary Club of St. John’s.

“The Rotary Club of St. John’s has been a longtime supporter of our community, sponsoring various projects that make this city a great place to live, learn, work and play,” said Mayor Danny Breen. “Their generosity was recognized in 2021 with the Freedom of the City award, which is one of the highest honours given for exemplary service or contributions to the community. With this latest project, it is evident that the Rotary supports our vision of a more accessible community. This park is a wonderful place for summer fun, and thanks to their generosity and the addition of this beach access mat, more people will be able to enjoy it.”

The beach access mat will be installed seasonally to provide a stable, non-slip surface over the sand, making the beach area more accessible to individuals using wheelchairs, walkers, or strollers. This new investment into the Rotary Sunshine Park will complement existing accessibility features in the park such as accessible parking and trails, GoBus service, rest areas along main trails, and large print wayfinding signage.

“The Rotary Sunshine Park has special significance to the members of our Club,” said Nancy Hollett, President of the Rotary Club of St. John’s. “The donation of the beach access mat will help to create a more inclusive environment. We are proud to continue our partnership with the City of St. John’s on projects that make our community a better place for everyone.”

The City of St. John’s has a strategic direction to be a Connected City, one where people feel connected, have a sense of belonging and are actively engaged in community life. The new beach access mat will advance this direction by improving access to public spaces that build safe, healthy, and vibrant communities.

“The Committee is supportive of this new recreation equipment which further improves accessibility in City parks and hopes that more people will be able to experience the beach area at Rotary Park in a way that may not have been possible before,” said Joby Fleming, Inclusion Advisory Committee Co-Chair.