Accessibility date – Grouse Mountain
On a crisp winter evening, we,
Alexa and Kristin, met up for our long-awaited date. We had both discussed and
considered what we might do for our date and wanted to consider possibilities
beforehand so that we didn’t face any obstacles which might complicate our
first romantic venture. We were both excited and wanted to make it a full day
if possible since we already knew we got along. We decided that because we both
had adventurous and active personalities that we would think outside the box
for our date. We met in Edgemont Village close to both of our respective homes.
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We planned to meet at the
Starbucks in Edgemont Village to get some warm drinks before heading up to
Grouse Mountain by bus. The entrance was easily accessible with a slight
incline to the doorway rather than a step. There was an automatic door button
at a convenient height and no obstructions leading to the counter. I popped
into the washroom while my date waited in line and noted that washroom was accessible
as well. When we went to get our drinks, we noticed that the pickup counter was
a little high up, which would have been somewhat inconvenient in that it was
harder to reach the drink or to tell what it was. After getting our coffee, we
took the 232 bus from outside SuperValu at about 2:30, which took us right to
the base of the mountain. There were no difficulties entering onto the bus, as
it was wheelchair accessible and not overwhelmingly busy. We left with plenty
of time for the snow limo we’d reserved, in anticipation any delays or problems
we might come across.
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When I first inquired about
wheelchair accessible activities up at Grouse, the concierge had let me know
about both the restaurants at the peak of the mountain and the snow limo service
they provided. When I heard about it I had pictured something like a snowmobile
or guided tour. I was told that we would be guided around the mountain on snow
limos which accommodated one guest each, and was looking forward to what was
advertised as an exhilarating alternative to skiing and snowboarding. I was a
little taken aback when I looked at the Grouse website and saw that it was more
like a single person towing you on foot and the illusion of luxury I’d imagined
was shattered a bit. Regardless, after my date and I discussed it, we thought
it might still be a fun and interesting way to spend a chilly winter afternoon.
It wouldn’t be as intimate as we might have hoped, since we’d be chaperoned
separately, but we decided we could certainly find some privacy later if the
date went well.
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Our reservation for the snow limo
was made for 4:00pm, which we’d booked a day in advance as per guest service’s
instructions, as we wanted to catch a glimpse of the setting sun and be done
close to dinnertime. The pre-planning was necessary and not too difficult to
accommodate, but it was clear that spontaneity would be a little more difficult
to attain on future dates. We decided to go on one of the shorter tours
primarily because of the price being a bit steep for us as students. We decided
that our options were to book a 15-minute or 30-minute tour, costing $29 or $59
respectively. Both tours exhibit all of the beautiful sights of the mountain,
which may be inaccessible otherwise. Of course, we had to pay double that
because we both wanted to go together. The cost of the tours might be seen as
an inconvenience, but even though it would be nice to be frugal, we wanted to impress
each other with a date that someone in a wheelchair might not see as possible.
We thought this would be a fun way to impress a date with an activity, which is
both accessible and unique, rather than the typical dinner and a movie date.
The difficulties we faced in terms of accessibility were minimal as the snow
limo is catered to people with disabilities, featuring a sled in which one can
sit being pushed around on the snow. However, the snow did add a level off
difficulty to accessing the building after exiting the tram. There was a ramp
that was suitable enough, but assistance was required.
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After having enjoyed the Snow
Limo excursion, we decided to grab a quick drink in the lodge while we killed
time before our dinner reservation. Our choices were limited as there was no
elevator to access the bottom level. We were however able to find a cozy spot
to converse about our adventure. Conversation was great and we made our way to
The Observatory for our dinner reservations at 6:00pm. The concierge had
previously assured us that the restaurant is comfortably accessible for
wheelchair users. The restaurant was quite expensive but was offering the fine
dining experience and warm, intimate setting we wanted. It also required us to
dress up and give us an excuse to show off our best assets and it was not great
for kids, which limited distraction and allowed us to completely focus on each other.
While the restaurant might seem to be overpriced the view was worth the money. The
ambiance was perfect and we enjoyed a bottle of wine together. When it was time
to go to the washroom there was a slight difficulty navigating through the
tables, but overall it was fairly accessible, although it was shared with the
lodge guests as well. We were fortunate that we had reservations at The
Observatory so our Gondola ride ($40) was taken care of, which would have been
extremely expensive otherwise.
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After having enjoyed a succulent
and indulgent romantic meal for two, we took the Skyride back down the
mountain. The Skyride departs conveniently every 15 minutes, so we had no
difficulty catching the next ride down. The gondola was suitable for a
wheelchair and priority boarding was given to us. After arriving at the base of
the mountain we took the 232 bus down towards Lonsdale to continue our date in
a less formal locale. There is a wide array of places we could go for some
privacy and intimate conversation on Lonsdale with a number of varied dessert
and coffee shops. We chose to go to “Brazza Gelato” as it was a perfect mix of
atmosphere and comfort. The doorframe was suitable for a wheelchair to enter
and the level of the counter seems appropriate, although the height of the ice
cream bins was not, so seeing all the flavor options was difficult for someone
in a wheelchair, but there was lots of room to navigate. However, the tables
were all very close together so some rearranging was needed. The date was going
extremely well so we decided to share a 5-scoop gelato to get optimum diversity
of flavours. We settled into the comfy chairs in front of the fireplaces to get
to know each other on a deeper level before deciding how to best end our
wonderful evening together.
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