A Montreal borough objects to a man with multiple sclerosis installing wheelchair lift
When Claude Varin wants to leave his first-floor apartment on Christophe-Colomb Ave. in Montreal, each and every step requires a lot of strength.
He suffers from multiple sclerosis, a degenerative illness for which there is no cure.
He needs a lift for his wheelchair to get to street level to leave his home and access adapted transport.
"The future looked simple," said Varin. “I was eligible for a grant that would have allowed me to have a mechanical lift in front of the building."
However, the Rosemont-Petite-Patrie borough objected, saying it is a heritage neighbourhood, and the outdoor mechanical lift would not fit in.
The building he lives in belongs to his sister-in-law, and was built in the 1950s.
"This isn't heritage," he said. "The buildings have no architectural value and they're all from different eras."
He pointed to a variety of old and recent constructions next to a gas station on Rosemont Blvd.
The borough told Varin he could have his lift at the back of the building, which he said was an impraticable solution.
"I would have roughly 140 metres of ice and snow on an uneven surface," he said, noting that the alley behind the building isn’t cleared as well as the street and sidewalks in front of his house.
The city’s adapted transport buses also do not pick up or drop off clients.
"Out front, adapted transport picks me up right at my door," he said.
Varin said he tried mediation with outgoing mayor François-William Croteau, but it failed, as the city would only offer him financial compensation and stick to the alley option.
He eventually took his case to the Quebec Human Rights Tribunal, but his case was rejected because he waited too long before filing his demand.
The tribunal did note in its judgment that the borough did not handle the file particularly well.
Through a spokesperson, the borough mayor declined a CTV request for an interview.
Mobility advocates say Varin is clearly facing discrimination.
"It seems we're talking about some kind of heritage building?" asked Steven Laperriere, from the disabilities advocacy group RAPLIQ. "What is exactly the definition of a heritage building that should prevail over one person with disability rights?”
Currently, Varin depends on his partner to get around, but realizes that once he can't walk anymore, she won't be able to carry him up and down the stairs.
"I'm already exhausted by all of this," said Manon Verhelst. "I have no energy left for myself."
Varin says he won't move.
All he sees now is a time when he'll be a prisoner in his own home, on top of being a prisoner of his own body.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Fluid in eye cells can 'boil' if you watch the eclipse without protection: expert
Millions of people in parts of Eastern and Atlantic Canada will be able to see the rare solar eclipse happening on April 8. But they should only look up if they have proper eye protection, experts say.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
NEW More unauthorized products for skin, sexual enhancement, recalled: Here are the recalls of this week
Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency recalled various items this week, including torches, beef biltong and unauthorized products related to skin care and sexual enhancement.
Where is the worst place for allergy sufferers in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Do these exercises for core strength if you can't stomach doing planks
Planks are one of the most effective exercises for strengthening your midsection, as they target all of your major core muscles: the transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, external obliques and internal obliques. Yet despite the popularity of various 10-minute plank challenges, planking is actually one of the most dreaded core exercises, according to many fitness experts.
He didn't trust police but sought their help anyway. Two days later, he was dead
Jameek Lowery was among more than 330 Black people who died after police stopped them with tactics that aren’t supposed to be deadly, like physical restraint and use of stun guns, The Associated Press found.
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Polar ice is melting and changing Earth's rotation. It's messing with time itself
One day in the next couple of years, everyone in the world will lose a second of their time. Exactly when that will happen is being influenced by humans, according to a new study, as melting polar ice alters the Earth’s rotation and changes time itself.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.