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
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.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Rainfall warnings of up to 80 mm among weather alerts in effect for 6 provinces
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 millimetres and other alerts have been issued for six Canadian provinces, according to the latest forecasts.
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.
Bus plunges off a bridge in South Africa, killing 45 people. An 8-year-old child is only survivor
A bus carrying worshippers headed to an Easter festival plunged off a bridge on a mountain pass and burst into flames in South Africa on Thursday, killing at least 45 people, authorities said.
Calgary bridges remain closed due to ongoing police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.