Victoria Beach cottagers sympathetic to disabled woman denied access

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This article was published 30/07/2015 (3715 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

VICTORIA BEACH — Cottagers sympathized Thursday with Janis Ollson, the “miracle mom” who couldn’t get her wheelchair van into their community.

“Maybe the person at the gate didn’t have the experience they should have,” cottager Eric Nichols said when he stopped his bike to talk about the news coverage.

Ollson, who has a cottage in nearby Belair, found the wind taken out of her sails when she signed up her two children for swimming lessons but couldn’t drive them to the beach.

Ollson is known for inspiring readers around the world after she was virtually cut in half to remove cancer but embraced her life with amazing gusto.

Victoria Beach is a cottage community on the east side of Lake Winnipeg, known for its policy of restricting vehicle access during the summer months.

Cottagers park in a giant lot outside the community’s imposing iron-like archway that marks the entrance and pedal along narrow gravel driveways that wind through the resort to reach their cottages.

Groceries and supplies get hauled in on metal pull carts.

Other than contractors, maintenance crews and the community’s shuttle, nobody gets behind the wheel here without a special permit.

When Ollson’s initial application for a permit was turned down, she was offended and later rejected the local community council’s peace offering — to grant her the permit she wanted.

From there, the private dispute went public, raising a sense of outrage among advocates for the disabled and a sense of chagrin among cottagers.

In response to the publicity, Victoria Beach Reeve Brian Hodgson said Ollson should have ensured she had a permit before she signed up her kids, eight and 11, for swimming lessons. But Ollson said the reeve suggested if she had a permit, more people would ask for them and it would spoil the resort’s atmosphere.

“There have been permits granted (before),” Ollson said Thursday. “On social media people felt they needed to defend Victoria Beach. But I don’t have an issue with Victoria Beach or the people. This was an issue with the reeve,” Ollson said.

Cottagers interviewed Thursday said the driving restriction is part of the charm of the place, and they don’t want it to change. But at the same time, they see the need for a consistent policy that will allow wider car access where needed.

“When I first came, I wasn’t used to the restricted access, walking down from the parking lot,” said cottager Serge Deleau. “But then I started to like the peacefulness and tranquillity. You don’t have 10 to 12 vehicles coming in at two in the morning,” he said.

Deleau said while Victoria Beach is great for families with children, the older you get, the harder it is to balance mobility issues and the need for social and medical services with life in the cottage community.

Laurel and Keith Garvie biked to the village green at the resort Thursday to get an Internet signal for her computer tablet. “We can still ride our bikes. We’re lucky,” Laurel said. She’s 73 and her husband is 83. “It can be a challenge for anybody with a disability or anyone who’s getting older, but it’s always been a precious thing, that this beach doesn’t have vehicles. It’s complicated,” she said.

Cottagers said Ollson’s situation could have been managed more tactfully.

“They should have a policy, when a situation like that happens, they (gatekeepers on duty) should immediately call a councillor,” Nichols said.

The community has grappled with the restrictions over the years, swinging from leniency to strict enforcement of the policy.

“Cars have always been an issue. The big thing is, where do you draw the line?” Nichols said.

The reeve said the resort, which is its own municipality, is responding to the larger issue Ollson’s story raised. A committee has been struck, they’re exploring human rights laws in the province and hope by next summer to have a consistent policy in place.

alexandra.paul@freepress.mb.ca