Accessibility in Moose Jaw

The City of Moose Jaw is shining a light on individuals, businesses and organizations helping build a more accessible and inclusive community through its annual Accessibility Awards.

“The awards help raise awareness, promote inclusion and equity, and encourage people to contribute to the greater good of their community,” the City of Moose Jaw shares.

Launched in 2024, alongside the development of the City’s Accessibility Plan, these awards recognize community members who are removing barriers, creating inclusive spaces, and improving accessibility for people of all abilities. While still relatively new, the initiative is already making a meaningful impact by encouraging innovation, recognizing leadership, and reinforcing that accessibility is a shared community value.

Nominations are submitted by members of the public and reviewed by the Community Services Advisory Committee, which selects the award recipients.

This year’s recipients reflect the many ways accessibility can improve lives and strengthen communities:

• South Hill Bowling Centre
• Lucille Gilliland
• Seniors Centre Without Walls

Advocacy Award Recipient
South Hill Bowling Centre: Focusing on Abilities

For South Hill Bowling Centre owner, Crystal Kober-McCubbing, accessibility is deeply personal.

“My true inspiration was my son,” she shares. “We have had so many different activities tell us that he could not do them because of his disability, instead of focusing on his abilities and what he can do.”

Crystal's experience helped shape the centre’s approach to accessibility. From ensuring the facility is physically accessible to providing visual communication supports for non-verbal guests and assisting bowlers with scorekeeping, the focus is always on making the sport welcoming for everyone. Receiving the award was a meaningful recognition of that work.

“Bowling is truly a sport that anyone can do,” Crystal says. “By viewing a person’s abilities, you are viewing them as capable and competent, and as valuable members of the community. I am so honoured that people notice that we see their value and their potential, no matter what barriers they may or may not have.”

To learn more about South Hill Bowling Centre, visit the Moose Jaw Bowling website.

Advocacy Award Recipient
Lucille Gilliland: Building Inclusion from the Ground Up

Lucille Gilliland, Executive Director of Southwest Day Care and Early Learning Centre, received the Advocacy Award for her decades of leadership and commitment to accessible and inclusive child care in Moose Jaw.

Under Lucille’s leadership, the centre has become a trusted and welcoming space for children of all needs, with approximately 25 per cent of enrolled children requiring special care or complex medical supports.

Over the years, Lucille has led the development of programs that support children and families, including the Interagency Early Social Skills Program, accessible playground initiatives and specialized early years programming. The centre was also among the first child care facilities in Saskatchewan to achieve Rick Hansen Accessibility Certification.

Her work is rooted in the belief that accessibility and inclusion benefit entire communities.

“It takes a village to raise a child,” Lucille says. “I believe in a community that is accessible for all to live in and thrive in, and that is Moose Jaw.”

Even through significant challenges, including a major building renovation that nearly forced the centre to close, Lucille and her team remained committed to creating a safe, inclusive and accessible environment for children and families.

“For fifty years, Southwest Day Care and Early Learning Centre has shown what it means to rise to every challenge with heart, courage and optimism,” she shares.

Lucille is also an Independent Certified Instructor for the Baby Signs Program, which teaches sign language to hearing babies and young children. Based on American Sign Language and developed by child development experts, the program helps support early communication and is designed to meet the diverse needs of children and families.

Age-Friendly Business Award Recipient
Seniors Centre Without Walls: Reaching Those Most at Risk

Seniors Centre Without Walls was recognized for its work supporting vulnerable seniors and individuals facing barriers related to mobility, transportation, technology and isolation.

Founded in 2019 as a telephone-based support program for seniors unable to leave their homes, the organization has grown into a vital community resource helping individuals access medical appointments, housing supports, income tax services, technology assistance and daily living supports.

“We were seeing people cancel cancer treatments because they had no way to get there,” Ronda Wedhorn, program manager, explains. “Others didn’t know how to access services or didn’t have anyone checking in on them.”

Their work has had life-changing impacts, from helping visually impaired seniors safely manage food and medications to reconnecting spouses separated by mobility and transportation barriers.

The organization also highlighted the contributions of Carley Welykhlowa, owner of Carleys Cleaning Services, a local non-profit that supports seniors. Through discounted services, sponsorship initiatives, and personalized support, Carley helps seniors navigate everything from technology to household needs while also providing meaningful social connections.

“A lot of them just need someone there,” Carley says. “Sometimes sitting down and having coffee with them means just as much as the service itself.”

For the Seniors Centre, the Accessibility Award also helps build trust and awareness in the community.

“When the city recognizes you, seniors feel more comfortable reaching out for help,” Ronda and Carley share. “That recognition lets people know they can trust us.”

To learn more about Seniors Centre Without Walls, visit Seniors Centre Without Walls

The Accessibility Awards demonstrate that inclusion is built through innovation, community effort, and a shared commitment to accessibility. Lasting change happens one action at a time, often through community-driven efforts that strengthen communities and make accessibility part of everyday life.