Entrances to multiple City facilities will soon be easier to navigate thanks to a $40,000 grant that will help reduce physical barriers and improve accessibility across the community.
COQUITLAM, B.C., June 1, 2026 – Entrances to multiple City facilities will soon be easier to navigate thanks to a $40,000 grant that will help reduce physical barriers and improve accessibility across the community.
The Barrier Buster Grants Program is a partnership between RBC and the Rick Hansen Foundation. Coquitlam is one of only 40 communities across Canada selected to receive the sought-after grant, which supports projects that reduce barriers and creates greater opportunities for people of varying abilities to participate more fully in community life.
Ease of Access at Civic Facilities
Each grant-funded installation will include automatic door openers activated by dual buttons or vertical push bars that patrons can press to automatically open the door – not just with their hands, but also with a foot, wheelchair, walker or other mobility device. This upgrade helps people with limited mobility or reach enter facilities more independently.
The benefits to these upgrades also extend beyond individuals with mobility challenges. Parents with strollers, seniors, delivery personnel, and community members carrying equipment or supplies will all experience improved access. These enhancements help create spaces that are accessible, welcoming and easy to navigate in our community.
Building on a Broader Commitment
While the Barrier Buster grant funding will focus on entrances, the work to improve accessibility is part of a larger, coordinated effort to remove barriers across City facilities and public spaces. By securing external grant funding, the City can accelerate accessibility improvements and retrofit older facilities without relying solely on taxpayers to fund these upgrades.
Earlier this year, Coquitlam adopted its Accessibility and Inclusion Plan, setting a clear direction to make services, programs and spaces more inclusive. Since then, momentum has continued to build.
Last month, the City secured a $25,000 SPARC BC grant to remove 30 maze gates across the community—another step toward improving how people move through public spaces.
Together, these initiatives reflect a shift toward proactively identifying and removing obstacles—whether at the front door or along the path to get there.
Committed to Accessible Facilities
Several City facilities have been recognized through the Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification™ program, including Maillardville Community Centre and Town Centre Park Community Centre, both of which received gold ratings.
Glen Pine Pavilion has also earned gold certification for excellence in accessible design, and City Hall, Poirier Sport and Leisure Complex and Dogwood Pavilion have also been certified.
Barrier Buster Program
In honour of the 40th Anniversary of Rick Hansen’s Man In Motion World Tour, and in partnership with RBC and RBC Foundation, the RBC Barrier Buster Grants Program, presented by the Rick Hansen Foundation, was launched to empower communities across the country to remove physical barriers and create spaces that welcome people of different ages and abilities.
Media contacts:
Lori Gray
Senior Manager, Facilities
facilitiescustomerservice@coquitlam.ca
Manisha Dutta
Senior Manager, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
EDI@coquitlam.ca
We acknowledge with gratitude and respect that the name Coquitlam was derived from the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ (HUN-kuh-MEE-num) word kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (kwee-KWET-lum) meaning “Red Fish Up the River”. The City is honoured to be located on the kʷikʷəƛ̓əm traditional and ancestral lands, including those parts that were historically shared with the q̓ic̓əy̓ (kat-zee), and other Coast Salish Peoples.