Wayne Miller was moved to tears at Tuesday’s North Bay City Council meeting.
Wayne is the father of the late Adam “Wheels” Miller and he came from Thornloe, Ontario, to witness council acknowledge his son’s advocacy for North Bay’s new beach accessibility mat. Council moved to name it “Wheels” To The Water, in Adam’s honour.
Wayne and Adam’s sister, Candace Penasse, travelled to the meeting and were visibly moved by the tribute. They say they plan to attend the ceremony to open the mat for use.
Wayne described Adam as a “farm boy who learned the value of hard work at a young age.” Adam excelled in various sports, notably swimming. The beach sand was the barrier preventing Adam from accessing North Bay’s lakes and what spurred his involvement in the project.
“He wanted to benefit others. He worked tirelessly, he started at the ground level with the wrestling so he could raise funds for the Special Olympics,” Wayne recalled of his son. Adam worked as a promoter in various ventures in his adopted hometown of North Bay.
Deputy Mayor Tanya Vrebosch recalled Adam as a “huge advocate for accessibility for all…It’s unfortunate that we are doing this after he has passed but I know his family is very supportive.”
Adam had made acquiring one of the mats for North Bay a goal but funding fell through and the project had stalled when he passed away in May of 2016.
The project originated with the Municipal Accessibility Advisory Committee (MAAC), of which Adam was a member, and has finally come to fruition after being included in this year’s budget.
The mat is designed for Marathon Beach but Vrebosch said after the meeting the initial location may change due to the blue-green algae bloom periodically visible at that beach. The beach access mat can be removed for winter and according to municipal officials, will extend from the brick walkway near the playground, over the sandy beach, to the lake when placed at Marathon Beach.
MAAC council representative Scott Robertson has said the mat is aimed at making it easier for people with disabilities to access the water but not necessarily just for those in wheelchairs. “There are a lot of people who have accessibility barriers, physical barriers.”
