Corona Canada installing reclaimed plastic access mats at Canadian beaches
Canadian Plastics
Canadian Plastics Materials Recycling SustainabilityThe semi-rigid and roll-out portable pathways help create a smooth transition to shorelines for those with mobility challenges.
Photo Credit: CNW Group/Corona Canada
Beer brand Corona Canada is installing semi-rigid, roll-out access mats made with reclaimed ocean-bound plastics at six beaches in Canada this summer.
Part of Corona’s Accessing Paradise Pledge, the project aims to make beaches, and beach sunsets, more accessible for those with mobility challenges.
The first two beaches to have the mats installed are Wellington Beach in Prince Edward County, Ont., which had the pathway installed on May 10; and Saint-Zotique in Vaudreuil-Soulanges, Que., which will have a mat installed on June 15.
Corona officials say they selected the first two beaches based on the greatest impact in terms of adding broad accessibility measures. The other four beaches have not yet been chosen, and Corona is asking for help from Canadians to select them, inviting them to visit CoronaExtra.ca/AccessingParadise to nominate a beach.
The pathways are called Mobi-Mats, and are made by mobility equipment developer Deschamps Mats Systems.
According to Statistics Canada, Canada has the longest coastline in the world, with more than 2,500 known public beaches. But less than 15 per cent are accessible for those with mobility challenges.
In addition, Corona is adding Mobi-Chairs, a floating wheelchair for in-water accessibility, along with Mobi-Decks that provide multi-purpose areas with added stability for beachgoers to gather.