Toronto's Winter Stations are a sight to behold, but disability advocates say they're far from accessible

Every year, Beate Hundert says she tries to view the art exhibits part of Winter Stations along Woodbine Beach. And each time, she says she's robbed of the experience.

Instead of getting to view each station up close, Hundert says she can only go as far as the boardwalk allows.

Hundert uses a walker to get around because of a condition called hereditary spastic paraplegia, which affects how her muscles function. That, coupled with the snowy and often icy terrain, means she can't experience the exhibit the way it's intended.

"It makes a big difference because you just don't enjoy it in the same way," said Hundert, 68.

"You try not to get depressed."

According to one local community organization, she isn't alone. Toronto Lakefront Community says the issue of beach accessibility, both at Woodbine Beach and beyond, has been on its radar for the past couple of years. It says locals have reported difficulty accessing the waterfront, not only during community events like Winter Stations, but throughout the year.

"We have to include everybody," said the group's co-founder Jane Anderson. "Solutions are readily available, and that's the thing that really bothers me."

The Winter Stations is an international design and art competition that brings temporary art installations to Toronto's east end beaches for the winter. This year, the event runs from Feb. 19 to the end of March.

Anderson points to mobility mats used at other beaches like Wasaga, where portable rollout mats laid on the beach provide a continuous pathway for pedestrians, people using wheelchairs and visitors with strollers or bicycles.

The town also offers all-terrain and water-accessible wheelchairs for rent. And while Toronto has its own beach wheelchair service, the aren't enough to meet demand, she said. 

"There's a strong commitment to accessibility, but I think in practice ... we're not there," said Anderson, adding she's spoken to Winter Stations organizers and the ward's elected officials for help.

"When you look at other municipalities, they've done a much better job."

In an effort to address the problem, Winter Stations head organizer Dakota Wares-Tani said new installations along Queen Street East at Woodbine Park, Kew Gardens and Ivan Forrest Gardens will help increase access to exhibits for those who can't make it across the beach.

In the 10 years the event has run, the change is a step forward in addressing a long-term issue that the non-profit organization alone can't fix, she said. Rough quotes for mobility mats for the event were in the tens of thousands of dollars, making up more than half their funding, she added.