![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6976944.1721898750!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
'It's magnificent': Rocky Mountain Adaptive hosts week-long camp in Kananaskis, Alta.
It's a week-long getaway to William Watson Lodge in Kananaskis, Alta., for people living with disabilities and their families.
This is the fifth year Rocky Mountain Adaptive (RMA) has hosted the camp.
When it started, about 40 people participated but this year, 90 are taking part and another 60 had to be turned away because there wasn't enough space available.
Irene Hutchens, a bike instructor with RMA, says families are having a great experience at the mountain park and the lodge, which was renovated in 2022.
"I've heard people say that this is more accessible than their own homes," she said.
"We have a staff member, he rolled in and he's like, 'I want to live here -- I can actually reach the light switches.' We don't even realize how amazing that is -- all the tabletops are low, everything is low for everyone to reach it, the lifts are incredible, families say that they've never experienced anything like it."
Families participate in a variety of accessible events at camp from paddle sports to kayaking.
They also get to mountain bike along the 12 kilometres of paved accessible trails starting at the lodge.
"I've heard people say that they don't even feel paralyzed anymore," Hutchens said.
"They get on these bikes, they get in these kayaks, they get on the trail riders and they say, 'I feel free,' and that is just this huge experience and I feel so grateful I get to do it."
Becky Webb, team lead at William Watson Lodge, says the Alberta government invested more than $6 million to enhance visitor experience as well as to bring the facility up to today's accessibility standards.
"William Watson Lodge is a year-round, barrier-free facility. It includes 22 accessible cabin units -- one-, two- and three-bedroom," she said.
"We have a campground with a small comfort cabin, as well as our main lodge here that day groups can come and enjoy, members of the public can come and enjoy, a fully accessible games room for those with disabilities (located in the) main lodge that includes a commercial kitchen facility, as well as a library with books, games and puzzles."
Julie Rubin is attending this year with her son Kaleb, who will be five in October.
Kaleb likes the outdoors but needs a little help exploring and is riding in a BowHead electric tricycle operated by Darya Sepandj, who is an RMA summer programmer.
Joining them are Rubin's youngest son Henry and husband Brian Banderk.
The family is enjoying everything the camp has to offer.
"It's magnificent. Accommodation is fully adapted and accessible, so it's been so great not to worry about stairs or the shower," Rubin said.
"Everything is set up perfectly for us and to have access to the lodge as well, where you get to interact with lots of other families in kind of similar situations, and Rocky Mountain Adaptive staff are so accommodating, friendly, so supportive, so empathetic -- they're great."
Ross Billings doesn't have the use of his legs and is on an assisted tricycle, riding the trails around the lodge.
He's always enjoyed the outdoors and wasn't sure he'd ever get the chance again after his injury.
"At one time, I thought, 'Well, that's it -- let's kind of move on,'" he said.
"This has been the experience that's kind of brought me back to actually seeing there is some potential to do something, you know, albeit in a different way of trying to access (the mountain parks)."
You can learn more about Rocky Mountain Adaptive at rockymountainadaptive.com.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6976926.1721883767!/httpImage/image.png_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.png)
DEVELOPING Alberta's request for federal assistance approved after fast-moving wildfire hit Jasper National Park: Trudeau
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on social media that Ottawa has approved Alberta's request for federal assistance after a fast-moving wildfire hit Jasper National Park and its townsite late Wednesday.
BREAKING Loblaw, George Weston to settle class action over bread price-fixing for $500 million
Loblaw Cos. Ltd. and its parent company George Weston Ltd. say they have agreed to pay $500-million to settle a class-action lawsuit regarding their involvement in an alleged bread price-fixing scheme.
EXCLUSIVE One address, 76 foreign currency dealers: Inside Canada's money service business 'clusters'
An IJF and CTV News investigation has found dozens of cases across Canada where multiple money services businesses (MSBs) are incorporated at the same address, sometimes without the knowledge or consent of the location's actual occupant. One money laundering expert calls it an 'abuse of the system.'
U.K. police officer suspended after video appears to show a man being kicked in head
A British police officer was suspended from all duties Thursday after a video was posted on social media that appeared to show an officer kicking and stamping on the head of a man lying on the floor of a terminal at Manchester Airport.
Barrie-Innisfil MPP 'blacked-out' and crashed car into window of child care centre
Staff at a Barrie child care centre say they are frustrated by what they call a local MPP's inadequate response after a car crashed through a window in one of the toddler rooms.
Norad intercepts Russian and Chinese bombers operating together near Alaska in apparent first
The North American Aerospace Defence Command (Norad) intercepted two Russian and two Chinese bombers flying near Alaska Wednesday in what appears to be the first time the two countries have been intercepted while operating together.
Biden explains why he ended re-election bid in Oval Office address
U.S. President Joe Biden on Wednesday delivered a solemn call to voters to defend the country's democracy as he laid out in an Oval Office address his decision to drop his bid for reelection and throw his support behind Vice President Kamala Harris.
Jasper mayor says alert system to be reviewed after message 'glitch'
More than 25,000 people have been displaced from Jasper National Park since wildfires started to threaten the picturesque corner of Alberta Rockies on Monday, but the mayor of its namesake municipality says not everyone received an evacuation alert when it was sent out.
Unclaimed bodies are piling up in Newfoundland. A funeral director blames the government
A funeral director in St. John's says the bodies piling up in freezers at Newfoundland and Labrador's largest hospital likely belong to people whose loved ones couldn't get enough government help to pay for a funeral.