112 Year-Old Alberta Courthouse Gains Wheelchair Accessibility While Fully Preserving Historic Details

The Fort Macleod Courthouse and town hall, one of the oldest buildings in the province, needed to be made wheelchair accessible. The courthouse administration turned to Lorne Wensel, owner of Amramp Alberta to tackle this very delicate job.

The 112-year-old building could not be altered in any way, and since its use might change in the future, they were looking for a temporary rather than permanent addition. Any digging would require a team of archaeologists to oversee the project. Amramp was the perfect solution because Amramp’s modular, steel wheelchair ramps are free-standing and require no digging or excavation to install.

It took six months to get the necessary permits from Historic Sites Alberta and Historic Sites Canada. Installation was tricky to fit a ramp and step combination into a narrow walkway with an arch overhead. The Rocky Mountains were a beautiful backdrop for the job. Townspeople were friendly, coming up to inquire about the installation and share their memories of the courthouse and what it meant to them.

The Fort Macleod Courthouse, built in 1904, predates Alberta’s designation as a province, originally serving as a trading post for the Northwest prairie territory.

For more about Amramp and available franchise territories in Canada, call 888-715-7598.

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