Blue Bombers, accessible sport expo on collision course over parking at IG Field

A sports showcase for people with disabilities is set to take over the University of Manitoba next weekend, but organizers are worried about a potential conflict with a Winnipeg Blue Bomber game scheduled the same day.

On Nov. 13, the Accessible Sport Expo will feature 28 different sports adapted for people with disabilities, including archery, wheelchair basketball and weightlifting.

"It's for people with a disability, but really it's a bigger conversation about accessibility and inclusion," said Kirby Cote, a visually impaired athlete who is helping to organize the expo.

Ninety minutes after that event ends at 2 p.m., the Winnipeg Blue Bombers play in the CFL Western Final.

Cote says she's worried that game day traffic could make it difficult to get attendees out safely. 

The event booked space at the university in August and Nov. 13 was the only date that worked.

Organizers knew there could be a conflict with the football game,and they reached out to the team to try to co-ordinate parking and pickup after their event.

Cote says she was disappointed with their response.

"The only option that they were open to was that we would just end our event even earlier than we already planned, and we had already planned to end our event early to accommodate the game and the parking fee," she said.

Once it was confirmed the Bombers would be playing in the Western Final, the expo cut back its end time by two hours. 

Cote had hoped the team would designate a spot where expo attendees could be safely picked up but so far, she says, their only suggestion was to shorten their event by another half hour.

An email shared with CBC News shows the team asked the expo organizers to start leaving early so that parking lots would be cleared out of buses and vehicles by 2 p.m.

CBC News reached out to the team for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

Possible confusion worrisome

The possible confusion over transportation has one wheelchair sports advocate worried some people might choose to just stay home.

"It seems disappointing to me because both of the Blue Bombers and the University of Manitoba talk about inclusion and access and diversity but when push comes to shove, they're not doing that in action," said Peter Tonge, executive director of the Manitoba Wheelchair Sports Association.

A spokesperson for the university said it isn't involved in parking arrangements for either the sport expo or the football game.

Although the university owns the lots, a contract with the Blue Bombers gives them control of the lots 90 minutes before the start of each game, Chris Rutkowski said in an email.

Winnipeg Transit Plus said drop-off and pick-up locations at the university vary by building, and customers will be informed of the locations at the time of booking.

"As we get closer to the event and have more information about how many customers will be attending, we will determine if an inspector should be on site prior to the CFL game to provide assistance to those leaving the earlier event," Winnipeg Transit spokesperson Megan Benedictson said in an email.

Cote says she hopes people choose to come to the expo, and suggests people come early to avoid any issues with traffic. The event begins at 10 a.m.