Accessible Boating in Victoria: Welcoming Power To Be and the Rick Hansen Foundation

There are few better ways to experience Victoria than from the water. Last week, Victoria International Marina was pleased to welcome Power To Be and the Rick Hansen Foundation’s Accessible Outdoors Program to the waterfront, helping create more opportunities for people with disabilities to experience the waters surrounding Victoria.

From September 8–10, Power To Be participants departed from VIM aboard Everyone Everywhere, a purpose-built accessible vessel designed to help remove barriers to boating and outdoor recreation. Over three days, participants took part in fishing, wildlife and conservation experiences, with additional programming supported by SeaChange.

For Victoria International Marina, it was an opportunity to support something simple but important: helping more people experience the remarkable coastline we are fortunate to call home.

Rethinking Access to the Water

For many people, stepping aboard a boat is something that requires very little thought. But traditional docks, narrow passageways, boarding systems and equipment can create significant barriers for people with disabilities. The Rick Hansen Foundation’s Accessible Outdoors Program is helping rethink what access to the water can look like.

At the centre of the program is Everyone Everywhere, a custom-built accessible vessel designed with inclusion in mind from the beginning. The vessel includes accessible boarding, wider doors and windows, lifts, adaptive fishing equipment, high-contrast visual features, specialized communication technology and an accessible washroom. Rather than simply adapting a traditional boating experience, the program asks a bigger question: What could being on the water look like if accessibility was considered from the very beginning?

The goal is not only to create more opportunities for people with disabilities to experience nature, but also to learn from those experiences and help make outdoor recreation more inclusive.

Accessible Boating From Victoria’s Waterfront

That mission makes Power To Be a natural partner. Based in Victoria, Power To Be has been creating accessible outdoor experiences since 1998. The organization works with youth, adults and families who may experience physical, cognitive, financial or social barriers to accessing nature.

Its programs include kayaking, canoeing, hiking, paddleboarding, camping and rock climbing, supported by adaptive equipment and experienced facilitators. At the heart of its work is a simple idea: Everyone belongs in nature.

Last week, that idea came directly to Victoria’s waterfront. Participants boarded Everyone Everywhere from Victoria International Marina before heading out for morning and afternoon experiences focused on fishing, wildlife and conservation. For our marina, it was a small but meaningful role: helping connect people from shore to sea.

Forty Years of Moving Accessibility Forward

The visit also took place during an important year for the Rick Hansen Foundation. In 2026, the organization is commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Man In Motion World Tour, the journey that saw Rick Hansen and his team travel more than 40,000 kilometres through 34 countries over 26 months. Hansen began the tour in March 1985 with the goal of changing perceptions about the potential of people with disabilities and encouraging more accessible and inclusive communities. Four decades later, that work continues. Sometimes progress happens through major changes in infrastructure and policy. Other times, it is much more immediate. It can be a dock someone can navigate independently. Equipment they are able to use. A boat designed with accessibility in mind. Or simply the opportunity to experience a part of the coast that may once have felt out of reach.

A Waterfront for More People

Victoria’s connection to the ocean is one of the things that makes this city so special. The water shapes our culture, our economy and the way residents and visitors experience this part of the world. From recreational boating and wildlife encounters to quiet mornings overlooking the harbour, life here is closely connected to the coast. That is what makes conversations about accessibility so important.

Power To Be’s work shows what is possible when barriers are approached differently. Its programs create opportunities for people with disabilities to participate in outdoor activities, build skills, connect with others and experience nature in new ways. Sometimes, the biggest change begins by simply asking: what else is possible?

Earlier this year, Power To Be shared the story of a participant who had used a wheelchair for more than two decades and believed some outdoor destinations were no longer accessible to them. After completing an adapted trip to Botanical Beach, the participant reflected that the experience had changed the way they thought about the places they might still be able to explore. That same sense of possibility was reflected in last week’s visit to Victoria’s waterfront.

A Meaningful Visit to Victoria

We were pleased to welcome Everyone Everywhere, the Rick Hansen Foundation, Power To Be and their participants to Victoria International Marina. More importantly, we were proud to play a part in helping more people connect with the waters and wildlife surrounding Victoria. Because a remarkable waterfront is not only defined by where it is, it is also defined by who gets to experience it.

Learn More

Learn more about the Rick Hansen Foundation Accessible Outdoors Program and its work to remove barriers to outdoor recreation.

Learn more about Power To Be and its accessible nature programs in Victoria and Vancouver.

Discover more about the 40th anniversary of Rick Hansen’s Man In Motion World Tour and the ongoing movement toward a more accessible Canada.

And learn more about Victoria International Marina, its waterfront location, guest services and connection to Victoria’s Inner Harbour.