White Rock launches free beach wheelchair rental program through partnership

The City of White Rock officially launched its 2026 Beach Wheelchair Pilot Program on Thursday, July 16, in partnership with Naakua Paddle Boards, offering free beach wheelchair rentals during regular business hours.

The beach wheelchairs will be available through Naakua Paddle Boards, located at 14849 Marine Drive, and can be rented free of charge for up to two hours. "The Beach Wheelchair Program creates new opportunities for people of all abilities to access and enjoy our iconic waterfront," said White Rock Mayor Megan Knight at the launch.

This pilot program marks the return of a service that began in 2016 when the Self Advocates of Semiahmoo first introduced beach-accessible wheelchairs to White Rock's waterfront. Two chairs were later made available through Feral Boardsports on East Beach, but when that business closed in 2019, the wheelchairs went into storage as the community searched for a sustainable model.

For years, the initiative stalled due to questions about staffing, funding, administration, and logistics. The effort gained renewed momentum last summer after Councillor Susan Bains met a White Rock resident who uses a wheelchair while using her own beach wheelchair. The man was excited to see it and asked where he could rent one—Bains said her "heart sank" when she had to tell him there was no rental program, even though chairs were available in the community.

After being elected to council, Bains made restoring public access to beach wheelchairs a priority. The program came together through collaboration involving the Self Advocates of Semiahmoo, Naakua Paddle Boards, the city's Accessibility Advisory Committee, Motion, city staff, and White Rock council. The city also added a WaterWheels beach wheelchair, which allows users to access both the sand and the water. Funding for the purchase came from an existing city surplus with no additional cost to taxpayers.

The Self Advocates of Semiahmoo donated two of three beach wheelchairs now available through the pilot program. That resident Bains met last summer attended the July 16 launch—Bains said the occasion was especially meaningful because of his presence.