Rolling with Sarah

I recently saw Brad Paisley live at the Canadian Tire Centre. I went with my sister and her boyfriend. So here is the accessibility scoop. When we arrived, the very front parking lot by the doors was reserved for accessible parking. All of the spots were extra wide. It cost a fair amount to park there, but it’s definitely  worth it.  It is right next to the accessible entrance. This entrance has a wide metal detector that most chairs fit through. Once through, an attendant scans your ticket and you are in.

The elevators are right there, but I wanted a T-shirt so we took a little detour. Man was it crowded! It was a little difficult to manoeuvrer with so many people, but I think we managed without ramming too many ankles lol. We went to one side, and were told there were too many people so we had to come back. This is not an easy thing to do when you are in a chair, so we tired the other side of the stand. The line was long, but we got in it and it moved surprisingly quickly. Once I had my T-shirt we were out of there. Not something you want to do if crowds make you uncomfortable. I managed to grab a quick hotdog and drink  (for a small fortune) and then we were off to find our seats.

In this venue, there are accessible seats on the 200 level and the 300 level. Our tickets were on the 300 level. We went back to the elevator we passed on the way in and went straight up. The seats gave us a nice view of the stage and we were lucky that there was no one in front of us to stand up dancing and block our view. I know this is a possibility from a previous concert I went to. Most people are considerate that there is a wheelchair user behind them who can’t stand to see over them, but then again some people unfortunately don’t care. I have encountered both. For this concert we didn’t have to worry.

Megan Patrick and Jackson Dean were the openers. I personally enjoyed Meghan more, but that’s just me. Right before Brad came on I had to go to the washroom. The downside to the 300 level is that there is no bathroom, so we had to make our way back down to the 200’s. There was one accessible stall. To my dismay, the lock didn’t work! So annoying! My sister had to hold the door shut for me. For an able-bodied person this would be no big deal as they would just go to another stall, but this was the only accessible stall so I had no option. Another challenge was washing my hands. The soap was way out of reach for someone in a wheelchair so I needed help once again. Not the best for my independence.

Finally it was time for Brad Paisley to take the stage! He was great! My favourite song was Whiskey Lullaby.  I know it’s a sad song but I just love the melody. I was a little disappointed that he didn’t do my favourite Christmas song of his, James Penguin, but I will get over it haha.

When the concert was over we have a little trick to get out before the crowds. We put our coats on and left just as the encore is starting. You can still hear it as you are exiting so we didn’t miss anything. This way we got a jump on all of those people needing an elevator. One thing I did like was that not only was there a sign saying give elevator priority to disabled persons, but there was an attendant to make sure this was enforced.

Our plan worked and we beat the buildup of traffic getting out. I had a blast with my sister and her boyfriend and was so glad they surprised me with these tickets. I truly am lucky to have such an amazing family who celebrate my achievements. I wonder who we will go to see next?