Reidville -
Carson Young can usually be found driving his motorized wheelchair throughout Reidville, and sometimes as far as the Viking Trail and Deer Lake, with his dog, Crusher, in tow.
Although he said traffic is usually very courteous, giving him his space while sharing the road, Young said he is very pleased the town has installed a sign about a month ago letting traffic know he's on the road as well.
"People like myself would like to see people be cautious of anybody in a wheelchair. Myself, I got a motorized one so I have got to be on the road. It's a great thing to have," he said.
Young acquired the motorized wheelchair in October and, weather-depending, has been out and about ever since. He said he travels about 10 kilometres a day, and some days trekking more than 25 kilometres.
Young was diagnosed with polymyositis in 1992, which is a severe form of arthritis. According to the Arthritis Society, polymyositis is a chronic disease that causes muscles to weaken due to inflammation and degeneration. Yearly, about one to five new cases are discovered per 100,000 people. It can affect the muscles in any part of the body.
He said the wheelchair has given him a new life, and the freedom of conquering the open road.
"It's given me back a lot of my freedom. I was pretty much barred into the house or sitting in the vehicle I couldn't get out and walk nowhere," he said.
Reidville Mayor Helen Reid said the town realized the sign was necessary to ensure its resident's safety on the roads.
"When he got his motorized wheelchair it was a new lease on life for him ... He's now going around, so it was a safety factor. Of course with him being on the road, we just wanted to make people aware that there would be a motorized wheelchair in the vicinity," she said.
She said the sign is the first of its kind in Reidville.
"It was new to Reidville, the first motorized wheelchair that we've known to be in Reidville. All of a sudden everyone's seeing Carson around town that they didn't see before. He's accessing places that he never accessed before. He's more frequently out and about so we had to for safety reasons," said Reid.
Reid said the sign it to remind local traffic of Young's presence in the community but also visiting traffic that otherwise wouldn't know to look for Young, his wheelchair and his dog.
"We try and look after our townspeople, so that was only fair and only right for his safety to do that for him," said Reid.
