Brampton built a flat Halloween street so more children could trick-or-treat

Brampton opened a Halloween route built so children who use wheelchairs, or who are overwhelmed by a scary porch, could trick-or-treat with everyone else. CBC News reported on October 31, 2026, that hundreds came Saturday to the first Halloween Accessibility Village outside Paul Palleschi Recreation Centre. The paths were flat, low-barrier, and low-sensory, laid out like a street.

Organizer Gunjan Sharda said many houses have stairs or are too frightening, and that Halloween should include children of all abilities. The event ran with RE/MAX Canada and Treat Accessibly Canada. Treat Accessibly says that since 2017 it has made 300,000 doorsteps more accessible, and that it is working with 10 RE/MAX partners in Canada, four of them in Ontario, including Brampton.

Sara Martins came with her sons, including four-year-old Miles, who uses a wheelchair. She said the usual hurdle is stairs, so his brother often goes up and asks for candy to bring back down. April Creamer came with her 12-year-old stepdaughter, who also uses a wheelchair, and said the village let her move through without worrying about crowds, narrow doors, or uneven pavement. Both parents said awareness is up and that change in ordinary public places is still slow. Sharda hopes the village becomes annual. The report counts hundreds at one Saturday event. It does not say every Brampton doorway is now step-free.