As an active senior of 73, with significant shoulder limitations and my athletic days long behind me, the era of propelling a wheelchair for kilometres by arm strength alone has passed. For years, my access to outdoor spaces was limited to wherever a vehicle could take me, often requiring numerous transfers. Also, I grew up on a farm, and being out in nature has always been an important part of my life. The Companion has allowed me to reclaim and enjoy that connection again.
With the Companion, I’ve regained the freedom to enjoy the outdoors and visit the many destinations linked by Ottawa’s 200 km of Multi‑Use Pathways, reaching and exploring areas of nature that were previously unreachable by car. It has restored not just mobility, but the ability to experience the city and its natural spaces in ways I thought were no longer possible. It has also significantly reduced the number of wheelchair transfers needed to reach local destinations.

Now, I simply stay in my wheelchair, travel wherever I want to go, and connect or disconnect the Companion in seconds when needed. I’m on my way again—independent, mobile, and able to effortlessly enjoy the outdoor world around me. In less than one year—excluding most of Ottawa’s winter weather—and with only about five months of active outdoor use, I’ve already put just over 300 km on my Companion.