Kyle Humphrey loves to go to concerts, hockey games and other events, but he doesn’t like having to sit by himself.
The
35-year-old disability advocate
, also known as Super Kyle, supports the
proposed renovation of Lansdowne Park
because it will add space in the stands for people like him who use wheelchairs.
“Most of my friends do not use wheelchairs,” Humphrey said, “and, so, when I want to go to a hockey game or a show or whatever, I’m basically either getting out of my chair, if I have the ability to, and sitting in a seat, or I’m segregated from my friends.”
The
new event centre
slated to replace the aging TD Place Arena will accommodate about 6,500 people for concerts and 5,850 for hockey games, a significant reduction in capacity from the 9,274 the arena can hold now.
While the
Ottawa Charge fears the loss of seats
will negatively affect the financial sustainability of the Professional Women’s Hockey League team, Humphrey is looking forward to the revamped facility. According to the City of Ottawa, a “core” priority for the rebuild is “full accessibility.”
The new stands are expected to accommodate wheelchair users, either with extra space between some seats, or with seats that can be removed to make room for a wheelchair.
“It’s like when you go to watch a movie and there are a couple of empty spots and then a few seats next to them,” Humphrey said. “Someone using a wheelchair doesn’t need, like, 20 feet of space at the back of the room.”
Who is Kyle Humphrey?
The red-haired Algonquin College
grad, who was born with spina bifida
and later diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, spent much of his childhood as an ambassador for various charitable organizations, including Easter Seals, the Sens Foundation and the former Max Keeping Foundation, now known as the Max Keeping Fund for Kids at CHEO. He also endured dozens of surgeries as a child.
But he found a niche in the tight-knit hard rock/metal community of Ottawa-Gatineau. Live music gives him the biggest thrill when it’s loud and heavy and ignites a mosh pit in front of the stage.
One of his favourite things to do is join the fray, surfing the crowd in his manual wheelchair. His technique requires a few helpers to lift the chair, but, once he’s above their heads, Humphrey feels like he’s flying. Naturally, the image of a wheelchair-user teetering over a raging crowd never fails to
generate dramatic photos
and social-media accolades,
especially at Bluesfest
. It has made Humphrey into something of a local celebrity and he’s regularly approached for photos whenever he’s out on the town.
What’s the problem for wheelchair users at Lansdowne Park?
Humphrey hasn’t been to a show at the TD Place arena since 2016, when he saw the
Chicago rockers Disturbed
. If he had sat where he was supposed to, he would have been nowhere near the stage.
“I don’t follow rules very well,” Humphrey admitted. “My whole thing is to crowd-surf. I want to get in the air.”
Ahead of the Disturbed show, Humphrey called the venue to make sure he could get to the general-admission area on the floor in front of the stage. He was advised to check in with the accessibility team when he arrived.
“They were more than happy to take me down,” he recalled. “It was no problem, so that was nice.”
His experience at a stadium show at Lansdowne Park was less successful. On
Aug. 21, 2017, Guns N Roses played TD Place stadium
, and Humphrey tried to get tickets as close as possible to the stage.
“I was right at the back,” he remembered. “The stage was on one side and the wheelchair seating was on the opposite side. There was no way I could get within 50 yards of the stage.
“I mean, I get it,” he added. “They built it so that it’s all wheelchair seating on the home side or whatever. But I don’t care. I want to be able to sit where I want to sit.”
Under the Lansdowne 2.0 proposal, the redesigned north-side stands would have seating capacity reduced from 14,000 to 11,000, plus standing room for 900. Although the new stands wouldn’t have a roof, the seating would be upgraded, concourses would be widened, extra washrooms would be added and accessibility would be “significantly improved.”
Did Super Kyle fix Para Transpo?
The last time Humphrey threw himself into advocacy was to shed light on
inequities faced by Para Transpo users
compared to regular OC Transpo riders. With the introduction of online booking and shorter wait times, he counted it as a win.
His next target is the accessibility of
bars and nightclubs
, too many of which have steps at their front doors, inaccessible washrooms and/or narrow pathways between tables.
To illustrate his point, Humphrey is throwing himself a 36th-birthday party Nov. 15 at the Brass Monkey, a basement pool hall/music venue with no elevator. While he’s not shy about asking friends or staff to carry him down the stairs, he knows others in his situation might not even try to attend.
Humphrey believes funding should be available to help club owners improve the accessibility of establishments that are often located in old buildings.
“They say nobody in a wheelchair goes to these places,” he said. “But why do you think that is? They can’t get there. I’m just one person trying to point out if you build it, they will come.”
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