Jordan Village - www.jordanvillage.com - A quiet trip to the past, the entire Jordan area is historical in nature and features antiques shops, galleries, restaurants, wineries, clothing.

Hours: Store hours vary in Jordan Village depending on the time of year and what kind of store it is...family run in a home or in what I call the Jordan Village winery strip. Please call 905-562-3078 or check the Jordan Village Web site for up-to-date hours.

Follow Highway No. 8 to Main Street in Jordan or exit at Jordan Road from QEW.

There's ample parking in the area including a large lot and designated on-street parking. I'd say three-quarters of the shops up and down the Jordan Village main strip are accessible, some with help and some very easy.

There's a washroom in Zooma Zooma Restaurant that is very tight but passable if you can stand. There's also an accessible washroom in On-The-Twenty Restaurant for restaurant patrons.

Shops sell antiques, art, clothing, furniture, home and garden accessories and lovely gifts. This area features many unique items not found elsewhere as small business people seem to have found Jordan Village an ideal place to set up shop and ply one-of-a-kind items.

Pen Centre - www.thepencentre.com - Located in the City of St. Catharines with more than 160 stores and services, the Pen Centre is the largest shopping mall in the Niagara region.

Located at Glendale and Highway 406 in St. Catharines.

Hours: 10 a.m. - 9 p.m. weekdays, 9:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Saturdays, and 12 noon - 5 p.m. on Sunday. Beginning the second week of December, 9 a.m. - 9 p.m. Monday to Saturday and 11a.m. - 6 p.m. on Sunday up until the 23rd and 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. on the 24th. Telephone: 905-687-6622, toll-free 1-800-582-8202.

There is ample accessible parking and it would be advised with a rear or side-loading van that you park on the outer limits of the lot. Everything is ramped, doors are automatic and most shops are accessible. In fact, there is very little at the Pen Centre that is not accessible. If you come in through Winners there is an elevator that takes you up to the main mall, and if you come in any other entrance you have access to all the stores and the elevator down to Winners.

Washrooms are located near the food court and include a larger stall in the main washroom and a separate designated washroom just for people with disabilities in the hallway .

You could easily spend an entire day there (I've done it) as everything you need, including restaurants, a large supermarket, bank machines and the eight-screen Silver City Cinema.

Canada One Factory Outlet - www.canadaoneoutlets.com - Located in Niagara Falls, Canada One Factory Outlet includes 40 stores plus a food court.

Located at 7500 Lundy's Lane, Niagara Falls, ON

Hours: Monday-Saturday 10 a.m. - 9 p.m.; Sunday and Holidays 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.; Saturdays (Jan.1 - April 30 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.) Telephone 905-356-8989

There is ample designated parking. The entire plaza is ramped but some of the ramps are not under cover, so if it's raining be prepared to get wet. All the stores have automatic doors and are roomy enough for easy shopping.

Washrooms are located in the food court and we're told they are accessible. We'll be checking them out.

Forty factory outlets including Roots, Nike, Polo Ralph Lauren, Cambridge Towels, Danier Leather, Liz Claiborne, Reebok, Rockport, Tommy Hilfiger and Villeroy and Boch table ware amongst others.

Oneida Factory One Outlet - www.targetcanada.com/Oneida -Located at 8699 Stanley Ave. South, Niagara Falls.

The large parking lot has designated parking spaces and there's easy access to the store.

Hours: 9:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. seven days a week.

Tel: 905-356-969 Located in Niagara Falls, ON, you'll find a wide selection of bargain-priced fine silverplate, stainless flatware and hollow-ware. These pieces may have slight imperfections or may be discontinued patterns, but they are offered at a substantial saving on a cash-and-carry basis.
Because of the nature of the goods sold (some glassware is also offered) you'll have to be careful working your way around the store in a wheelchair or scooter or other mobility devices, but great finds can be found.

Seaway Mall - www.seawaymall.com - 800 Niagara St., Welland. Tel: 905-735-0694. The mall is located in the north end of the City of Welland with more than 120 stores including the anchor stores Sears, Wal-Mart and Zellers. The mall also features two banks, an ATM, and an accessible restaurant as well as a food court and the seven-screen Cineplex-Odeon cinema.

There is an accessible washroom located across from Shoppers Drug Mart. There is plenty of accessible parking at the front and back entrances as well as outside Wal-Mart.

Hours: 10 a.m. - 9 p.m. Monday to Friday; 9:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Saturday; 12 noon - 5 p.m. Sunday. Extended shopping hours during December.

Niagara Square - 7555 Montrose Road, Niagara Falls, ON. Tel: 905-357-1110.

Conveniently located adjacent to the QEW highway at the McLeod Road exit, the mall features more than 70 stores, with the major tenants being The Bay and SportChek. There is ample designated parking at each mall entrance around the massive parking lot. Free wheelchairs are available as well as rented baby strollers.

The mall also features a food court, two banks, an ATM machine and accessible washrooms located just off the food court. As well as an accessible stall in the general Ladies and Men's washrooms with the stall door swinging both in and out, there is a separate accessible family style washroom between the two. There are also several low accessible phones throughout the mall. Separate from the mall but sharing the same huge
parking lot is a 10-screen Cineplex Odeon Theatre.

Hours: Monday to Friday 10 a.m. - 9 p.m.; Saturday 9:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.; Sunday 12 noon - 5 p.m. Extended shopping hours during December.

Fairview Mall - 285 Geneva Street, St. Catharines, ON. Tel: 905-646-3165
One of Canada's first enclosed shopping centres, which opened April 16, 1961, the Fairview Mall is conveniently located on Geneva Street in St. Catharines at the QEW highway. Take the Lake Street exit off the QEW.

There is plenty of accessible parking at the various entrances to the mall, most of which have automatic doors. Among the more than 60 shops and services are the major tenants: Zellers department store, Chapters book store, Future Shop electronics and Zehrs supermarket. There are also two banks, ATM machines, a food court and a nine-screen Cineplex Odeon theatre. Several accessible telephones are located throughout the mall.

Accessible washrooms are located just off the food court. We checked out the Ladies washroom, which had two accessible stalls with the doors opening out toward you. This washroom also has a baby change station. There is also a separate family washroom located next to the general washrooms with a sign on the door informing you to ask for the key at the food court. Hours: Monday to

Mall hours: Friday 10 a.m. - 9 p.m.; Saturday 9:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.; Sunday 12 noon - 5 p.m. Extended hours during December