New initiative offers perks to senior-friendly businesses
The dawn of a new age, or rather old age, is hitting Calgary.
While it has the youngest population of all major cities in Canada, the growth rate of residents aged 65 plus is expected to more than double over the next 25 years, according to the City of Calgary in a 2015 report.
Many cities across Canada crafted age-friendly strategies after the World Health Organization released a Global Age-Friendly Cities guide in 2007. Calgary didn’t begin until 2015. “Even though we started planning several years after other cities, we do have the advantage of having those few extra years before we’re going to see the higher percentage of seniors that other cities are seeing right now,” said Raynell McDonough, strategy lead for the Senior’s Age-Friendly Strategy.
She said they have six priority areas, which are based off the WHO guide: access to information and services; community support and health; housing, participation and inclusion; prevention and response to elder abuse; and transportation and mobility.
One of the city’s strategies is the Age-Friendly Business Initiative. It recognizes local businesses that provide comfortable and accessible environments.
“You don’t have an age-friendly city without the engagement of business,” said Luanne Witmarch, CEO of the Kerby Centre for Seniors and board member of the city’s Seniors Age-Friendly Steering Committee.
Businesses in the area are able to self-assess their age-friendly characteristics, such as signage, entrances, washrooms and accessibility, and send it to the city to be processed. If they meet the criteria, businesses will be issued a letter of recognition and a window sticker.
Residents will be able to look for age-friendly businesses online.
“If people are planning a trip to Kensington, they can take a look at different businesses they want to go to and see if there are any constraints in terms of their ability to get to the store or see signage to plan in advance,” said Annie MacInnis, executive director of the Kensington Business Revitalization Zone.
MacInnis said Kensington saw a major infrastructure change last summer to make the neighbourhood more walkable.
She hopes the pilot project in Kensington spreads to other neighbourhoods.
Witmarch said people are truly planning for themselves.
“We’re not just planning to retire and get our gold watch at age 65, we’re continuing to grow, learn, give back and participate, and that’s the new normal,” said Witmarch. “We are all going to age, and isn’t that a great experience because not everyone gets that opportunity. So embrace it.”