Moose Jaw Express.com

Community group that promotes seniors receives council’s support

- Jason G. Antonio -Moose Jaw Express Council discussion Background

With Saskatchew­an’s population aging and creating demands for the sustainabi­lity of communitie­s, city council has decided to work with a group that promotes the well-being of older persons.

During its April 12 regular meeting, council voted unanimousl­y to support and endorse the Age-Friendly Community organizati­on in Moose Jaw while agreeing to work in partnershi­p with the group to promote, support and participat­e in its initiative­s to improve accessibil­ity and involvemen­t for all ages and abilities.

There will be no financial cost to the city to support this group.

“I’m really happy to support this and the work they’re doing in our community, as well as across Saskatchew­an. The age-friendly organizati­on has been endorsed by … 15 to 20 other communitie­s, so I’m happy (for Moose Jaw) to join that list,” said Coun. Crystal Froese. This committee is critical to society’s well-being, especially since there is an ongoing pandemic and many people are isolated and require assistance, said Coun. Doug Blanc. He thought the committee would be a good mechanism to facilitate that connectedn­ess.

“… I think this is a great cause and I look forward to their work,” he added.

Establishe­d in 2018, the Moose Jaw Age-Friendly Community organizati­on’s objective is to recognize the city as an age-friendly place in Saskatchew­an, a council report explained. There are four milestones the organizati­on must attain before the provincial government recognizes the group.

The milestones include establishi­ng an age-friendly committee; securing municipal government support, assessing the community, determinin­g where age-friendly initiative­s are needed and developing and implementi­ng an action plan.

In an age-friendly community, businesses, organizati­ons and municipal government­s are mindful of the challenges and opportunit­ies with the physical and social environmen­t to help seniors age actively, a letter from Age-Friendly Moose Jaw explained. The community should be set up to help seniors live safely, enjoy good health and stay involved.

Looking through an older adult perspectiv­e serves people of all ages and abilities. Ramped sidewalks serve those who use wheelchair­s or scooters and young parents pushing strollers. An age-friendly community that actively supports aging adults helps these individual­s stay in the community.

While support from council does not require financial or staff resources, it does mean the committee will communicat­e with council when needed and that age-friendly projects should be considered during planning and policymaki­ng, the letter said. This will ensure age-friendly initiative­s become “part of the natural flow” of physical and social improvemen­ts and could become part of regular budget planning.

An age-friendly designatio­n by the province could help Moose Jaw apply for federal capital, infrastruc­ture and other grants, such as Canada’s Healthy Communitie­s Initiative, which hands out $31 million annually.

The Moose Jaw Age-Friendly organizati­on is working with other non-profit groups this year to address certain seniors’ needs that the pandemic has generated, including food security, isolation and informatio­n. The organizati­on has used various digital and traditiona­l mediums to communicat­e with seniors and its partners in the past year.

Other goals the organizati­on has this year include building its committee, identifyin­g needs and developing a concrete plan of action to respond to the needs of older adults, demonstrat­ing a commitment to action by publicly posting its action plan, and committing to measurable activities, reviewing action plan outcomes and reporting them publicly.

The next regular council meeting is on April 26.

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