Aging population pattern in the province

Business Council of British Columbia reported that the province’s population growth not only slowed (averaging 0.9 percent annually) but the number of people aged 65 and over is growing at four times the rate of the number of working aged people (25 to 64).

This means that the pressure on health care and other social services will increase with an aging population.

The report looked at population patterns in 23 regions throughout the province. It found that the Okanagan region which includes Penticton, Osoyoos, Summerland and Oliver will have more than 82 people aged 65 and up for every 100 working-aged persons (aged 15-64) by 2030.

The Sunshine Coast is predicted to be second oldest region in British Columbia, with its ratio of seniors rising from today’s 52 for every 100 working-aged people to almost 81 in 2030.

However, Squamish-Lillooet is easily the youngest region in the province, with just over 15 people 65 and up for every 100 working-aged people, or half of the provincial average.

Young families are moving in the area for affordability reasons for easier lifestyle.

BC as a whole has 31 people aged 65 and up for every 100 working aged people which will rise to 45 in 2030. Metro Vancouver has about 25 today. It is interesting to know that BC’s population is becoming more urbanized, with 70 percent living in the four largest metropolitan areas and will continue to rise.

British Columbia in Hollywood

Beautiful British Columbia is often featured in major and minor Hollywood movies but is never credited because its supposed to stand-in for other places, like the USA or Europe, even the Middle East and China. In Tomorrowland, the new movie of George Clooney, British Columbia is being credited in Hollywood in its unusual marketing/advertising campaign.

Outdoor advertising say “Proudly Filmed in British Columbia.” Tomorrowland is a high budget mystery adventure about a jaded scientist and optimistic teen who set out on a dangerous journey to unlock secrets of a place called Tomorrowland, set somewhere in space and time.

The film is set in the state of New York and Houston but it used British Columbia locations.

The ad campaign was designed to acknowledge the fantastic work done by Canadian film crews in the province.

Scenes from the film was shot in Armstrong, Richmond, Surrey, Burnaby, Delta, Langley, University of British Columbia’s Museum, Space Centre and the Academy of Music in Vancouver.

The BC film and television industry is currently booming with 24 feature films, tv series, digital features and documentaries.

But the biggest movie currently being shot is Steven Spielberg’s “The Big Friendly Giant.”

Fil-Can actors on legitimate stage

The Tony Award winning Broadway musical of Lin-Manuel Miranda, a Puerto Rican American who grew up near the New York City neighborhood of Washington Heights is not playing at Vancouver’s Stanley Theater.

The musical is set in a barrio or ghetto, quite similar to a Filipino neighborhood in the US and North America. As can be expected, there’s a lot of powerful singing and West Side story dancing, with a bit of romantic melodrama and soap opera.

We are proud to see Filipino Canadian actors on legitimate stage productions and in leading roles and not in the usual amateur ethnic shows and the overdone singing contests. Congratulations are in order to Julio Fuentes and Elena Juatco.

Julio Fuentes is originally from the Philippines and belongs to a family of performers. He trained in ballet, jazz, tap, contemporary and hip hop. He is the founder and director of The Aviary, a performance-based dance company where he is also an instructor.

Elena Juatco has Filipino parents, originally from Manila. She trained at Queen’s University. She won Best Actress Jessie Award for her lead role in “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” and was a Canadian Idol finalist.

Elena has worked in theaters across Canada and was the female lead in the highly successful “Buddy - The Buddy Holly Story.”