Duane Hicks
Fort Frances is undertaking the process to become a designated “Age Friendly Community.”
Thanks to a provincial grant of $7,700, the town will hire a consultant to work with the local Age Friendly Community Committee.
Together they will define local principles as they relate to seniors in Fort Frances, undertake a custom needs assessment through the Sister Kennedy Centre, and develop an action plan that will prepare the committee for an implementation and evaluation plan.
“There are certain criteria a community can achieve to be an ‘Age Friendly Community,’” Community Services manager Jason Kabel told the Times.
“That’s the goal—for Fort Frances to actually declare that [we] are an ‘Age Friendly Community.’
“The provincial government has laid out a very nice document that communities should go through to become an ‘Age Friendly Community,’ and that’s what the consultant will do—lead us through it,” he added.
Kabel said being an “Age Friendly Community” will make the town eligible for certain senior-specific grants, but the purpose of the designation goes far beyond that.
“More intrinsically, it really identifies the community is concerned about its seniors and shows that we’re mindful in our decision-making to include them in many different facets,” he explained.
Kabel noted the process will look at areas ranging from transportation to access to health care.
The direction to become an “Age Friendly Community” stems from the town’s most recent strategic plan, where it was identified as an initiative.
The committee has been in place since early this year. But with the funding now in place to hire a consultant, it now is poised to “hit the ground running,” said Kabel.
The funds will be used to hire a consultant, pay for marketing, and to cover meeting expenses for the committee.
The project has a budget of $9,700, with the province kicking in the $7,700.
Cash contributions of $1,000 each will be provided by the collaborative partners on the project—Community Living Fort Frances and District and the Rainy River Future Development Corp.
There is no financial commitment by the town.
Council passed a bylaw to approve a funding agreement with the province at its regular meeting Monday night.
