Duane Hicks
Coun. June Caul has issued a call to arms for town council and the community to address the need for assisted living in Fort Frances.
“On behalf of the seniors who are here tonight and in our town, I am asking all executive committees of town council, and all other boards and committees, to put this issue at the forefront of your agendas,” she said during yesterday’s committee of the whole meeting, with the moral support of about 10 seniors in the galley.
“And I am asking all seniors in our community to become proactive and advocate and work together to help the ‘Age-Friendly Community’ committee complete their vision of an age-friendly community and, more importantly according to our seniors, make seniors’ assisted housing become a reality for Fort Frances,” she added.
“It will become a win-win project in every way.”
The issue of housing is “the biggest concern” for local seniors, Coun. Caul told council.
“We all know that the number of seniors in Fort Frances is the largest sector of all ages and the number is growing quickly,” she noted, adding the issue of assisted living was “front and centre” Friday during the third-annual seniors’ fair at the Fort Frances Seniors’ Centre (Sister Kennedy Centre).
Seniors are looking for assisted living rather than living in separate units with no added services available, Coun. Caul explained.
Having social inclusion and nutritious meals are very important to seniors here, she added.
“They’re looking for a sense of community within a safe housing complex.”
Coun. Caul also passed on some comments and thoughts expressed at the seniors’ fair.
“Our senior population is our largest and longest-paying tax base, and we owe them the courtesy of our assistance,” she reasoned.
Others pointed out to her that the Town of Marathon’s 36-unit assisted-living facility is right on schedule for a projected fall, 2018 opening.
But Marathon has only half the population of Fort Frances and yet has invested tens of millions of dollars into seniors’ supportive housing, leaving many to ask, “Why not here?”
“They [Marathon] see the value in their seniors and want to keep seniors living in the town that they have lived in most of their lives, as we do here,” Coun. Caul said.
“And that’s very strongly expressed by our seniors.
“Marathon’s council does not want to lose their tax base,” she added. “They want to allow their seniors to live out the rest of their lives in the town they have called ‘home,’ and where they worked and shared in the building of their town.
“I know that Fort Frances town council doesn’t want to lose our seniors. It’s often in our conversations,” Coun. Caul stressed.
“They are the historical backbone of our community, just the same as any other communities in the district and Northwestern Ontario.”
At Friday’s fair, Ian Simpson, co-ordinator of the “Age-Friendly Community” committee, gave an update on the group’s action plan and, in turn, a discussion about assisted living was sparked.
Coun. Caul said the committee has been very busy working on implementing its action plan, and a brochure should be available soon.
The group also is planning to hold a meeting in the near future with community partners and groups to gather more information on Fort Frances becoming an age-friendly community, and to create steps to evaluate the effectiveness of their action plan.
Once that’s done, it will apply to the World Health Organization to become a member of the global network for age-friendly cities and communities.
Some members also plan on becoming involved in the Northern Ontario Age-Friendly Network, a group which will meet–either in person or via teleconference–to learn from other similar groups as to what they’ve been doing and offer their opinions, as well.
Meanwhile, Friday’s seniors’ fair was well-attended, with 90 registered participants.
In addition to Simpson, Fire Prevention Capt. Wayne Riches of the Fort Frances Fire and Rescue Service spoke to seniors about fire safety.
He said the leading cause of house fires is unattended cooking, and urged them to be mindful when they are using the stove.
Chad Buist and Dave Black of the Rainy River District EMS spoke about the community paramedicine program here.
The program sees paramedics use their expertise to fill gaps in health-care services, with the aim to help seniors stay in their homes longer and live a higher quality of life.
For example, paramedics may visit a senior in their home to see if they are getting better after being released from hospital.
The seniors’ fair also featured upwards of 10 information booths covering topics ranging from Alzheimer’s disease to breast health to diabetes.
The “Chirpy Chicks” of Stratton provided entertainment.
