Peggy Revell
Calls for co-operation to address the needs of an ever-growing senior population here were presented to town council last night as it heard input for the 2011 strategic planning process.
“[The aging population] is a tsunami that is sweeping right across Canada,” Robert Schulz, co-chair of the local Seniors and Law Enforcement Together (S.A.L.T.) group along with Erma Armit, said during the public portion of last night’s meeting that was set aside to hear delegations and deputations regarding the strategic plan.
“All levels of government are unprepared for health and social costs on this matter,” he warned.
“With an increasing senior population in Fort Frances, we must ensure that seniors can remain in their community,” Schulz stressed, noting there only are so many spaces in senior living complexes here despite the growing demand.
“We’re well aware of the shrinking dollars on all budgets on all levels of governments, and we’ll have to work together to come up with innovative solutions for this problem,” he added.
“We need all the key players, including the mayor and council, to be a part of this process.”
S.A.L.T. has formed a subcommittee called the Assisted Living Action Group (ALAG), which is in the formative stage of building a business case for the co-ordination and development of essential services that will meet the needs—and enhance the quality of life—of the expanding population of seniors in town, Armit explained.
“We request that council, in the corporate strategic plan for the future vision of our community, give consideration to these needs and engage seniors in a part of the process in order to promote a senior-friendly community and to decrease the out-migration of seniors,” she remarked.
ALAG and S.A.L.T. believes there is an opportunity to assist the town, Armit noted.
This includes links on the town’s website to assist seniors contemplating moving to town, and also local residents researching services to meet their needs; a grassroots promotion of various “successes” of the town (such as accessibility, recreation, and aesthetics); and also serving as a “channel” between council and seniors through newsletters.
Armit and Schulz also invited council members and town administration to sit in on the groups’ monthly meetings.
The ALAG meets on the last Monday of each month at 10 a.m. while S.A.L.T. meets at 11 a.m. on the last Tuesday of the month, both at the Super 8 Motel here.
Mayor Roy Avis welcomed the input from Schulz and Armit, noting the information from their presentation will be taken forward to the strategic planning session set for next Thursday (June 16) at Sunny Cove Camp.
“We really appreciate that you took the time to put a presentation together, and come to council and verbalize it,” echoed Fort Frances CAO Mark McCaig.
“There will be a thoughtful discussion that takes place regarding all the aspects that you have spoken about,” he pledged.
While the presentation by Schulz and Armit was the only one given at last night’s council meeting, McCaig noted community members still have until this Thursday (June 9) to submit any written proposals or initiatives they’d like to have considered in the strategic planning process.
“We encourage you to do that,” McCaig stressed. “Any submissions will be given a thoughtful considerations during the process.”
