Town of Whitby putting $44,000 grant toward development of action plan to become age-friendly community Parvaneh Pessian ppessian@durhamregion.com BROOKLIN -- With the opening of the Brooklin Community Centre and Library in 2010 came more opportunities for members of the community of all ages to interact under one roof. Now, five years later, the bustling facility at 8 Vipond Rd. continues to meet the needs of residents in designated spaces within the centre that offer a variety of recreational and leisure options. The seniors' activity room, in particular, is one of the most heavily used areas. "We usually get around 1,000 to 1,500 people that participate in a session of classes, so it's busy," says Cathy Jordan, seniors programmer at the Town of Whitby. While the Whitby Seniors' Activity Centre at 801 Brock St. S. is the central hub -- offering programs ranging from creative arts to fitness and educational classes -- the Brooklin site provides additional programs for those living in the north. "If we see a need down here, we may add a secondary class up there. We try to do little things that are different there but they also complement each other," says Ms. Jordan, adding that there's always a need for more space and programs. "The baby boomers are coming on and we have to look at their needs ... we find that as people are retiring, they want a lot of the educational classes because knowledge is power, and we have a lot of seniors that are retiring early so they're actually coming on as instructors since they have the knowledge to pass onto the next generation." Understanding and addressing the needs of elderly citizens is a major priority for the Town, as highlighted in its 2014-2018 Recreation and Leisure Services Seniors Strategy. Staff will be putting a provincial grant worth $44,000 toward developing an action plan for Whitby to become an age- friendly community. Mario Sergio, minister responsible for Seniors Affairs, dropped by the Whitby Seniors' Activity Centre on Aug. 21 to discuss the Province's efforts to work with municipalities to address the rapidly aging population. "Our collective challenge is to ensure our cities and towns continue to grow to meet the evolving needs of every person regardless of their age or ability," he said. "This is why I'm proud our government can continue to support communities like the Town of Whitby as it creates supportive environments, and provides age-friendly services that help seniors live their best lives while fully participating in their community." Seniors are currently the fastest- growing age group in the country. Statistics Canada predicts close to one in four Canadians will be 65 years of age or older by the year 2030. In Ontario, there are more than 2 million seniors, and that number is expected to double over the next two decades. As early as next year, for the first time, adults over 65 will account for a larger share of the population than youth under 14. Age-friendly communities enable older people to live active, safe and meaningful lives and continue contributing in all areas of community life. The Province's Age-Friendly Community Planning Grant is supporting 56 projects over a period of two years. "Our government recognizes that effective planning can only be done at home where local leaders can hear from the people in their region and can identify specific opportunities for improvement," Mr. Sergio told members of the seniors' centre, as well as Whitby Mayor Don Mitchell and local councillors during his visit. According to the Town's seniors strategy, a growing percentage of the population will be turning 55 over the next few years, making them eligible for participation in Whitby seniors services. This age group will be looking for discounted fitness programs, older adult sports leagues and evening and weekend programs. The number of seniors turning 65 to 74 will also increase significantly, the strategy says, and this age group will be interested in utilizing the seniors' centre as their own designated space. They're also expected to express interest in programs that provide social opportunities, health and wellness seminars and intellectual discussions. George Spall, chairman of the Whitby Advisory Committee for Seniors, said it's important to start preparing for a shift in demographics and provide the appropriate services sooner rather than later. "It's a numbers game and that's what a lot of people don't understand," he said. "Right now, there are about 30,000 seniors in the town of Whitby and we have a (centre) membership of slightly over 4,000, which is great, but what happens if we were to start a program that suddenly got everybody excited? I don't know what it would be but that magic program, and suddenly we're 10,000 members." The Town will work with seniors from the facility, as well as community partners, such as the Alzheimer Society and Community Care, when developing its action plan. Aspects of building an age-friendly community that will be explored in the plan include housing, transportation, social inclusion, civic participation and employment, communication, and health services. Staff will present a recommended strategy for development of the action plan to become a community of choice for seniors to Whitby council later this month. durhamregion.com 4 The Citizen September 17, 2015 Tim Whittaker - Publisher Joanne Burghardt - Editor-in-Chief Mike Johnston - Managing Editor Fred Eismont - Director of Advertising Abe Fakhourie - Distribution Manager Cheryl Haines - Composing Manager CLASSIFIEDS 905-215-0442 ADVERTISING 905-215-0472 865 Farewell St., Oshawa ON L1H 7L5 Member: Ontario Press Council, OCNA, CCNA, LMA. All content copyright. A Metroland Media Group Ltd. Publication Meeting the needs of seniors in Brooklin and beyond BROOKLIN -- Rose Wright took her turn in a game of shuffleboard at the Brooklin Community Centre and Library. The Town of Whitby has received a $44,000 grant from the provincial government that will be put toward developing an action plan to become an age-friendly community. rYan PFeiFFer / MeTrOLanD