Meeting for the first time in over a month, Town of Cochrane council agreed to commit to a project aimed at making the community more friendly for seniors.
At the Committee of the Whole meeting Sept. 6, councillors agreed with administration’s suggestion that they should formally indicate their support for, and intention to participate in, the Age-Friendly initiative.
Age-Friendly is a model to enable active, healthy aging, spearheaded by the World Health Organization (WHO).
The WHO has led the global Age-Friendly movement since 2006. The framework describes the ways in which communities can create enabling environments that encourage active aging.
It is a project that shares best practices with jurisdictions around the world, providing the framework for municipalities, local organizations, and volunteers to factor aging issues into decisions made in the community.
Communities that meet the requirements will receive the official Age-Friendly designation. The Town has taken the first steps toward that designation, and now needs to decide whether or not to continue down that road.
In 2019, the Town of Cochrane’s Family and Community Support Services (FCSS) team received $30,000 in funding from the Calgary Foundation to develop an Age-Friendly Cochrane framework.
In January of this year, FCSS received permission from the Calgary Foundation to proceed with the project, and a consultant was hired to lead the initial phases of the Age-Friendly initiative.
Coun. Susan Flowers, who is a member of the Town’s Seniors Advisory Committee, said taking advantage of the knowledge and grants available just makes sense for Cochrane.
“Knowing that our population is booming, I wouldn’t want to miss the opportunity, so I’m excited about this project,” she said.
Town administration presented projections that indicated 20 per cent of Alberta’s population will be seniors by 2046.
Cochrane’s elderly population is growing faster than any other age group in town. According to Town data, the senior population (65-plus) experienced a 172.4 per cent increase between 2011 and 2021. The 25-to-54 age group experienced a 72.9 per cent increase in the same time frame. By committing to develop an Age-Friendly Strategy, the Town would be taking a proactive and inclusive approach to addressing those demographic trends.
An Age-Friendly community is one where all individuals can be full and meaningful participants in the community. These communities are attentive to the different needs of all residents over time, recognizing that transitions between the many stages of life frequently occur.
Some examples of cutting edge ideas shared by other Age-Friendly communities include installing stretching bars designed for seniors into playgrounds for grandparents to use while their grandchildren play, and providing input to developers about reducing the reliance on stairs when they design new homes.
The project also delves into more theoretical areas, like exploring what ageism is, and how to integrate seniors into the larger community.
Coun. Marni Fedeyko said housing needs to be at the forefront of any discussion on building an Age-Friendly community. She noted that new developments in Cochrane have not included senior-friendly smaller homes, and that council needs to consider encouraging developers to address the needs of seniors.
“I don’t know how you can focus on the rest without really focusing on how people are going to live and how they’re going to sustain themselves in our community,” Fedeyko said.
“It’s got to be affordable, and I think we need to push back a little on development here in our town, because that’s how you make a whole community.”
Mayor Jeff Genung said the important thing coming out of the decision to support the project is that by doing so, council is sending a positive message to Cochrane’s seniors.
“We care, they matter, and we’re interested in doing something about making life better and more inclusive for our community,” he said.
Administration will now draft a resolution in support of the Age-Friendly project, to be voted on at the next regular council meeting.
