Twenty-eight B.C. communities have been awarded age-friendly community planning and project grants to support strategies to help seniors stay mobile, physically active, socially connected and healthy, Health Minister Terry Lake announced today.

“Supporting seniors’ independence and health in their home communities is part of the province’s strategic vision for an age-friendly British Columbia,” said Lake. “These grants will see local governments develop locally focused plans and projects to support the needs of older adults.”

The age-friendly community planning and project grant program is a partnership between the Government of British Columbia and the Union of British Columbia Municipalities. Each successful local government receives up to $20,000 to help undertake a variety of activities - from setting public policy to delivering information and services - that address the needs of older residents. In September 2014, the Ministry of Health announced further funding of $500,000 to continue to support the grant program.

“Community projects, from accessible trails to workshops on preventing elder abuse, have significant impacts on the health of older adults,” said Michelle Stilwell, Parliamentary Secretary for Healthy Living and Seniors. “I am particularly pleased to see numerous communities’ projects focused on accessibility and keeping seniors safe.”

For the 2015 grants, local governments were encouraged to consider projects that complement Accessibility 2024 and other provincial priorities for seniors such as dementia, elder abuse prevention and non-medical home supports. Accessibility 2024 is government’s 10-year plan to make B.C. the most progressive place for people with disabilities in Canada. Of the 28 funded projects, 12 projects include a focus on accessibility. Other successful applicants will specifically address issues facing seniors in rural communities.

“This long running program provides a capacity boost for communities that are making changes to better support the needs of seniors,” said Union of BC Municipalities president Sav Dhaliwal. “I appreciate the Government of British Columbia’s continuing support for this valued program.”

Quick Facts:

• Including this funding announcement, over 135 local governments in all areas of B.C. have received at least one grant, and over 225 projects have been funded.

• Eighteen local governments will be using their grants to conduct age-friendly community assessments and develop action plans. These are required steps to achieve recognition as an age-friendly B.C. community.

Learn More:

To apply for age-friendly community planning and project grants, please visit: www.ubcm.ca/EN/main/funding/lgps/current-lgps-programs/seniors-housing-support-initiative.html

To learn more about Age-friendly B.C. please visit: www.gov.bc.ca/agefriendly

For more information about Accessibility 2024, please visit: www.gov.bc.ca/accessibility

A backgrounder follows.

Media Contacts:

Kristy Anderson
Media Relations Manager
Ministry of Health
250 952-1887 (media line)

Paul Taylor
Director of Communications
Union of British Columbia Municipalities
250 250-893-8476 (media line)

BACKGROUNDER

Age-friendly Community Planning and Project grant recipients

*Indicates local governments that have not received funding under this program between 2010 and 2014

Abbotsford
Project name:  Take a Walk! - Improving Walkability for Older Adults
Grant amount:  $18,000
Project details: The city will develop a plan to improve the safety and accessibility of trails and parks in the Clearbrook Centre neighbourhood.

Burns Lake
Project name:  Let’s Get Active 365: Burns Lake & District Seniors’ Leisure Programming Pilot Program
Grant amount:  $14,975
Project details: A variety of fitness, social and recreational programming for older adults will be provided in Burns Lake and the adjacent Lakes District area.

*Chilliwack
Project name:  Chilliwack Seniors Living Well Resource Directory
Grant amount:  $12,000
Project details: The city will develop a seniors’ resource directory (in print and online) to help older adults and their caregivers find and access supports and services.

Clearwater
Project name:  Seniors’ Health and Safety Toolbox
Grant amount:  $20,000
Project details: Clearwater will develop a seniors’ health and safety toolbox, with important information about services and resources for older adults related to personal safety.

*Columbia-Shuswap Regional District
Project name:  Engaging the Communities of the South Shuswap
Grant amount:  $20,000
Project details: The regional district will raise awareness of the services and supports currently available for older adults and determine what additional resources are needed.

*Colwood
Project name:  Age-friendly Plan
Grant amount:  $20,000
Project details: The city will gather input from the community through public meetings and a questionnaire to assess its age-friendliness and develop an age-friendly plan.

*Hope
Project name:  Age-friendly Community Needs Assessment
Grant amount:  $20,000
Project details: The district will determine how to become a more age-friendly community where seniors can age in place.

Islands Trust
Project name:  Age-friendly Community Plan for North Pender Island
Grant amount:  $16,500
Project details: The North Pender Local Trust Committee will develop an age-friendly community plan based on research and community consultations.

*Keremeos
Project name:  Keremeos Age-friendly Action Plan
Grant amount:  $20,000
Project details: The village will establish a common vision for improving the quality of life of older adults in Keremeos.

*Kootenay-Boundary Regional District
Project name:  Charting a course for an age-friendly Christina Lake
Grant amount:  $20,000
Project details: The regional district will work with partners to research and develop an age-friendly community report and action plan.

*Lake Cowichan
Project name:  Age-friendly Community Action Plan
Grant amount:  $19,850
Project details: The town will consult with the community to create an age-friendly assessment and action plan, including a mobility audit and a focus on accessibility.

*Lions Bay
Project name:  Seniors’ Social Circle
Grant amount:  $20,000
Project details: The village will host weekly social, recreational, and educational activities to provide opportunities for local seniors to remain actively engaged in their community.

Maple Ridge
Project name:  Seniors Engaged, Energized and Collaborative - Age-friendly Action Plan
Grant amount:  $20,000
Project details: The cities of Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows will collaborate on an age-friendly assessment and action plan for both communities.

*Merritt
Project name:  Age-friendly Action Plan
Grant amount:  $20,000
Project details: The city will develop an age-friendly action and implementation plan.

New Westminster
Project name:  Dementia-friendly Community Action Plan & Action Guides
Grant amount:  $20,000
Project details: The city will work with partners to develop a dementia-friendly community action plan and three action guides.

*Oak Bay
Project name:  Age-friendly Action Plan
Grant amount:  $20,000
Project details: The district will consult with the community through surveys and open houses to create an action plan to guide their age-friendly work.

Okanagan-Similkameen Regional District
Project name:  Age-friendly Communication Strategy & Workshops: Okanagan Falls
Grant amount:  $20,000
Project details: The regional district will support the community of Okanagan Falls to put the activities recommended in its age-friendly plan into practice.

*Oliver
Project name:  Creation of an Age-friendly Outdoor Fitness Park
Grant amount:  $20,000
Project details: The town will create an outdoor fitness park to increase the physical activity levels of their seniors.

Pemberton
Project name:  Pemberton Valley Men’s Shed
Grant amount:  $20,000
Project details: The project will create a fun, safe environment where older men can exchange ideas, build lasting relationships, and teach skills to younger community members.

*Pouce Coupe
Project name:  Pouce Coupe Age-friendly Official Community Plan
Grant amount:  $20,000
Project details: The village will integrate age-friendly policies that meet the needs of older residents into a revised and updated official community plan.

*Sicamous
Project name:  Exploring and Enhancing Age Friendliness in Sicamous
Grant amount:  $20,000
Project details: The district will begin a two-part project involving age-friendly planning and a project.

Sooke
Project name:  Study of Support Needs of Sooke Seniors
Grant amount:  $7,600
Project details: The district will carry out a study to better understand the services and supports needed in the community that allow older adults to remain in their homes.

Sparwood
Project name:  Age-friendly Sparwood Community Plan
Grant amount:  $18,500
Project details: The district will create an age-friendly plan to determine where improvements to accessibility, liveability and community resources can be made.

*Squamish
Project name:  Men in Motion: Increasing physical activity, social opportunities and health and wellness knowledge in older men
Grant amount:  $5,159
Project details: The district will create a fitness and social program for inactive men aged 55+ who do not participate in traditional fitness classes and outdoor activities.

Telkwa
Project name:  Transportation & Trails Assessment and Action Plan
Grant amount:  $6,100
Project details: The village will build on its previous age-friendly community work and develop an plan to make area transportation and trails more accessible.

*Ucluelet
Project name:  Age-friendly Action Plan Assessment/Accessibility
Grant amount:  $19,450
Project details: The district will work with partners to conduct an age-friendly accessibility assessment and action plan.

*Valemount
Project name:  Age-friendly Community Assessment & Action Plan
Grant:  $20,000
Project details: The village will engage residents in discussing and prioritizing the needs of seniors in the community, and develop a plan to guide future age-friendly work.

West Vancouver
Project name:   Aging Well - Creativity in Motion
Grant:  $20,000
Project details: The district will work with the Society for the Arts in Dementia Care to begin a weekly creativity program and concurrent caregivers’ circle.

Media Contacts:

Kristy Anderson
Media Relations Manager
Ministry of Health
250 952-1887 (media line)

Paul Taylor
Director of Communications
Union of British Columbia Municipalities
250 250-893-8476 (media line)