A $20,000 age-friendly grant has been provided to the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen to support a community planning and accessibility project.

“The number of seniors in our province is set to grow exponentially in the coming years,” said Dan Ashton, MLA for Penticton. “The age-friendly grant will help create environments and opportunities that allow seniors to make social connections ensuring that our seniors are aging well and remaining active in our community.”

The Naramata Age-friendly Community Planning and Accessibility Project will focus on planning social and physical environments that promote healthy aging and support seniors in maintaining social ties to the community, family and friends.

“The scenic community of Naramata on the east side of Okanagan Lake provides a high quality of life for all of its citizens, and is especially attractive to seniors. We look forward to developing an age-friendly plan to ensure we provide a sustainable environment for all of our seniors, present and future, and this grant will help us do that,” said Karla Kozakevich, chair of the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen.

The age-friendly communities grant program is a partnership between the Province and the Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM). Local governments were invited to apply for grants up to $20,000. For the 2017 grants, communities were encouraged to consider projects that focus on accessibility, aging well, physical activity and non-medical home supports. The Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen is one of 18 municipalities to receive a 2017 age-friendly grant.

Applications were reviewed by a committee from UBCM and the Ministry of Health. Since 2007, age-friendly communities grants have funded 286 projects throughout British Columbia, totalling $3.75 million.

Learn More:

More information about Age-friendly BC can be found by visiting: www.gov.bc.ca/agefriendly