Media Contacts

Ministry of Health

Communications
250 952-1887 (media line)

Backgrounders

2019 age-friendly community planning and project grant recipients

Lumby

Project: Lumby plans to address the three most prominent barriers/challenges to seniors in the community, which are housing, food and transportation. It will create a plan to attract and offer incentives for the development of needed seniors’ housing; co-ordinate food-production facilities, strategize the provision of improved facilities and evaluate existing active transportation opportunities.

Amount: $25,000

Midway

Project: In addition to developing an age-friendly plan, Midway plans to add an age-friendly lens to existing policies. Plans include community planning processes related to social determinants of health, such as affordable housing and seniors’ medical-related transportation.

Amount: $24,000

Summerland

Project: Summerland will establish an age-friendly advisory committee to assess its community in all age-friendly components, and will review recent planning documents on culture, parks and recreation, sidewalks, trails and cycling through an age-friendly lens.

Amount: $21,460

Warfield

Project: Warfield’s residents and regional stakeholders will come together to share knowledge, build common understanding, create shared direction through priorities and actions, and create a formalized group committed to and responsible for making the village more age-friendly. Age-friendly planning will build on Warfield’s Official Community Plan to enable community members to grow, mature and age in place safely and comfortably. 

Amount: $24,880

Cranbrook

Project: Cranbrook’s age-friendly advisory committee wants to improve communication in each age-friendly area by building connections, strengthening programs, raising awareness and creating a sustainable age-friendly Cranbrook. It will work to increase the awareness of age-friendly places by instigating the Cranbrook Age-friendly Business Awards, in conjunction with the Chamber of Commerce and the Business Excellence Awards.

Amount: $15,000

Elkford

Project: A seniors’ outdoor exercise facility will enhance and diversify activities available to seniors in Elkford. A collaboration between the district and Elkford’s seniors community, the project aims to instil a sense of partnership and inclusion on the planning of the project to ensure the facility meets the needs of those who will be using it.

Amount: 15,000

Keremeos

Project: A seniors walk, followed by refreshments and talks on health information topics with local health professionals, form the basis of Keremeos’ Walk and Talk group. Seniors will be involved in the planning of the walking routes and the topics. Keremeos is an age-friendly recognized community.

Amount: $15,000

Penticton

Project: Penticton has recognized a sizeable gap in its Aging-Actively Strategic Plan and will address the needs of seniors with cognitive, developmental and intellectual disabilities. This initiative will be designed to increase the social and physical well-being of seniors with disabilities by providing recreation opportunities to which they might not normally have access.

Amount: $15,000

Rossland

Project: The intended role of Rossland’s age-friendly community co-ordinator is to create a resource for seniors to gather information on programs and services available in their community. The co-ordinator will act as an advocate for seniors as part of larger ongoing projects like housing and transportation, to ensure their needs will be included in future city planning.

Amount: $15,000

Salmo

Project: Salmo plans to bridge the gaps required to ensure seniors are engaged and respected in the community. From providing play boxes in local parks, scooter education and safety programs, multi-generational workshops on ageism, digital learning and a travelling library, the goal is to increase social contact, improve physical and mental well-being and encourage a sense of wonder, curiosity and engagement. Salmo is an age-friendly recognized community.

Amount: $15,000