May 30, 2011
Province Celebrates Age-friendly Communities: Rondeau
– – –Portage la Prairie Receives Manitoba's First Age-friendly Award
This week, the province is celebrating Age-Friendly Week, recognizing the importance of creating age-friendly environments that help older adults to age actively, and enhance independence and quality of life for all Manitobans, Healthy Living, Youth and Seniors Minister Jim Rondeau announced today.
“We’re kicking off a week of activities to celebrate the contribution that older people make to our communities and to recognize the importance of supporting seniors in leading active, socially engaged, independent lives that contribute to healthy aging,” said Rondeau.
“Our Seniors and Healthy Aging Secretariat launched the Age-Friendly Manitoba Initiative (AFMI) in 2008 and there are now 72 Manitoba communities committed to becoming more age-friendly,” noted Rondeau. “By 2015, AFMI’s goal is to have 150 communities, representing almost 80 per cent of Manitoba, dedicated to becoming more age-friendly.”
“Congratulations to the province of Manitoba on its first Age-Friendly Communities Week,” said Dr. David Butler-Jones, chief public health officer of Canada. “I hope this week of celebration will inspire communities across the country to become more age-friendly in an effort to provide better, safer and healthier places where older Canadians can live and thrive.”
The minister said the province has worked closely with the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) and other provinces to develop milestones for what it means to be an age-friendly community. The milestones are:
- establishing an advisory committee that includes the active engagement of older adults;
- securing a local municipal council resolution to actively support, promote and work towards becoming age-friendly;
- establishing a robust and concrete plan of action that includes a needs assessment developed with older adults;
- demonstrating commitment to action by publicly posting the action plan; and
- committing to measuring activities, reviewing results and reporting publicly on action plan outcomes.
Rondeau also presented Manitoba’s first Age-Friendly Award to the city of Portage la Prairie for meeting the milestones and in recognition of its hard work and commitment to ensuring that all citizens, especially older adults, have the means and resources to age in place, and be a contributing member of the community.
Rondeau noted that Portage la Prairie has been part of the age-friendly movement since the beginning and was one of 33 cities worldwide that helped to create a guide to assist cities in becoming age-friendly. Since joining the age-friendly initiative, the city has passed an age-friendly resolution, established an age-friendly committee, conducted a community assessment and developed an age-friendly action plan based on the community assessment.
Age-Friendly Manitoba is dedicated to making Manitoba the most age-friendly province in Canada. Age-Friendly partners include the Province of Manitoba, Association of Manitoba Municipalities, Manitoba Chambers of Commerce, University of Manitoba’s Centre on Aging and various senior organizations, community leaders, faith leaders and service providers.
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