BANFF – Banff is officially a provincially designated age-friendly community supporting the active and healthy aging of residents.
Alberta Seniors, Community and Social Services Minister Jason Nixon announced the long-awaited age-friendly designation on Monday (June 3) at the launch of Alberta’s Seniors’ Week at the Fenlands recreation centre.
“It’s crucial that people of all ages feel included and valued in their communities and that is what an age-friendly community is all about,” he said.
“Age-friendly communities ensure that everyone can fully participate in community life, and means having great policies, services and structures in place to help seniors live safely.”
In May 2022, Banff council passed a resolution to actively support and work towards becoming an age-friendly community, which means municipalities look at how infrastructure is built, the way residents get around and access services and programs.
Last December, council approved the 2023-28 age-friendly action plan, which outlined a series of high-, medium- and lower-priority recommendations to fill gaps in structures, services and programs to make Banff more accessible and inclusive for seniors with varying needs and capacities.
Banff council has taken concrete action to fill a gap by approving a new non-medical home support program, which will be partially covered by an annual grant from the Wim and Nancy Pauw Foundation and supplemented with client fees.
The program, which was a recommendation of the age-friendly committee, would be tailored to meet client needs through the provision of a professional staff person, with services including light housekeeping duties like dishes, laundry, vacuuming, meal preparation – and companionship.
During Monday’s launch of June 3-9 Seniors’ Week, Mayor Corrie DiManno said the home support program will help seniors and adults live independently in their homes, with the benefit of assistance like housekeeping, non-medical services and regular connections.
“We are eager to mobilize other recommendations of the age-friendly committee,” she said.
Banff’s age-friendly action plan was developed using the World Health Organization framework, which evaluates a community in eight areas including outdoor spaces and buildings, transportation, housing, social participation, respect and social inclusion, civic participation and employment opportunities, communication and information, and community supports and health services.
Sharon Phillips, chair of Banff’s Age-Friendly Committee, said a vibrant older adult population strengthens the community as a whole, improves businesses and makes life better for all residents.
“This designation is a recognition that seniors matter, that seniors are important in our community and we want them to stay the duration and not to leave the community,” she said.
Phillips, who saw first-hand the challenges associated with aging during her 25 years as an occupational therapist in Banff and Canmore, said work will continue on recommendations in the age-friendly action plan.
“Banff really does have a lot of great initiatives to support seniors, but through those consultations, we found out that there are a few more things that we can be doing,” she said.
Under the World Health Organization framework for age-friendly communities, design, location and affordability of a range of housing options is vital.
Phillips said the age-friendly committee hopes council will consider universally-designed units in the investigation of an affordable housing development on lands adjacent to Mineral Springs Hospital.
She said this might encourage older adults to downsize their homes and be closer to downtown services, while at the same time opening up larger homes for other residents, including families.
“Government talks about aging in place, but it’s about aging in the right place,” said Phillips.
Banff’s seniors population is growing. There were 660 seniors 65 plus counted in the 2016 federal census and 1,005 seniors 65 and older in the 2021 census. Of these 1,005, 95 are 85 years and older.
This represents a 52.3 per cent increase of those 65 and older in Banff between the two census counts.
DiManno said the commemorative June 3-9 week for seniors across Alberta raises the profile in the community about the needs and interests of older adults, noting Banff’s population of seniors is growing and now 12 per cent of Banff residents are 65 years old or older.
“As a community, it is important to reflect on what it means to grow older and how we can all be supported, so that no matter our age, we can continue to live with respect, dignity, and autonomy,” she said.
Several towns and municipalities in Alberta have been recognized by the province for being age-friendly communities such as Lethbridge, Olds, Calgary, Edmonton, Strathcona County and Cold Lake.
Mary Buckingham, president of Banff Seniors Society, welcomed the provincial designation, which she said benefits the entire community.
She pointed to work done by the Town of Banff last year to improve curbs to help those with accessibility issues move around town better.
“That work benefits people with walkers or using wheelchairs or even a cane … all the adaptations for seniors work for mothers with baby carriages and strollers and even kids on bicycles,” said Buckingham.
“Age-friendly is intended to recognize that there are older people with some challenges in town, but is also an age-friendly town that is friendly for everybody.”
Banff-Kananaskis MLA Sarah Elmeligi attended the launch of Seniors’ Week in Banff.
“This age-friendly designation not only sets a path for moving forward but it helps to give seniors a little bit of recognition for the hard work they continue to do to make our communities so great," she said.
Seniors’ Week has been recognized in Alberta since 1986 to celebrate and recognize the contributions seniors make to enhance the quality of life in the province.
Seniors’ Week was inspired by the vision of the late Alice Modin, who 38 years ago began a campaign to start a seniors’ day in Strathcona County that helped pave the way for this annual event.
