Provincial Politics: FRVD Receives Age-Friendly BC Grants

Submitted. Seniors in the Fraser Valley Regional District are benefitting from a $16,060 grant for the Age-Friendly Workshop and Report. The funding will go towards helping older residents stay healthy and active in the community.

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Age-Friendly BC provides grants of up to $20,000 to help communities create or continue a variety of projects which help address the needs of the older population.
Age-friendly initiatives can range from setting public policy to physical improvements to address the needs of older residents. Examples of age-friendly community changes can include: widening sidewalks, installing benches, maximizing green space, as well as making information, programs and services more accessible to the older population.

The Province has worked with local governments, the Union of British Columbia Municipalities and other partners to achieve a vision where people of all ages and abilities feel included and valued in their communities.

Quote:
-Abbotsford South MLA John van Dongen
“Creating age-friendly communities is about more than supporting our seniors. It’s about making a community that is accessible, inclusive, and welcoming to people of all ages and abilities.”

-Abbotsford-Mission MLA Randy Hawes
“Seniors are integral to our community, and we want to ensure they are able to stay independent and take advantage of everything our city has to offer.”

-Chilliwack MLA John Les
“This funding will help make our entire region more accessible and more enjoyable for everyone, regardless of age.”

Additional Information:

In September 2011, Premier Christy Clark announced the launch of Age-Friendly BC, a grant and recognition program to help local governments create environments that support the good health and community participation of seniors. Due to an overwhelming response from communities, the Province has provided an additional $750,000 to further support age-friendly community planning and projects.

The Age-Friendly BC program focuses on providing communities with support, information and recognition to help meet the needs of an aging population. Local governments can achieve age-friendly recognition and officially become an Age-Friendly BC community once they have completed four basic steps that focus on community engagement, commitment, assessment and action. Local governments can apply to be recognized using applications available at http://www.seniorsbc.ca/agefriendly/ and are being accepted until February 29, 2012.

Learn More:

For more information on Age-Friendly BC please visit: http://www.seniorsbc.ca/agefriendly/.
Want your community recognized as age-friendly? Learn how: http://www.seniorsbc.ca/agefriendly/communities/recognition.html.
Want to know how to make your business more accessible to seniors? The guide, Creating an Age-friendly Business in B.C., is available at any BC Chamber of Commerce or online at: http://www.seniorsbc.ca/agefriendly/businesses/becoming_agefriendly.html.

Looking for general information on seniors and seniors’ services? Visit: http://www.seniorsbc.ca/