Niagara is Working to Become an Age-friendly Region

Age-friendly communities are those that take into consideration the needs of all its residents with a particular focus on older adults. Age-friendly communities are ones that make it easier for older people to work or volunteer. This contributes to healthier and more active participation in the life of their community. Age-friendly communities also promote cultural diversity and recreational opportunities by creating places and spaces for seniors to gather and participate in healthy activities.

A Niagara-wide partnership has been formed to lead the region’s age-friendly initiatives. The partners include Niagara Region Seniors Services and Integrated Community Planning, the Senior Citizens Advisory Committee for the City of Welland, Rose City Seniors Foundation in conjunction with the City of Welland, and the Niagara Research and Planning Council.

Niagara’s age-friendly initiatives will be led by a steering committee and a soon-to-be hired Community Coordinator funded through the Trillium Foundation (the competition for the position closes February 5, 2010).

Members of the steering committee will represent a broad cross-section of the community, including business, educational institutions, government and health and social service agencies. The committee will work with Niagara residents to identify and develop community supports for older adults and, by extension, young and physically challenged individuals. The goal is to create safe and secure environments that foster community participation and personal health and well-being.

Niagara will begin its work by testing various methods that allow for effective community designs necessary to meet globally-established age-friendly community criteria. The project will use the outcome measures developed by the World Health Organization and the Age-Friendly Communities Framework.

The Community Coordinator’s primary role will be community outreach. The input and ideas from residents will be fundamental to the success of the project. Building on the results of the age-friendly activities undertaken initially in Welland, Niagara will roll out age-friendly initiatives to the other 11 municipalities in the region. Eventually, local action committees will be established in individual communities to identify and undertake age-friendly activities specific to their own local needs and requirements.

Building age-friendly communities in Niagara will form a cornerstone of Niagara Region’s strategic growth plan.

For more information, contact