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SAANICH NEWS -Wednesday, June 6, 2012
population Edward Hill
a Saanich municipal councillor. “What’s amazing is the number of older seniors at our centres. A large Greater Victoria’s population is portion is over 85. Many are in their getting older and there’s fewer kids, 90s.” a trend that will surprise few and The aging generation of baby was re-enforced by Statistics Canada boomers is adding to the rise in the census data released this week. number of seniors, as is improved The number of people aged 65 medical care and healthier lifestyles. and older has increased by nearly Once consequence is that more eight per cent in the people traditionally at past five years and is the retirement age are seeking fastest growing age cohort employment, either to in the region. keep active or because Nearly a quarter of all pensions and savings people in Greater Victoria aren’t enough. That’s a are senior citizens. The phenomenon they didn’t number of youth dropped see 20 years ago, Brice by nearly three per cent said. – kids 14 and younger Some people who retire make up 13 per cent of the to Victoria face sticker Susan Brice city’s residents. shock when it comes to The drop in youth real estate and cost of is seen almost across living, she noted. Silver the board – the number of kids in Threads, especially the downtown Saanich dropped by six per cent facility, helps seniors craft resumes and the City of Victoria went down and hunt for jobs, tasks many by five per cent. Langford, the only haven’t done for decades. area of the city experiencing strong “Either by choice or by need, overall population growth, bucked more seniors are remaining in the the trend. The number of kids grew workplace,” Brice said. “A lot don’t by an astonishing 21 per cent in five envision spending 35 years in a years. sedentary or relaxed way. A lot like Silver Threads, a non-profit to stay active. Although many need service provider for seniors in extra money ... there’s a higher cost Victoria and Saanich, is seeing a of living. Money doesn’t go as far.” trend toward seniors on the older Elaine Gallagher, professor end of the scale, said Susan Brice, emeritus with the University of director of the Victoria office. Victoria Centre on Aging, said the “The increase in the number of steady proportional increase in seniors we’ve known would be seniors has been predicted for coming for some time,” said Brice, years. Senior governments have News staff
Cuppa tea to honour novelist Jane Austen Take time for tea with other fans of all things Jane Austen later this month in Saanich. The third annual Jane Austen Tea is set for June 23 and 24 from 1 to 4 p.m. Enjoy an afternoon of traditional sandwiches, sweets, punch and unlimited tea. Entertainment will include music, singing, a Jane Austen quiz and an actress performing vignettes from Austen novels. Also take a stroll in the gardens and visit the winery, and participate in a silent auction. The tea will be held in the English country garden beside the Starling Lane Winery, 5271 West Saanich Rd. Tickets are $15 for adults, $9 for children five to 12, free for under five. Tickets are available at all Dig This Store locations and online at www.pldca.ca. Tickets will also be available at the door. editor@saanichnews.com
Randall Garrison, MP ESQUIMALT–JUAN DE FUCA We’re here to help constituents with Federal government programs and services. ADDRESS:
A2–100 Aldersmith Place Victoria V9A 7M8
HOURS:
10am–4pm, Monday–Thursday or by appointment
PHONE: EMAIL: FAX:
been slow to respond, but are starting to see the repercussions of a greying population. As the senior population gets bigger, the more younger people are caring for aging relatives. And a higher proportion of people will be living with Alzheimer’s, dementia and arthritis, Gallagher said. “These areas will really be a challenge in the future. There are fewer young people to support health care and social care,” Gallagher said. “And there are other repercussions. Our generation, baby boomers, want a role to play in society. They don’t want to sit back and just golf and fish. They want to be engaged.” A greying population has caused local governments to reorient how they develop their communities. Taking to account an aging population while planning infrastructure and programs is now part of the standard procedure. In 2008, Saanich participated in a
World Health Organization project to make urban areas more “age friendly,” in co-operation with the Centre on Aging. In areas with high populations of seniors, Brice said the engineering department installed countdown indicators at crosswalks and longer walk signals. Recreation centre needed to be mindful of how people with walkers, scooters and wheelchairs would access facilities. The police department is more aware of the kind of scams targeted at senior citizens. Saanich and the SD61 also joined forces to meld a seniors centre into an elementary school under threat of closing in Cordova Bay five years ago, a move seen as a success in the face of falling enrolment. Kids and seniors even share joint programs. “That kind of thinking is needed on how we will manage resources with changing demographics,” Gallagher said. editor@saanichnews.com
Census 2011 Statistics 0-14
15-64
64+
85+
Capital Region % distribution % change from ’06
45,190 13.1 -2.7
235.985 68.5 5.0
63,440 18.4 7.8
21,270 6.2 0.9
0-14
15-64
64+
85+
Saanich % distribution % change from ’06
15,045 13.7 -6.1
74,665 68.0 2.1
20,045 18.3 4.7
6,425 5.9 3.3
0-14
15-64
64+
85+
Langford % distribution % change from ’06
5,270 18.0 21.0
20,935 71.6 32.5
3,025 10.4 31.2
800 2.7 26
0-14
15-64
64+
85+
Victoria % distribution % change from ’06
7,285 9.1 -5.1
58,025 72.5 4.1
14,710 18.4 0.5
5,900 7.4 -8.7
KICK OFF TO SUMMER CARNIVAL Gordon Head Recreation Centre 4100 Lambrick Way
Saturday, June 9th 11am-1pm A FREE interactive showcase and demonstration of our great programs for kids of all ages this summer. ? Carnival Games/Bouncy Castle ? Crafts & Face Painting ? Kindergym ? Field Games
? Program Demos and Displays ? Preschool Activities ? BBQ - * hot dog/drink $1.50 ? And much more!
www.randallgarrison.ndp.ca
Volunteer Today 20th Annual General Meeting & Recognition Awards SVSS will be holding their 20th Annual General Meeting on Thursday, June 21, from 4:00 – 5:30. A brief business meeting will be followed by the presentation of awards by Mayor Frank Leonard to our 5, 10 and 15 year volunteers. All volunteers and clients are welcome to attend. RSVP to 250-595-8008. Get Up and Go We’re looking for more drivers to add to our supported transportation team and thought this might appeal to you. Take one of our clients to a medical or other appointment or perhaps to the store. You may even have errands of your own to do at the same time. No special insurance is necessary and you can set your own schedule. We don’t slow down just because summer is approaching so don’t delay - call the office and get on your way. Receptionist/Drive Dispatcher We’re seeking a volunteer to be our front desk receptionist on the Friday morning shift from 9:00 – 12:30. Greet people, answer the phone and book medical drives for our clients. Patience, a sense of humor and organizational skills are assets for this position. Applicants should be computer literate and familiar with entering data for bookings. Training will be provided. If this job interests you call Heather at 250-5958008 or email heather@ saanichvolunteers.org Volunteer Voices Our volunteers are always telling us how much they enjoy giving back to the Saanich community by helping their neighbour. Here’s a few of their comments: “Volunteering makes me feel good and I like the people I meet”, “The lady I visit has become a friend of mine over the years”, “I like driving and it’s a bonus to have some company along on the ride”, “Gardening is my hobby so volunteer gardening for a Saanich neighbour is enjoyable”. Get that ‘feel good feeling’ yourself and join our team today. Community Partners:
District of Saanich
250-405-6550 Randall.Garrison@parl.gc.ca 250-405-6554
FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK!
volunteer notebook
Province of British Columbia Co n n e c t i n g p e o p l e w h o c a r e w it h c au s e s t h at mat t e r ®
Provincial Employees Community Services Fund
This is a FREE event! *
Learn how you can help! www.saanichvolunteers.org
250.595.8008