City receives provincial award for its age-friendly initiatives!
Guelph, Ont., March 26, 2018 – Earlier today, the City of Guelph was honoured with a 2018 Ontario Age-Friendly Community Recognition Award at the inaugural Age Friendly Community Symposium held in Toronto. The awards celebrate the work of Ontario communities that are striving to become age friendly.
“Guelph is a great place to live and age well, and I’m proud our efforts to become an age-friendly community have been recognized with this notable provincial award. It’s an award our entire community can celebrate,” says Mayor Cam Guthrie.
On hand to accept the award were Manon Germain, project specialist with Age-Friendly Guelph, and Adam Rutherford, programming and community development supervisor with the City.
The recognition program, introduced last year by the Ministry of Seniors Affairs, includes two award categories—Community Action Plan, and Implementation and Evaluation.
The City, selected for one of 10 awards under the Implementation and Evaluation category, was recognized for its strong commitment to key principles for creating an age-friendly community, including engagement with Guelph’s seniors, collaboration with a diversity of community partners, and significant impact on the local community.
“Through our policies, programs and services we are creating social and physical environments that are more accessible to and inclusive of older adults, enabling them to lead independent, active and healthy lives and to stay engaged in our community. The age-friendly initiatives we’re being recognized for with this award are the result of tremendous staff effort and community involvement,” says Derrick Thomson, the City’s chief administrative officer.
The Age-Friendly Guelph Leadership Team, with support from two community members and the Canadian Mental Health Association Waterloo Wellington, nominated the City for the award.
As a recipient of the provincial award, Guelph now has access to streamlined eligibility for national recognition through the Pan-Canadian Age-Friendly Communities recognition framework developed by the Public Health Agency of Canada.
Background:
By 2031, Guelph’s population is projected to be 175,000, with 53,000 people over the age of 55.
The City’s Older Adult Strategy, approved by Council in 2012, is a framework and implementation plan that guides Guelph in becoming an age-friendly community. Age-friendly communities are characterized by accessible and inclusive environments, both physical and social, that enable seniors to live independent, healthy and active, safe and socially connected lives.
In 2014, the City was accepted as a member of the Global Network of Age-friendly Cities and Communities for its promise to make Guelph a great place to live and age well. In June 2017, the City issued its Older Adult Strategy progress report.