Healthy Living, Seniors and Consumer Affairs Minister Jim Rondeau proclaimed October 2012 as Seniors’ and Elders’ Month in Manitoba and recognized and appreciated the extensive contributions seniors make to the province.
“I am proud to proclaim October as Seniors’ and Elders’ Month in Manitoba to reaffirm our commitment to the needs and interests of older Manitobans and our ongoing support of age-friendly communities throughout the province,” said Rondeau. “Manitoba seniors helped build our province and our government is pleased to give back by providing programs and supports, such as the Age-Friendly Initiative, to make communities more accessible and help seniors stay in their homes longer.”
Launched in 2008, the Age-Friendly Manitoba Initiative encourages policies, services and structures that support and enable older adults to live in security, enjoy good health and continue to participate fully in society. The initiative continues to gain momentum with 80 per cent of Manitoba’s population living in communities that are becoming age-friendly, Rondeau said.
He noted the province contributes $267,000 to key organizations that provide service to seniors and participate as partners on the province’s Age-Friendly Manitoba Initiative including:
• the Aboriginal Seniors Resource Centre,
• Age and Opportunity,
• Creative Retirement Manitoba,
• la Fédération des âinés franco-manitobains,
• the Manitoba Association of Senior Centres,
• the Transportation Options Network for Seniors,
• the Active Living Coalition for Older Adults in Manitoba, and
• age-friendly communities.
In partnership with the University of Manitoba’s Centre on Aging, the Government of Manitoba will host an international invited symposium on age-friendly rural and remote communities in Winnipeg Oct. 15 to 17. The symposium will bring together university researchers, community and government leaders, and older adults to develop key priorities for the creation of age-friendly rural and remote communities on a global level. Delegates will attend from more than a dozen countries including Australia, Bolivia, Cameroon, Canada, Ghana, Ireland, Peru, Russia, Switzerland, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda and the United States.
The symposium will kick off with a public forum from 1 to 4 p.m., Monday, Oct. 15 at the Winnipeg Art Gallery where a panel of experts will explore The Nature of Place: Can the Place We Live in Become Age-friendly?
