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What is the Cranbrook Age Friendly Advisory Committee?
Letter to the editor
To the residents of Cranbrook and Electoral Area C:
I would like a moment of your time. My name is Doug Newberry; I am the Vice-Chair of the Cranbrook Age Friendly Advisory Committee. As you may have noticed, the demographics in Cranbrook are changing. Currently 36% of Cranbrook’s population is 55 plus; by 2035 it will increase to 41%. This is not an isolated trend. This is happening provincially, throughout Canada and worldwide.
Who is the Cranbrook Age Friendly Advisory Committee you may ask? No, we the committee members, are not City of Cranbrook employees. We are a group of concerned citizens. Several of us representing numerous service organizations that brings various strengths and viewpoints to the Age Friendly Advisory Committee. The city has appointed Councillor Ron Popoff to the committee.
We want to ensure that Cranbrook is well positioned to meet the challenges of an aging population by having a strong, vibrant, action plan in place to chart a course for the future of our community. We are working with you and for the residents of Cranbrook, young and old, to determine what resources and services we have in place today, how we can improve them or what additional actions may be needed. Only with your input can we be successful!
To gain your needed input the committee has launched a community assessment survey. This survey asks questions about the 8 keys areas of an Age Friendly Community and how the City of Cranbrook measures up. It requires approximately 20 minutes of your time. It can be completed on-line from our website or in paper form if you are more comfortable with that format. Your input from the survey will determine the priorities, importance and changes needed. Collective responses will form the foundation of the Age Friendly action plan for the City of Cranbrook. This plan will become an action plan to enable the City of Cranbrook to be better positioned to meet the challenges as our population ages.
Some of you may think, nothing will come of this! Why should I waste my time? Nobody listens to me!
I would like you to consider this. Has what you have been doing to date accomplished anything? Are you willing to pass up an opportunity to have your voice heard; have your comments and suggestions been listened to and considered? If no, we need your input now and be assured, you will be part of the solutions.
If you want your voice to be heard please fill out the survey on-line from our website www.cranbrookagefriendly.ca, or if you would like to fill it out in the paper format you can contact us at 250-919-3244.
Thank you for your time.
Doug Newberry,
Vice Chair,
Cranbrook Age Friendly Advisory Committee
