Salmo Recognized as Age-Friendly Community by Province
By Diane Kalen-Sukra
The Village of Salmo is pleased to have been formally recognized as an Age-Friendly Community by the BC Minister of Health Adrian Dix and Executive Director of the BC Healthy Communities Society Jodi Mucha. This provincial recognition includes a framed poster to hang in the Village office and a $1,000 grant.
“This recognition acknowledges the steps Salmo has taken to engage seniors in age-friendly assessment and planning processes as well as its ongoing commitment to becoming more age-friendly,” says a joint letter dated October 17th from Minister Dix and Ms. Mucha.
“Congratulations and many thanks for your efforts and your commitment to creating healthy, age-friendly communities for the benefit of seniors and all British Colombians.”
In 2015, Council of the Village of Salmo committed to engaging the community in the development of an age-friendly action plan to ensure Salmo is a welcoming and fulfilling place for people of all ages to live.
The Village began this process with public consultation through a comprehensive survey, formation of the Salmo Seniors Working Group and community forum to establish priorities and an action plan. The Village is guided by the standards set by the World Health Organization, which recognizes eight key features to becoming an age-friendly community.
Salmo’s Age-Friendly Assessment helped identify priorities. The Age-Friendly Community Forum held in May of 2016 determined that the top priorities for age-friendly improvements.
The results of the public consultation phase were combined into the Salmo Age-Friendly Action Plan adopted at the Regular Council meeting of June 14, 2016.
The ambitious age-friendly action items completed in 2016 included:
* Successful application for a $20,000 age-friendly grant;
* Formation a Salmo Seniors Working Group;
* Creation of a Salmo Seniors webpage – salmoseniors.ca;
* Revision of Village of Salmo Sidewalk Inspection Policy to consider those with mobility concerns;
* Preparation of a map of proposed bench locations;
* Preparation of Age-Friendly Assessment, Community Forum and Action Plan;
* Installation of Accessibility Doors on the Village Office;
* Expansion of Sidewalk to Salmo Wellness Centre (Baker Avenue from Main Street to Baker Lane);
* Placement of over a dozen new benches throughout the Village for a total of over 17 benches – See Map;
* Hiring of a 6-month Salmo Seniors Coordinator;
* Incorporation of Age-Friendly Salmo principals in Salmo Official Community Plan.
The Village hopes to use the $1,000 grant towards an engaging pedestrian path & bench map to encourage active transportation and healthy lifestyles. The maps would include various routes, distances and slope, lighting etc. for proposed walking paths throughout the Village.
