Saturday, September 27, 2008

Kamloops Seniors: growing in numbers and need to be heard

According to Interior Health data, in 2008, 17% of people in Kamloops are 65 and older. By 2018 it will be 21%. Whatever the City of Kamloops does, seniors need to be considered.

As a candidate for councillor for the City of Kamloops, here are some things I would like to address if elected to represent you.

1. Expand the Safer Streets Program. Currently, the City of Kamloops focuses on making streets and sidewalks safer around elementary schools. This program should be expended to include areas of high numbers of seniors. For example, Vernon Avenue on the north side of Northills Mall has no sidewalks on either side of the street, no level entrance by sidewalk to the mall at the Southwest corner (stairs, ramps or level entrance on the street only). There are a high number of seniors (including right at the corner of Vernon Avenue & Tranquille and over at Cottonwood) in this area. Glenfair, in Peterson Creek, is a seniors' residence. There are no sidewalks from Glenfair down to Columbia street. Residents, whether in wheelchairs, scooters, or walkers have to walk in the middle of the street to get out of their residence. At Columbia and 4th, as in many locations, the wheelchair ramp is insufficient. The sidewalk dip on the south east corner only goes onto the sidewalk crossing 4th. People who want to cross Columbia on the east side of the intersection must enter vehicular traffic to get onto the sidewalk crossing Columbia Street.

2. Seniors need more housing options. Kamloops has a 0.5% vacancy rates. Adequate housing is a problem for many seniors, especially those of lower incomes. Housing has been identified by Interior Health as a key component to health. The City needs to work actively with all levels of government and non-profits to ensure housing options are available to all seniors. I would also like the City facilitate seniors who own their own homes who need to upgrade (e.g. safety rails, wider doorways) get grants from the provincial and federal governments. Some cities have a resource page on their website where seniors can go to get this type of information. The City could also follow the lead of other cities who have adopted building codes that address the needs of aging citizens.

3. Make seniors groups a priority. There are city representatives on many business committees such as the Chamber of Commerce, Canadian Home Builders' and Business Improvement Associations, but the Seniors Information Resource and Referral Service has told me that when they asked for city representation the city turned down their request. With seniors making up such a large portion of the population, the voices of seniors need to be heard.

4. Sidewalks & snow. Falling is a major hazard when people age, and icy sidewalks are a major hazard. I would like the City to aggressively enforce sidewalk clearing bylaws, especially for businesses and government. As an example, I notice that the School District and some provincial government agencies often do not clear their sidewalks.

5. Senior friendly parks - one complaint I have heard many times is that seniors often feel unsafe going to the local parks. Activity is key to health. Perhaps the City could have "senior days" where seniors will know that there will be city staff in the parks at specific times so they feel more comfortable going to the park.

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