By Joel Goldenberg
The Suburban
Côte St. Luc has received $15,375 in provincial financial assistance to develop a “municipal policy and action plan for becoming an Age-Friendly City,” the city announced last week.
The funding, from the Quebec Health and Social Services ministry, is to “support the development of a municipal policy and action plan as part of the Programme de soutien à la démarche Municipalité amie des aînés (MADA).”
The city announcement explained that in the next two years, CSL will “work to create a Seniors Policy and Action Plan, which will help its population stay healthy and active and keep contributing to the vitality of CSL.
“Under Quebec’s MADA (Municipalités amies des ainés) program, the city has set up a steering committee that will embark on a process to put together an action plan that will, among other things, help older adults age well in community and maintain their independence, and reduce ageism. Municipal services, policies, and structures will be re-examined to better take seniors’ needs into account.”
The city says it wants to offer a “safe, dynamic and inclusive living environment to its older adults to encourage their involvement and promote healthy and active aging. To that end, Côte Saint-Luc’s Age-Friendly Municipality (AFM) Plan of Action will focus on housing, transportation, outdoor spaces and buildings, community support and health services, participation and social involvement, as well as communication and information. In the next few months, citizens will be invited to participate in a variety of consultations that would help the city in its effort to become more age-friendly.”
In 2019, Côte Saint-Luc was a finalist in the Smart Cities Challenge “for its plan to use technology and human resources to help seniors age in place. Most recently, the City is a partner with the Centre for Research and Expertise in Social Gerontology (CREGÉS) of the CIUSSS West-Central Montreal in the research project Smart Environments Supporting the Ecosystem of Fragile and Isolated Seniors: The City of Côte Saint-Luc Living Lab.” n