An Age-Friendly City - Supporting our Seniors
Our older adults helped build the Coquitlam we know today. They deserve the opportunity to age in place with dignity, independence, and strong community connections. I am committed to ensuring Coquitlam is a city where seniors can remain active, engaged, safe, and supported.
• Continue creating welcoming public spaces with thoughtful features such as comfortable seating, shade, accessible washrooms, and places to gather
• Champion more age-friendly housing options, including accessible, street-oriented homes with step-free entrances and senior-friendly design features
• Continue pursuing partnerships that bring more affordable seniors’ housing to Coquitlam, building on the two recent projects in our southwest neighbourhoods
• Ensure Coquitlam’s community centres and seniors’ pavilions continue to offer a wide variety of accessible programs, drop-in opportunities, and activities that promote healthy, active aging. Ensure seniors are aware of the Financial Assistance for Recreation program.
• Continue supporting the 80+ groups, offering a wide variety of recreational activities ranging from sports to crafts to social and educational opportunities, at both the Dogwood and Glen Pine Pavilions
• Advocate for additional outreach, health, and social supports to help address the growing challenge of senior homelessness
• Support programs and initiatives that reduce social isolation, including volunteer opportunities, meal delivery services such as Meaningful Meals for Seniors, and other community connections
• Continue ensuring the city has clean air spaces and cooling centres when air conditions are poor and/or the weather is hot.
• Promote education and awareness initiatives that help protect older adults from scams, fraud, and elder abuse
• Continue partnering with health services to deliver programs that benefit seniors - falls prevention, stroke recovery, dementia support and the like.
• Advocate for more seniors care, more in-home supports and more community services that support seniors so aging in place is possible.
• Continue my membership with the Tri-Cities Seniors’ Actions Society and keep attending events so I stay abreast of issues and challenges faced by our elders. Use these learnings to advocate and do what I can in my role as City Councillor to improve lives for seniors.
• City Council recently appealed directly to the Province requesting changes to the property tax deferral program so those in need gain additional property tax and utility payment relief. This advocacy will continue.