The Anmore Age-Friendly Action Plan was the result of a community-driven process to identify challenges and barriers older adults experience in the community, and develop recommendations to help the Village prepare to meet the needs of its aging population.
Similar to many communities in the Lower Mainland, British Columbia and worldwide, the population of Anmore is aging. Many people who raised families there are now “empty-nesters”, with changing needs related to housing, recreation and services. Within this context, the Village needed to reflect on existing services and policies, assess how well positioned it is to adapt to demographic shifts, and work towards building an age-friendly community that embraces and supports all residents.
CitySpaces worked with the Village’s Advisory Planning Commission, established an Age-Friendly Working Group, and involved local elementary school students in identifying challenges and developing strategies to make the Village more age-friendly for all. Additional feedback was gathered at two community-wide open houses as part of the Official Community Plan process, which was running in parallel to the Age-Friendly process.
The Plan provides a framework for decisions that will lead Anmore to become a more age-friendly community with a focus on livability for all residents. The Plan also considers opportunities for the Village to pursue age-friendly initiatives in a financially sustainable manner – utilizing partnerships, government funding opportunities, volunteers, and incorporating age-friendly planning into development projects and Village initiatives.
The Age-Friendly planning process directly involved local seniors and youth in developing the Action Plan to guide Anmore towards an age-friendly future. It also resulted in greater community awareness and interest in age-friendly considerations and has resulted in incorporation of the findings and recommendations into the Official Community Plan.
With the completion of the Age-Friendly Action Plan and the continued commitment of the Village to respond to the changing needs of residents, the Province of BC recognized the Village of Anmore as an Age-Friendly Community in September 2014.