In a new report, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) examines the emerging municipal response to accommodate an aging population. Seniors are the fastest growing age group in Canada; the number of people 65 and over will double in the next 25 years, making older adults roughly one quarter of the population by 2036. The report documents the demographic change for communities that are participating in FCM’s Quality of Life Reporting System and the changes that have either been planned or have occurred to support older adults with active aging in their municipalities. Themes such as housing, civic engagement, active transportation and recreation are addressed in the report using 2011 Census and 2011 Canadian Community Health Survey data. FCM will continue to report on these themes in subsequent reports with data from the 2011 National Household Survey as well as data provided by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.
In the final section of the report, community snapshots highlight 17 municipal governments in Canada and the policies, programs and services they have in place to support older adults. The Ontario municipalities covered are: Ottawa, Kingston, Durham Region, York Region, Toronto, Peel Region, Halton Region, Waterloo Region and London.
See “Canada’s Aging Population: The municipal role in Canada’s demographic shift” for more information.