Saanich Parks and Recreation is in the midst of a public outreach campaign to gather ideas for a new Older Adults Strategy.
The five-year strategic plan is designed to guide the direction of how Saanich Parks and Recreations’ can better offer its services, programs, facilities, and outdoor spaces for older adults from 2017 to 2022.
With a quarter of the Saanich population aged 60 and over, a new strategy is overdue, says Julie Wallace, Saanich parks and rec programmer who focuses on older adults.
“Saanich’s last strategy for older adults was made in 2004, that’s a large demographic. My job over the next year is to find those people and co-ordinate [a new strategy] as best we can.”
Parks and recreation staff recently offered a basic survey and is now moving to a series of upcoming public engagement sessions at recreation centres.
“We want to talk to anyone in Saanich, that includes those who use the recreation centres, but we also want to talk to people who aren’t using our rec centres and parks to better accommodate people,” Wallace said.
The goal is to have a new Older Adults Strategy in place by May 2017.
The public engagement process will continue with sessions at Saanich Commonwealth Place on Thursday (June 9) from 6 to 7:30 p.m. and at Cedar Hill Rec on Friday (June 10) from 10:30 a.m. to noon.
Groups or organizations can set up a time to give input into the direction of parks and recreation the public by contacting Wallace with a suggested date, time and approximate numbers. Individuals may also contact Wallace by phone at 250-475-5408 or email Julie.wallace@saanich.ca