By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

Innisfail working to become more age-friendly

Feb 22, 2018 | 10:59 PM

The Town of Innisfail is striving to provide its residents with an age-friendly community.

Council recently took steps to form an age-friendly action plan steering committee which will come up with ways to make the town more accessible to seniors.

In 2016, the Town completed a Seniors Community Needs Assessment, which this committee will follow up on in developing its plan.

CAO Todd Becker says the endeavour is an important one.

“We have a demographic that is aging. We are higher than provincial and regional averages,” he says, referring to seniors.

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Of Innisfail’s population, 34.5 per cent is over 55, according to the 2016 federal census.

That is higher than Olds at 33.8 per cent, Rocky Mountain House (27.7), Lacombe (27.6), Sylvan Lake (18.2), Penhold (15.7) and Blackfalds (11.3).

One area identified by the previous needs assessment as lacking is housing.

“There is demand for housing in Innisfail and the supply has some gaps in it,” Becker acknowledges. Other areas identified for improvement include transportation, and community and health services.

“In my own experience within the town, there are significant trail networks and green spaces,” Becker says of one of the areas noted as satisfactory – outdoor spaces and buildings. “There are also a lot of different events that promote inclusion.”

In the short term, the committee is expected to begin achieving its objectives within one to two years.