March 14, 2022 – The Town of Penetanguishene is thrilled to announce the completion of the Age-Friendly Study which has taken place over the course of the last year, resulting in the finalization of an Age-Friendly Community Plan. This new plan is aimed at removing physical and social barriers to aging and implementing policies, services and systems to enable healthy aging for everyone.

“As with communities across Canada and indeed globally, the Town of Penetanguishene is aging. The senior population in Penetanguishene is expected to continue to grow reaching approximately 37% by 2031” says Jodi Ball, Director, J Consulting Group. “The Town of Penetanguishene’s Age-Friendly Community Plan comes at a critical time and is an important component in supporting the health and well-being of all residents.”

The Penetanguishene Age-Friendly Community Plan was developed using the World Health Organization’s 8 dimensions of an age-friendly community which include: Outdoor Spaces & Buildings, Transportation, Housing, Respect & Social Inclusion, Civic Engagement and Employment, Communications & Information and Community & Health Services.

A vital component of the study was a robust consultation strategy which engaged over 300 residents and stakeholders including Town Council and Staff, community organizations, local clubs, and service providers. This strategy incorporated various public meetings, surveys, coffee chats and in person interviews to properly gage the needs of our community.

“Taking steps to create a more age-friendly community, where all residents can be active and engaged members of the community at every stage of life has been a large aspect of our Community Strategic Plan. The Town is excited about the path forward, finalization of the Age-Friendly Community Plan, and how the actions resulting from this initiative will benefit residents of all ages and abilities” says Sherry Desjardins, Director of Recreation and Community Services.

The Age-Friendly Community Plan is available on our website with hardcopies available at Town Hall for viewing. Visit the plan online at www.penetanguishene.ca, and the Age-Friendly video on the Town’s YouTube Channel.

This Community Plan was funded by the Province of Ontario through the Inclusive Communities Grants Program.

For media inquiries, please contact:

Sherry Desjardins

Director of Recreation and Community Services

sdesjardins@penetanguishene.ca

705-549-7453

Update 11/29/2021: Video Recording of Meeting

The Town of Penetanguishene has been working with residents and community stakeholders on creating an Age-Friendly Community Plan. We are getting close! Please join us for an interactive community workshop to review and provide your feedback on our preliminary vision and ideas for action!

Register for the virtual workshop at Zoom | Please register at LINK

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAtf-qrrT0rHNaCTfEBeD0DTFwIOjW0GJIm

Date: Tuesday, November 23, 2021

Time: 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

The purpose of this workshop is to share and gather feedback on our initial direction for the Town’s Age-Friendly Community Plan. This workshop will include a presentation of a preliminary vision, draft principles, and initial ideas for action. The workshop will also include an interactive discussion on how we can move our ideas forward.

All are welcome, please share this invitation with others!

The Town would like to make this workshop as inclusive as possible. If you require assistance to increase your accessibility, please email jodi@jconsultinggroup.ca, or call 905-399-5634. We value your contribution and would like to hear from you. Thank you!

The Town of Penetanguishene is taking steps to create a more age-friendly community! To support Penetanguishene in becoming a more age-friendly place to live and grow, the Town has engaged the services of a consultant, J Consulting Group, to facilitate the development of an Age-Friendly Community Plan. On Tuesday, September 21, 2021, the Town held a public workshop to gather insight from the community.

The following photo is a visual result of the community feedback received in the workshop. A video of the workshop is can also be viewed using the following link and passcode.

Meeting Recording: The video is also available for viewing on the side panel of the project webpage.

https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/MRbTlrdgkDnkTzLYPP7Mng979PqfwhfMW0VlGEgH5n5pkzVt44ob5wYcXihZj9nU.eYFX7Rh8FPs4GAXa

Access Passcode: ?=04dpp#

The Town of Penetanguishene is taking steps to create a more age-friendly community!

Age-friendly communities support all residents in being active and engaged members of the community at every stage of life. Age-friendly communities consider:

 Outdoor Spaces & Buildings

 Transportation

 Housing

 Respect & Social Inclusion

 Communication & Information

 Civic Engagement & Employment

 Social Participation

 Community & Health Services

To support Penetanguishene in becoming a more age-friendly place to live and grow, the Town has engaged the services of a consultant, J Consulting Group, to facilitate the development of an Age-Friendly Community Plan

We want to hear from you!

As part of this work, we are conducting a virtual community visioning workshop.

Register for the virtual workshop at: Zoom |Register

Date: Tuesday, September 21, 2021

Time: 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

You must register in advance for this workshop.

We look forward to working together on this important project. Please feel free to share the registration link, above with other local community organizations and groups.

The Town would like to make this workshop as inclusive as possible. If you require assistance to increase your accessibility, please email jodi@jconsultinggroup.ca, or call 905-399-5634. We value your contribution and would like to hear from you. Thank you!

To learn more about the project and opportunities to be involved please visit connectpenetanguishene.ca

Age Friendly Presentation Slide Deck

The Town of Penetanguishene is taking steps to create a more age-friendly community, where all residents can be active and engaged members of the community at every stage of life.

To support the Town of Penetanguishene in becoming a more age-friendly place to live and grow, the Town has engaged the services of a consultant, J Consulting Group, to develop an Age-Friendly Needs Assessment & Community Plan.

Public meetings in the form of ‘Coffee Chats’ will be held:

May 18th, 2021 from 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM

May 25th, 2021 from 9:30 AM to 10:30 AM

These Coffee Chats will focus on how the Town can support our residents in aging with dignity, respect and independence, and how we can find new ways to promote the inclusion of older adults in all areas of community life.

When: Tuesday, May 18th, 2021 from 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM

Tuesday, May 25th, 2021 from 9:30 AM to 10:30 AM

Where: Virtual Meeting using Zoom

How to Register: Contact Angele Proulx at aproulx@penetanguishene.ca or by telephone at 705-549-7453

Websites: ConnectPenetanguishene.ca OR penetanguishene.ca

Funding for this project has been provided through the Government of Ontario, Inclusive Community Grants Program.

For more information regarding the Age-Friendly Community Study, please contact:

Sherry Desjardins

Director of Recreation and Community Services

sdesjardins@penetanguishene.ca

705-549-7453

Angele Proulx

Administrative Assistant

Recreation and Community Services

aproulx@penetanguishene.ca

705-549-7453

Survey Link: https://www.surveymonkey.ca/r/PenetanguisheneAgeFriendly

The survey is open from June 1 - June 25

Project Process

Engagement and input from current residents, community organizations and health partners, data analysis and information review, as well as best practices research of initiatives other communities are undertaking, will be used to develop an Age-Friendly Plan for the community.

There are two key components to the project. The first is the preparation of an Age-Friendly Needs Assessment Report. Data collection and analysis, review of existing Town policies and strategies, and feedback from residents and organizations will help us to identify key needs or gaps across the eight key areas.

The Needs Assessment will then inform the development of an Age-Friendly Community Action Plan and Implementation Plan which will identify key strategies and priorities that the Town and community partners can implement to help support older residents in remaining in their community with appropriate supports and community amenities, services and programs.

It is anticipated that this project will take approximately a year to complete.

Community Engagement

Residents, community organizations and other key stakeholders will have several opportunities to get involved and provide their input into the process and preparation of the Needs Assessment report and Community Plan.

Stay Tuned! We are anticipating launching the first round of community engagement in May. Check back here to learn more about the engagement opportunities as details are confirmed.