Seniors are adults and mentors too must ring loud in the ears of politicians who must adopt the COSCO motto, "Plan with seniors, not for them," which if understood and a mutual respect unfolds, progress and empathy will create age-friendly inclusive communities.
Seniors account for 15 per cent of population, with the silver tsunami impressing all with the power and resolve developing in the hands of seniors' political power to change governments.
Mission seniors have felt the brunt of successive mayors and council indifference, lack of empathy, moribund governance and lack of respect for the many contributions seniors have made to our community and contributions from a lifetime of paying taxes. CRMG started to make changes but they, along with the planner and many seniors who have passed on, have passed the torch.
Most every other community in B.C. enjoys an independent seniors' activity centre.
I pursue objectives and goals for seniors, but some feel their way is the only way and thus my intervention is seen as hindering as I seek to expedite the process without undue compromise.
Hence, my request of politicians is to be visionary, empathetic, understand who seniors are and what they need. They need and deserve their own facility.
Build on district-owned property adjacent the leisure centre, incorporate low-cost to market housing to cover costs of building, with any additional cost paid from accrued surplus. Establish the appropriate fee-for-service. Permit seniors the respect to govern their own facility and the option to rent out available space. Stop placing caveats upon seniors. They must be seen to be part of some community venture.
Please stop making seniors feel guilty in order to appease some spending of public funds needed to create a safe, friendly and needed facility for seniors to enjoy and enhance their lives through exercise, health programs, crafts, entertainment and so forth.
Refer to our website www.thecouncilclaw.ca click Elder Citizen Action Coalition and view 23 pictures of the new seniors' Pitt Meadows facility for an example of what I envisage for Mission.
Simply, I am requesting council to complete the process underway to finalize that component of information-gathering, then build seniors their facility.
George F. Evens
Mission