More than 50 seniors turned out for Whistler’s latest council meeting on Feb. 6 to make the case for a dedicated space for seniors’ activities.
They came in support of a letter submitted to council by Erika Durlacher, who spoke to her letter ahead of another six speakers who came to do the same.
“Whistler seniors need a place to call home,” said Durlacher. “Most municipalities that I know of provide an accessible space to respond to the needs of their 55-plus citizens. At present, Whistler does not have one, yet our senior population has grown significantly in recent years.”
Durlacher pointed to the support Whistler seniors have given to the community over the years through volunteering. “Just think if you had to pay for those man-hours,” she said.
“We want to age in place, but to do so we need a facility where we can socialize, recreate, and take part in programs appropriate for our physical and mental well-being.”
Durlacher argued very few programs are available to seniors in Whistler due to their irregular nature, with many run by volunteers and funded by grants.
“A permanent home for seniors’ activities would of course be the best solution, but a temporary space is urgently needed,” she said.
Charalyn Kriz, who serves as a director with Whistler’s Mature Action Committee (MAC), requested incorporating a seniors’ centre into the upcoming Northlands Boulevard development be considered a long-term goal, with a suitable space to be found among municipal assets in the meantime.
Kriz said the demographic makeup of Whistler is all the more reason to invest, given seniors made up 25 per cent of the population in 2021, and are projected to number at 33 per cent by 2031.
She cited a World Health Organization brief on loneliness among seniors, noting loneliness can damage mental and physical health, and lead to a decline in quality of life.
“A contributing factor to loneliness and isolation of seniors in Whistler is the lack of available space where seniors can meet, socialize, and in which special programs and activities and seminars can be held,” she said.
While the council table was all smiles and nodding for the entire 45 minutes the issue was being discussed, some remarks were more pointed, with local resident Cheryl Green asking why seniors are being ignored.
“Is it because you don’t want the young, money-spending tourists to see us? … Or do you simply not want to spend the money that could be put elsewhere rather than into seniors? Or maybe … you just want us all to leave so that the housing becomes available for the younger residents of Whistler?” she asked, adding planning for an aging demographic “should have happened a long time ago.”
Janice Lloyd posited anyone who suggests those who don’t like the lay of the land in Whistler simply leave are insulting those who poured their lives into building it.
“I’ve heard it also said that if you don’t like the way Whistler is, you should just move. And I know that that will resonate with some people at the council table, but I find that very insulting,” she said.
“I really hope you can help the senior people of Whistler, not just assign them to little spaces here and there, which is very difficult to organize.”
The reception from council was warm, despite the sharper remarks, with Mayor Jack Crompton prompting the Resort Municipality of Whistler’s (RMOW) general manager of community engagement and cultural services Karen Elliott to chime in.
Elliott said the RMOW could do better to communicate with seniors on what spaces are suitable and how to book them at low or no cost.
She added staff are considering the use of the RMOW’s Youth Centre at the Maury Young Arts Centre, noting it is available for certain times throughout the week.
“Our staff are happy and interested in the conversation to make that available for seniors in the interim, or potentially a longer-term arrangement,” Elliott said. “There’s no reason that the facility has to sit idle.”
The Northlands development came up again during councillor comments, with general manager of climate action, planning and development services Dale Mikkelsen saying there are ongoing consultations with the owner of that property that will open to public consultation in the near term in a process that will be well-advertised. He recommended members of the public engage fulsomely with that process, as the Community Amenity Contributions (CACs) will be a major focus.
Mikkelsen talked more about the expected timeline for Northlands at a Committee of the Whole meeting at the beginning of 2024.
Council voted to receive Durlacher’s letter and refer it to staff, with Councillor Arthur De Jong saying he hopes to see a report on the cost of providing the sort of facility envisioned by the seniors at the meeting.
