Busy Barb Nott spared me an hour recently to talk about how a group of citizens are working to improve the lives of older adults in Sudbury. Then, she had to run off to another appointment.
She managed to squeeze in a lot of information over a quick coffee at Tim Hortons.
Nott is the chair of the city's Older Adult Advisory Panel, previously known as the Seniors Advisory Panel.
And for the next couple of months, as chair of the 2025 Ontario 55+ Summer Games organizing committee, Nott has her hands full juggling details of the three-day event, which will take place at the beginning of August.
She likes to keep busy. Now in her late 70s, the former teacher didn't retire when she left the classroom 22 years ago.
"I have always been involved in volunteering," she said. "As a young child, with three sisters, my parents were very active in the community. Everything they were involved in, they got us involved in.
"I had a fantastic leader when I was in Girl Guides. I asked her what I could do to give back to her for all the things she did for us. She said, 'Barb just remember to give back to your community'."
In 2015, she received an Ontario Volunteer Medal for her 50 years of service to Girl Guides.
Her contributions to the community were recognized more recently with a King Charles Coronation Medal.
Nott has been on the city's Older Adult Advisory Panel for 16 years and chair for 12. There are eight executive members, appointed by city council, and more than 60 representatives of organizations concerned with the issues and needs of about 30 per cent of the city's population.
Greater Sudbury citizens aged 65 and older represent 20.3 per cent of the population, slightly higher than the provincial average of 19 per cent according to the 2021 census report. Another 14 per cent of our population is between the ages of 50 and 65.
"Once in every four-year term, we have community chats. We reach out to people in the community and consult on whether the city is meeting the requirements of its older adult strategy … and we listen to their concerns," Nott said.
The major concerns are no surprise: affordable housing, transportation and health care.
"The biggest concern this time was from the outlying communities such as Onaping, where they said public transportation and bus stops are terrible … no protection at stops and snowbanks. How do people in wheelchairs or with a walker get over that snowbank to get on the bus?"
The panel reached out to member groups to purchase benches or trees at bus stops, met with the mayor regarding transportation issues, and took stock of organizations offering free or inexpensive transportation such as Canadian Red Cross.
"Many people are not aware of what is out there (for seniors) to get them to medical appointments and to the grocery store. We want people to know what is available.
"One of the best kept secrets is that GOVA transit takes people from Walmart in the South End to Kivi Park for free."
In addition to advising the city and council, the panel received grants to champion a project to install park benches and rest stops, create a community response to COVID-19 Older Adults Resource, and purchase smart televisions and iPads for all long-term care facilities within Greater Sudbury.
The advisory panel's Age Friendly Steering Committee will host a Healthy Aging Fair on Oct. 1 at the Caruso Club from 9 a.m. to noon. There is no admission to the trade show, which will have more than 65 displays about services and resources.
"We want people to age in their homes, but they can't cut the grass or shovel the driveway or they have minor repairs and no money for that. We are working on that as well. We really want our seniors to age in place," Nott said.
Studies have found people who live in their own homes have a longer life expectancy than those in nursing homes because they feel more comfortable surrounded by familiar things.
Nott is excited about the potential of “naturally occurring retirement communities” (or NORCs) where there is a concentration of older adults in a neighbourhood or an apartment building.
These not-for profit grassroots groups organize social activities and can apply for project grants.
Nott mentioned the Rockview Towers Rockview Seniors Community, which received $17,920 in funding for a vegetable garden to promote healthy eating while residents learn gardening skills.
The Rockview group is also trying to set up an on-site health centre with two or three PSWs who can assist residents.
Nott and her committed panel members must be doing something right. In 2019, Yahoo Finance named Sudbury the fourth best place to retire in the country after Saguenay and Trois-Rivieres in Quebec and St. John's in Newfoundland.
Greater Sudbury was recognized as an Age-Friendly Community by the province in 2018.
According to the Ministry of Social Affairs, "Age-friendly communities are characterized by accessible and inclusive environments, both physical and social, that enable seniors to live independent, healthy and active, safe and socially connected lives. Communities … demonstrate a strong commitment to key principles for creating age-friendly communities, including engagement with local seniors, collaboration with a diversity of community partners, and significant impact on the local community."
With the clock ticking, Nott had to rush to that other appointment, but she gave a few quick details about the 2025 Ontario 55+ Summer Games. An expected 1,200 athletes will participate in activities such as pickleball, tennis, cycling, golf, bocce and darts from Aug. 5-7.
Activities will take place at venues throughout the city including the Timberwolf Golf Club, Cambrian Athletics Centre, the Terry Fox Sports Complex, Naughton Community Centre and Howard Armstrong Recreation Centre.
People looking for information about senior services in Sudbury can phone the city at 311 or check out the city's website. GreaterSudbury.ca/live/older-adult-services/xa.
Vicki Gilhula is a freelance writer. Prime is made possible by our Community Leaders Program.
