*Note: The Town of Pelham will fly a Celebrating Pelham Seniors flag beginning June 22 to recognize Seniors' Month.
From Age-Friendly Niagara Network
Niagara-wide consortium of municipal seniors/age-friendly/wellness advisory committees advocates for people of all ages to be connected to community.
This June marks the 36th anniversary of Seniors’ Month in Ontario. This year’s theme is Aging Strong: Respect and Protect Seniors. The month is a province-wide celebration of the invaluable knowledge and purposeful experience that seniors share with those of all ages in the community. During these difficult times of physical distancing, it is more important than ever to acknowledge the contributions of all seniors.
In recognition of Seniors’ Month, the Age-Friendly Niagara Network (AFNN) Leadership Council has endorsed two flag options available to the 12 municipalities in Niagara. The first option includes the Age-Friendly Niagara logo and the second option has this logo plus a municipal and/or local age-friendly or seniors’ organization logo side by side. Both options include the wording A Community for All Ages, with the French translation available. “The Age-Friendly Niagara Flag symbolizes the Niagara region and its 12 local municipalities as A Community for All Ages, optimizing opportunities for overall well-being to enhance quality of people’s lives as they age”, said Dominic Ventresca, AFNN Leadership Council Co-Chair.
“The flag can be flown in June, Seniors’ Month in Ontario, on World Seniors Day (October 1st), during age-friendly or at seniors’ events in the community – such as flag raising ceremonies to increase the awareness and visibility of local age-friendly initiatives”, said Jean D’Amelio-Swyer, AFNN flag champion and member of the Thorold Age-Friendly Committee.
An age-friendly community considers and incorporates the needs of older adults in their decision-making strategies. They do this by focusing on residents’ entire lifespan, so that benefits and opportunities are accessible to people of all ages in the population. This aligns with the World Health Organization’s (WHO) eight dimensions of community functionality.
“On behalf of Council, I am proud to see the Age-Friendly flag raised at Regional headquarters to recognize the many contributions our seniors make to their communities throughout Niagara,” said Regional Chair Jim Bradley. “During these extraordinary times, it is more important than ever to call or video chat with the older adults in your life to thank them for their service and for being part of our community.”
Contact
Dominic Ventresca, Co-Chair, AFNN Leadership Council d.ventresca@sympatico.ca
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