Overview
Rothesay has a long history of supporting age-friendly initiatives and opportunities for seniors in the community. Over time, these initiatives have grown and have continued to positively impact the lives of seniors not only in Rothesay, but also in the surrounding communities.
Rothesay officially started its age-friendly journey when the 2016 Town Council set priorities for their four-year term. One of the main goals was to make Rothesay an Age-Friendly Community. Based on the recommendation from Council, the original Age-Friendly Advisory Committee (AFAC) was established in 2017 with the mandate to achieve that goal. In 2018, the AFAC conducted a survey and received 268 replies. From the survey, it was determined that the top priority for Rothesay residents aged 50 and older was a Seniors Resource Centre (now called the Rothesay Hive) and age-friendly housing.
In May of 2019, Rothesay was presented with its Age-Friendly Community designation at the grand opening of the Rothesay Hive, an Age-Friendly Community Centre. Minister Dorothy Shephard (Social Development) attended to present the certificate to Mayor Dr. Nancy Grant. Rothesay is also pleased to be a member of the World Health Organization Global Network of Age-Friendly Cities and Communities. Rothesay Council applied for membership in the summer of 2019 and was accepted into the international network in the winter of 2019.
Dalhousie University (Square Peg Consulting) prepared a report for Rothesay called the Age Friendly Housing Background Study. The study and the AFAC have helped direct policies and by-laws for age-friendly housing in Rothesay. The 2020-2030 Municipal Plan recognizes the importance of creating opportunities for seniors to age-in-place in their own home and community, and it tackles barriers by allowing affordable, age-friendly, aging in place units, and cluster neighbourhoods for the senior population in the entire community of Rothesay.
Since the Age-Friendly status was achieved, Rothesay has continued working on the goals of the actions plans and the eight domains of being an age-friendly community to combat ageism and promote the participation of all seniors in the community. This includes but is not limited to: taking over operation of the Rothesay Hive, intergenerational opportunities, age-friendly housing, and improved communication tools to reach seniors in the community. In 2021, Rothesay hired a full-time Age-Friendly Community Coordinator to oversee all age-friendly initiatives and collaborations within the town of Rothesay.
In August 2021, Council unanimously approved re-establishing the AFAC with a new mandate, which is included in this application. Since then, Rothesay has worked to implement the 2022-2024 action plan and foster more age-friendly partnerships, including connecting with local schools, Saint John Newcomers Centre, the File of Life program, hosted it’s first-ever Age-Friendly Wellness Fair, and other connections and services as outlined further in this application.
Through these connections Rothesay has been able to offer and promote a wider range of programs, services, and opportunities in our community for older adults. We recognize that there are already groups who are leading the charge and wish to raise their efforts to better support older adults. Rothesay has also provided guidance to many other New Brunswick communities and organizations who are attempting to achieve their age-friendly status or create a space for older adults in their communities. Rothesay has been an active contributing member of the Age-Friendly Active Communities – New Brunswick group.
Rothesay recognizes it has an aging population and continues to support efforts to increase services and quality core opportunities for this demographic. The information in this application outlines how Rothesay continues to prioritize age-friendly initiatives in the entire community.
Rothesay is proud of the progress it has made in ensuring seniors can age in place safely in their home, enjoying all aspects of being part of a diverse community, and will continue to enhance the quality of life for all residents. Rothesay remains committed to being an Age-Friendly Community for years to come.