With B.C. Seniors' Week underway (June 2-8), we need to remember that "seniors" are one of the most diverse groups in the province, and one of the fastest growing.
Canada, and B.C., are aging. Richmond has a high percentage of seniors among its citizens, and the city has been active in helping address the need for low-income housing thanks to the Kiwanis Towers project.
But if we're talking about other issues facing seniors, we're talking about almost every facet of life in this province, not just where they will live.
There are certainly seniors who are approaching the end of their lives, for whom issues of health care and mobility are predominant.
But we also have a huge population of seniors who are hale and healthy, living independent lives and who will do so for decades to come. The "zoomers" movement of active seniors is changing perceptions of what it means to get older, and what behaviour is "normal" for someone over 60 or 65.
Under the broad umbrella of seniors come both those raised in the 1930s and '40s, and the generation of Baby Boomers born in the post-war years.
Many seniors are retired, but with the end of mandatory retirement rules, others are working, even starting new careers or businesses, or going back to school.
When we talk about "seniors' issues," we have to talk about the job market and the economy, health care, taxes, transit, and pensions and the social safety net. Seniors also are very often engaged in their communities, working for charities, lobbying on issues that include everything from the environment to childcare.
If we want to address the needs of modern seniors, we're really talking about addressing the needs of every resident of this province.
That's not exactly a bad thing. If something is good for seniors, chances are it's good for all of us.
