In less than 25 years, more than 43 per cent of folks in New Westminster will be in the age group of 50 to 65 years old. And, to top it off, another 22 per cent will be over 65 - making New Westminster's senior population 65 per cent of the city.
Imagine that. What will that mean to the city's services, housing, transportation systems, health care, retail market and recreation facilities? What will a city of seniors look like? How will this impact services for children and those of other generations? How will these people vote? Will they vote as a single special interest group, or vote with their grandchildren's futures in mind?
Our special report on the front page of today's paper barely touches the surface of what is a fascinating subject. As John Stark, social planner, so aptly put it, "We're just trying to get ahead of it."
But a glimpse into the future may be had by looking more closely at uptown New Westminster. Currently, the uptown neighbourhood has the highest percentage of seniors aged 65-plus, at 24 per cent. You see in uptown more scooters, more professional health services, and retailers starting to cater and adapt to an aging customer. More seats in waiting rooms, retailers who highlight senior specials and health professionals who take the time to understand the challenges many seniors face, are just some of the early signs of a city adapting to the "grey wave."
This is all good. But the best communities are diverse ones, and communities that do not have a wide mix of generations, ethnic heritages, classes, gender, sexual orientations and faiths will be poor communities. Perhaps not financially, but surely poorer for the lack of diversity and human richness and connections. Granted, these seniors will be a mix of many diverse groups, but creating - however unintentionally - solely senior-centred areas in the city will not be good.
We need neighbourhoods where seniors mix with young children. Where families embrace elders and elders enrich the neighbourhood. Century House is a great model for mixing generations. Seniors and youth work and play together, and both generations are better for it.
Let's hope for a future city built on that model.
