County partners with non-profit to enhance seniors’ services

A panel of municipal staff and community members recently selected the Westend Seniors Activity Centre as Strathcona County’s new partner in providing improved services to older adults.

Early this year, Council moved to invest $200,000 annually, for the next three years, to create more support for older adults in the community. In late March, the County invited non-profits to apply for this funding, seeking a partner who could meet a broad mandate to advocate, coordinate and provide programming and connection opportunities for seniors.

The selection panel, comprised of County staff, Chair of the Seniors Advisory Committee and a member of the Sherwood Park 55+ Club, reviewed the submissions and interviewed applicants before choosing Westend Seniors Activity Centre as the successful grant candidate.

“Westend Seniors Activity Centre brings a wealth of experience, knowledge and passion to their work. We’re excited to launch this partnership with the shared goal of meeting the needs of our community’s seniors,” says Mayor Rod Frank.

Westend Seniors Activity Centre has been supporting the social, mental and physical health of older adults in the capital region for 44 years. They currently run a multi-purpose facility in west Edmonton, where they serve as a “community hub,” offering recreation opportunities, virtual and in-person classes, a meal program and more.

Westend Seniors Activity Centre's application outlined detailed plans for assessing and meeting the needs of the County’s seniors. The non-profit will start by meeting with the local Seniors Advisory Committee and the Social Framework Leadership Table and plans to collaborate with the County's seniors’ clubs.

“Our goal is to establish mutual understanding and trust, and our first step will be listening to and understanding the unique needs of Strathcona County’s seniors,” says Executive Director Haidong Liang, who holds a PhD specializing in gerontology, recreation and community development.

The partnership between Strathcona County and Westend Seniors Activity Centre meets a need identified by the County’s Seniors Supports and Services Project. Over the past year, the project team’s research identified three priority actions to best support local older adults: establishing a non-profit to serve seniors in the County, supporting dedicated senior spaces and enhancing seniors supports and services across the County.

In addition to the partnership with Westend Seniors Activity Centre, Council directed administration to explore non-capital opportunities for seniors’ specific programming and services within existing County spaces. A report will be brought forward to Council in early 2023 for their consideration of non-capital options before any further steps are explored for a new seniors’ hub building.

Residents are invited to meet staff from the Westend Seniors Activity Centre at the Seniors’ Week Celebration event on June 6 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the Ardrossan Recreation Complex Banquet Hall.

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Contact: Strathcona County Communications, 780-410-6595