Age-Friendly Community

Bruce County Age-Friendly Community Strategy

Project Introduction

Bruce County is undertaking the development of an Age-Friendly Community Strategy (2027–2031) to support the health, well-being, and quality of life of older adults across the County. This work builds on recent foundational efforts, including the completion of a community needs assessment and the establishment of an Age-Friendly Community Committee, and represents a transition from understanding community needs to defining clear, coordinated, and actionable priorities. The Strategy will establish a clear framework that can be used to guide decision-making, support reporting to Council, and enable ongoing monitoring of progress over time.

What is an Age-Friendly Community Strategy?

An Age-Friendly Community Strategy is a community-wide plan that outlines how Bruce County will help residents age well. It sets priorities and actions, based on what is heard and learned throughout the process, to make programs, services, and community life more accessible, inclusive, and supportive for older adults. The Strategy will be guided by the World Health Organization’s Age-Friendly Cities and Communities framework, which organizes actions across eight (8) key components that influence healthy aging.

These eight (8) components will be used to help organize the Strategy’s priorities and actions:

• Outdoor spaces and buildings
• Transportation
• Housing
• Social participation
• Respect and social inclusion
• Civic participation and employment
• Communication and information
• Community support and health services

What is the Process for Developing the Age-Friendly Community Strategy? 

The project is anticipated to take seven (7) months and be completed in September 2026. It is organized across five (5) phases:

• Phase 1: will involve kicking off the project, completing a background review to better understand key priorities, and preparing the engagement plan.
• Phase 2: will involve implementing the community engagement program to learn more about needs, current barriers, and ideas for the future.
• Phase 3: will involve preparing the draft Strategy based on what has been learned in previous phases.
• Phase 4: will involve developing an implementation plan and evaluation framework which will be the road map for putting the Strategy into action.
• Phase 5: will involve finalizing the Strategy and presenting to Council and the Age-Friendly Community Committee.

Community Engagement

The engagement process plays a critical role in this work. Building on the findings of the existing needs assessment, engagement will focus on deepening understanding of priority issues, exploring lived experiences of older adults and caregivers, and identifying realistic, locally relevant actions. The process will be targeted and purposeful, designed to validate and refine existing insights rather than duplicate previous consultation efforts.

How Can I Get Involved?

There will be several opportunities for members of the community to get involved in the Strategy development process. Engagement is anticipated to occur in May 2026. Stay tuned to this webpage for more information as the details get confirmed.

For More Information:

County Project Manager

Emily Kussmann (she/her)

Director Long Term Care and Senior Services

Long Term Care and Senior Services

Corporation of the County of Bruce

(t): 1-226-909-3069

(e): EKussmann@brucecounty.ca

Consultant Project Manager

Jodi Ball

Director

J Consulting Group

(t): 905-399-5634

(e): jodi@jconsultinggroup.ca