Resource Frontier Aging: Trends and questions from a mature industrial town in northern BC Greg Halseth, Neil Hanlon Rachael Clasby and Virginia Pow

Resource Frontier Aging Introduction Resource Towns - post WW II - change pressures Mackenzie, BC - population change Policy Questions Discussion

Resource Towns: Post - WW II period Change from transient work camps to permanent towns Two tensions transformed planning: - Liveable environment for workers - Keeping company costs down Canadian model is Kitimat, BC - created in the 1950s for ALCAN’s new smelter - designed by Clarence Stein  famous for greenbelt suburbs such as “Radburn”, NJ

Stein’s “Vision” for Kitimat “ The purpose of Kitimat is the industrial success of the plant. That success will depend on the degree that workers are content, that they like living in Kitimat. Unless the town can attract and hold industrial workers, there will be continuous turnover and difficulty … The workers must find Kitimat more than temporarily acceptable. It must become the place they … are going to make their own”. Stein (1952, 3)

Kitimat Quality of Life Principles 1) to build a diverse economy 2) to provide a wide range of housing options 3) to use neighbourhood design ideas to create a functional community 4) services for town of young families

Kitimat Neighbourhoods

Kitimat’s Shopping and Service Centre

New Resource Towns (Since 1950s)

Mackenzie Neighbourhoods

Mackenzie “Downtown Core”

Change Pressures I: Maturing Industrial Towns Uncertainty - failure to move beyond staples production susceptible to boom-bust Jobs - end of new job growth limited new in-migration - workforce settles into demarcated jobs youth out-migration Aging - under-used services for youth - stress of unmet service needs

Change Pressures II: Restructuring Economic - global competition downward pressure on costs - corporate sector concentrating labour shedding technologies - job reductions through capital substitutions job losses via seniority lists Social/Political - public sector retrenchment service reductions/off loading to voluntary sector

Implications of these changes for community? Partnership with District of Mackenzie and UNBC’s Community Development Institute - scope and scale of needs for an older population Community-based research - interviews, focus groups, survey Services inventories

Mackenzie, BC

No net population growth ______________________________________________________________________________________________ DateMackenziePr.George BC _______________________________________________________________________________________________ 19765,34059,9292,392, ,89067,5592,744, ,54567,6212,883, ,79669,6533,282, ,99574,1503,724, ,20672,4063,907,738 _______________________________________________________________________________________________ Source: Statistics Canada

Population Fluctuations (% change) ____________________________________________________________________________________________ Mackenzie BC ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ Source: BC Stats, Statistics Canada

In-situ aging of the mature industrial workforce

Population Aging Youth Dependency Ratio (as Percent) _________________________________________________________________ MackenzieBC _________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ Source: Statistics Canada

Growing % of Population 65 + Years ___________________________________________________________________________________________ Mackenzie Fraser Fort George RD ___________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ Source: Statistics Canada

Retirement ‘Boom’ Coming Percent of Workforce - 45 Years and Older ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Mackenzie Fraser Ft.George RD _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Source: Statistics Canada

Community and Policy Implications Number of retirees: - doubled between 1991 and expected to double again between 2001 and friends and family community attachment; small town life Infrastructure Facilities Services Community

Policy Implications: Infrastructure Roads - crossing lights - winter snow and ice clearing Sidewalks - wheel chair access - winter snow and ice clearing Parking lots - winter snow and ice clearing

Policy Implications: Facilities Recreation Centre - high quality, but geared to youth Schools - closures leave unused community assets - learning opportunity for aging population Seniors’ Housing - town of detached single family houses - no seniors’ housing flexibility as people age

Policy Implications: Services Health - higher use levels among elderly - role for technology to equip small clinics Wellness - outreach services to assist people to stay in own homes longer - meals, house cleaning, yard work Shopping - access and product range

Policy Implications: Community Time - retirement ‘bubble’ yet to come - most new retirees will be fit, active, well Civil Society - voluntary sector can play a key role - need support access to local gov’t space & services meals, house cleaning, yard work

Community Development Institute (CDI) 3333 University Way, Prince George, BC, Canada V2N 4Z9 Dr. Greg Halseth, Acting Director Phone: (250) Fax: (250)