Survey looks at older residents's needs

A new survey will give Sechelt residents aged 50-plus a chance to weigh in on how well the community is meeting their needs.

“We're trying to establish a kind of benchmark or baseline information around seniors' wants and needs,” said Sue Jackel, team leader for the Sechelt Residents' Survey Project group, a recently-formed citizens group which is overseeing the project.

“The census showed us that we have a very high concentration of people aged 50 and up and it's hard to know how to plan for an aging population,” she said.

The idea and instructions for doing the survey come from The Geography of Aging by community planner Gerald Hodge.

“It's about helping small communities plan for seniors as the Baby Boomers come through the system,” she said.

Key topics the survey targets are transportation, services and support, and housing.

Once the questionnaires are in, the information will be collated, analyzed, and presented through a variety of forums, such as a delegation to council.

Jackel said she hopes the project will not only collect data, but also generate local discussion about issues facing the 50-plus population.

As to what the survey will likely identify, Jackel said the jury's still out.

“We don't know,” she said. “We've got some opportunities for them to say what they like best about living in Sechelt, what they think is missing or needs attention, and we'll find out from that whether there are any glaring errors.”

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