The City of North Vancouver has a bold vision: to become the “healthiest small city in the world”. To realize their vision, the City’s Mayor and Council have five key goals: to become a City for People, a Liveable City, a Vibrant City, a Connected City and a Prosperous City.
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In this COVID economy, some local businesses have been able to weather the storm, while others have been swept away by the waves. Even in a non-pandemic year, it’s a tough go. This is something I learned from my hometown, where, in 2012, the typical lifespan of a new business was two years. As a parish, we wanted to do something to help, so we started what came to be known as “Businesses We Love.”
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Soon after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, municipalities across the country began setting up COVID-19 recovery task forces. The majority of these task forces had one main purpose: to help local businesses recover from the financial devastation of the pandemic. While economic recovery is vital to ensuring our communities can bounce back, few communities are prioritizing the importance of social recovery. Rates of loneliness, social isolation, burnout, anxiety, and stress are rising nationwide. It’s clear now more than ever before that our social well-being needs to be prioritized alongside our economic well-being.
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Pre-COVID, there was growing evidence that loneliness was becoming a problem across all populations across Canada. It was being recognized as a public health issue.
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In May 2020, the Cities Deepening Community network welcomed Greenway-Chaplin Community Centre as a member. For over 30 years this organization, based in Cambridge Ontario, has been connecting community members to recreational, educational, supportive programs and volunteer opportunities. With the disruption of regularly scheduled programs due to COVID-19, they have responded by joining a collective of learners from across the country to reimagine their purpose.
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The world’s population is rapidly aging, and the population in BC is no exception. Within the next 10 years, it is expected that a quarter of the population in the province will be over the age of 65. Through the Age-friendly BC initiative, the province is working with local governments and community stakeholders to ensure that older adults can continue to live active, socially engaged and independent lives in their communities. The Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) is providing funding to support age-friendly community planning and projects across the province.
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