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

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

3. 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

4. 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)

5. 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

6. Kitimat Neighbourhoods

7. Kitimat’s Shopping and Service Centre

8. New Resource Towns (Since 1950s)

9. Mackenzie Neighbourhoods

10. Mackenzie “Downtown Core”

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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

14. Mackenzie, BC

15. No net population growth ______________________________________________________________________________________________ DateMackenziePr.George BC _______________________________________________________________________________________________ 19765,34059,9292,392,790 19815,89067,5592,744,467 19865,54567,6212,883,367 19915,79669,6533,282,061 19965,99574,1503,724,500 20015,20672,4063,907,738 _______________________________________________________________________________________________ Source: Statistics Canada

16. Population Fluctuations (% change) ____________________________________________________________________________________________ Mackenzie BC ______________________________________________ 1981-1986 -5.9 5.1 1986-1991 4.613.8 1991-1996 3.513.5 1996-2001-13.2 4.9 ______________________________________________ Source: BC Stats, Statistics Canada

17. In-situ aging of the mature industrial workforce

20. Population Aging Youth Dependency Ratio (as Percent) _________________________________________________________________ MackenzieBC _________________________________________________________________ 197162.544.5 197657.336.5 198149.931.7 198646.930.4 199144.330.1 199638.130.4 200133.726.5 ________________________________________________________________ Source: Statistics Canada

21. Growing % of Population 65 + Years ___________________________________________________________________________________________ Mackenzie Fraser Fort George RD ___________________________________________________________________________________________ 19710.43.0 19760.63.2 19810.73.1 19860.84.0 19910.94.9 19961.25.7 20012.37.4 __________________________________________________________________________________________ Source: Statistics Canada

22. Retirement ‘Boom’ Coming Percent of Workforce - 45 Years and Older ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Mackenzie Fraser Ft.George RD _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ 197122.841.2 197618.438.1 198120.439.8 198626.530.6 199131.949.0 199638.457.3 200163.777.7 _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Source: Statistics Canada

23. Community and Policy Implications Number of retirees: - doubled between 1991 and 2001 - expected to double again between 2001 and 2011 - friends and family community attachment; small town life Infrastructure Facilities Services Community

24. 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

25. 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

26. 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

27. 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

28. Community Development Institute (CDI) 3333 University Way, Prince George, BC, Canada V2N 4Z9 http://www.unbc.ca/cdi Dr. Greg Halseth, Acting Director Phone: (250) 960-5826 Fax: (250) 960-6533 Email: halseth@unbc.ca