Community Projects to Help Seniors Stay Active

A community garden in Mahone Bay is one of 44 projects receiving funding to help older Nova Scotians live healthy, active lives.

The Bluenose Coastal Action Foundation is receiving $10,000 through the Age-Friendly Communities Grant program for its Harvest with a Cause project. It will bring local seniors and youth together to help address food insecurity by growing, harvesting and donating produce to local food banks.

“This community garden is a wonderful example of the many ways groups across the province are creating opportunities for seniors to stay active, connect with others and socialize,” said Barbara Adams, Minister of Seniors and Long-Term Care. “Seniors have so much to share. By supporting community-led efforts, the grants are helping older Nova Scotians age well and remain vibrant members of their communities.”

Designed as a multi-use community space, the garden includes wheelchair accessible pathways and a sensory garden bed – designed to stimulate one or more of the five senses – as well as a Mi’kmaw medicinal bed that allows for growing and learning about traditional plants and their uses.

This year, the government is investing more than $530,000 to support community projects ranging from seniors cooking with teens to chair yoga classes to monthly social events.

The Age-Friendly Communities Grant program provides up to $25,000 each for community-wide efforts to create age-friendly environments and promote healthy aging.

The full list of groups receiving grants this year and more information on the program are available at: https://novascotia.ca/age-friendly-grant/

Quotes:

“This funding makes a huge difference to our community garden space and allows us to be even more welcoming and inviting. We plan to create new accessible signage and host weekly gardening events that will involve local seniors and youth in the growing, maintenance and harvesting of our produce. All the produce will be donated within the community.”
— Julia LeBlanc, environmental education team lead, Bluenose Coastal Action Foundation

Quick Facts:

• groups eligible to apply include not-for-profit organizations and co-operatives, municipalities, First Nations communities and universities
• the Province’s accessibility strategy, Access by Design 2030, outlines how the government will achieve its goal of an accessible province by providing people with disabilities equitable access to programs, services, information and infrastructure

Additional Resources:

Bluenose Coastal Action Foundation: https://www.coastalaction.org/

Action for Health, the government’s plan to improve the healthcare system: https://actionforhealth.novascotia.ca/

Access by Design 2030: https://novascotia.ca/accessibility/access-by-design/