Rosetown is a town located in west central Saskatchewan. It is a busy community as it is situated at the junction of Highways 4 and 7 (7 being one of the busiest highways in the province) and serves as a hub for the smaller communities in the surrounding area. The population is approximately 2,507 (2021 Census data).
Rosetown boasts a wide range of services, including health services, educational, businesses, recreational, service clubs and various other volunteer opportunities and social supports. Its main industry is agriculture. Individuals who are 65+ make up a large portion of the population. However, in recent years Rosetown has experienced an increase of young people moving back to the rural community they grew up in to raise their own families or who are new to the community. Through the growth and expansion of local thriving businesses, Rosetown is in a prime position to be creating new opportunities for residents of all ages.
On December 14, 2022, Age-Friendly Saskatchewan and Age-Friendly Rosetown celebrated Rosetown’s attainment of the “Maintaining Recognition” status. They received their initial recognition as an Age-Friendly Community in December 2018, and have been consistently going further and deeper on their Age-Friendly journey since then. They are the first Age-Friendly community in Saskatchewan to receive the “Maintaining Recognition” status, and this is something to celebrate.
The status of Maintaining Recognition is unique to SSM and Saskatchewan, and recognizes that initial Provincial Recognition is not the destination but a multi-year journey. We are not aware of any program like this in the rest of Canada.
An article in the weekly print newspaper, the Rosetown Eagle, celebrating this achievement, was published on December 19, 2022. Click here to read a PDF copy of the article.
An article in the West Central Online news source dated December 15, 2022, celebrated this achievement. Click here to read the article online.
An article from the same source, looking forward to the presentation, was published December 14, 2022. Click here to read that article online.
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In 2018, in an event at the Legislative Building in Regina, Rosetown was recognized by the Saskatchewan Government as an Age-Friendly Community.
The community had completed four Age-Friendly milestones: establishing an Age-Friendly Committee, achieving local government support, assessing the community, and implementing an action plan to achieve this honour.
The photo below was taken at that time.
Pat Aylward
Terri Hetterly
Judy Johnston
Carmen Ledding
Hugh Lees
Bernie Mullis
Ann Rice
Crystal Storey
The Town of Rosetown began the Age-Friendly movement in Rosetown. Members of Rosetown Town Council learned about the Saskatchewan Seniors Mechanism (SSM) and Age-Friendly initiatives at SUMA conferences. Following an Age-Friendly presentation in 2015, the Town of Rosetown decided to take action.
In February 2016, Council Person Hugh Lees approached the Saskatchewan Health Authority’s area Population Health Promotion Coordinator to explore setting up an Age-Friendly program in Rosetown. A community information meeting was held on February 25, 2016, to communicate information to the general public, identify interested parties to form a volunteer working committee, seek concerns, and request participation. From this, a committed volunteer steering committee was developed, stakeholders were identified, and a list was drawn up of people willing to participate on an ad hoc basis.
The committee was formed on February 25, 2016 with 5 core committee members.
Resolution passed on October 19, 2015, to “actively participate, support, promote and work to assess and improve accessibility and inclusion of older persons, persons with disabilities, children and youth and for the community as a whole.”
Initial Survey:
Date completed: fall of 2016.
Approximately 275 surveys were made available at local businesses, seniors housing, and seniors’ programs. 146 responses were received.
New Survey:
To assess how Age-Friendly Rosetown has made progress in ensuing years, and to learn what are the main concerns of the community now, a second survey was conducted in February 2022, with approximately 90 responses received.
In preparation for the survey release and to get people thinking about their needs and interested in completing a survey themselves, we placed an ad in the local paper in December and distributed a newsletter in January throughout the community and posted on Facebook and the Town website, whom sent it out through Town information public notifications. Both the ad and the newsletter outlined the work of Age-Friendly Rosetown in the past years.
For the 2022-2025 Action Plan in pdf format, please click here.
Initial Action Plan:
Items in initial action plan:
2022-2025 Action Plan is detailed under the Current Work tab.
Updated April 2024:
Transportation:
Advocated for and received additional handicap parking signs in busy downtown locations.
Social Participation:
Seasonal music event returned for 2023
Respect & Social Inclusion:
Increased engagement with residents through focus groups, coffee time chats and more calling us directly.
Communication & Information:
Held a mobility scooter safety event in the fall of 2023 that was well attended.
Community Support & Health Services:
Developed and distributed a Community Directory to assist older adults to age in place. This was part of the Facilitating Independence Grant.
Met with the Health Centre to work towards better accessibility at the facility.
Partnered with the Rosetown Health Centre Foundation to purchase and distribute File for Life, emergency medical information units, to local older adults.
Outdoor Spaces and Buildings
Benches: In the 2016 Age-Friendly survey, respondents overwhelmingly said they would like rest areas when out walking. So far, 12 locally-made benches have been placed around the town. Age-Friendly Rosetown created and distributed a brochure with the procedure for donation, and donors receive a receipt from the Town of Rosetown.
Sidewalk Safety: After Age-Friendly Rosetown raised the concern, the Town of Rosetown purchased sidewalk-shaving equipment and addresses areas of concern as they are able.
Post Office Door: Reports of seniors injuring themselves trying to open the heavy doors led to dialogue with Canada Post. Canada Post installed an automated door at the end of 2017.
Handrails on Bleachers: People reported that they no longer attended their kids’ or grandkids’ baseball games because they did not feel safe climbing up and down the bleachers. This was shared with the Town of Rosetown, and the Town installed handrails on their bleachers.
Curb Cuts: A former Age-Friendly committee member who has mobility issues volunteered to test the accessibility of all sidewalks in Rosetown by driving his scooter over every sidewalk, identifying and marking problem areas. The Town of Rosetown used this map as a guide to start work on improving curb cuts in 2020.
Street Lighting: The Town of Rosetown has met with SaskPower regarding upgrading street lighting – they will be upgrading all communities, but work was started in Rosetown in 2021.
Transportation and Community Support & Health Services
Age-Friendly Rosetown rented the Wheels for Wheels van on COVID-19 vaccination clinic days to give free rides to anyone who needed one.
Housing
The 2016 survey showed great concern about eligibility for seniors’ housing. This was shared with the Town of Rosetown, who, along with Age-Friendly Rosetown, sent letters to various politicians. It then became a topic in the legislature.
Social Participation
Seasonal Music: In 2018 and 2019, in partnership with the Lions Club, Age-Friendly Rosetown hosted evenings of seasonal music, with snacks, beverages and free rides to the event. In 2020, this had to be done differently, of course, so a video was produced and distributed. Local businesses helped fund this project.
Downtown Christmas: As Age-Friendly’s contribution to the annual shopping night, Age-Friendly Rosetown worked with the Prairie Centre Credit Union in the warm-up area they provide.
Story Walk: Age-Friendly Rosetown helped promote the West Central Literacy Committee’s story walk. It provided an opportunity for grandparents and grandchildren to get outdoors together safely amidst public health orders, in the middle of winter.
Street Barbecue: Age-Friendly Rosetown annually hosts a street barbecue. Entertainment is provided (except during the pandemic) to encourage people to stay and visit. Additional objectives are to raise awareness of Age-Friendly Rosetown and to raise funds to financially assist local organizations and projects that support older adults.
Respect and Social Inclusion
Penpals: A short-lived intergenerational penpal project was carried out in 2017. It is hoped that this might be tried again in the future.
Toast to Seniors: Beginning in 2018, Age-Friendly Rosetown partnered with Rosetown and District Health Centre to hold Toast to Seniors events, providing breakfast and/or entertainment for seniors in care homes and the seniors’ centre. These events have been put on hold for now due to the pandemic.
Harvest Festival Royalty: To acknowledge that all seniors are community royalty, Age-Friendly Rosetown partnered with the Rosetown Museum to name a King and Queen from the community seniors (and Prince and Princess from the community youth) for the annual Harvest Festival.
Financial Support: Age-Friendly Rosetown holds fundraisers from time to time. While some of the funds support ongoing Age-Friendly work, a portion is also used to assist local seniors-centred programs, such as the Seniors’ Centre and the Rose Villa landscaping project.
Christmas Cards: In 2020, Age-Friendly Rosetown held a Christmas Card drive, with overwhelming support from the community, sending greetings to residents of Rose Villa, Orange Memories and Wheatland Regional Centre.
Civic Participation and Employment
Age-Friendly Rosetown hosted a public forum in May 2019 regarding seniors’ issues, discussing both successes and concerns.
Communication and Information
Christmas Greeting Board: Displaying a seasonal greeting board at the Rosetown Post Office is a long-standing tradition in the community. In 2019, Age-Friendly Rosetown and the Lions Club joined together to assume the administration of the program in order to raise awareness of their organizations, raise funds to be shared between the two organizations, and provide the community a location to express their greetings.
Facebook, Town of Rosetown Website and Newsletter: Age-Friendly Rosetown keeps the community up-to-date on Age-Friendly and community information through their Facebook page, Age-Friendly Rosetown news with a webpage on the Town of Rosetown website and text/email notification system and their widely-distributed newsletters.
Cannabis Info: Age-Friendly has distributed a publication by Active Aging Canada titled “Cannabis and Older Adults.”
Updated October 2024:
Outdoor Spaces & Buildings: In August 2024, Age-Friendly Rosetown set up an opportunity for a local mobility scooter user to take the Mayor of Rosetown and Public Works Supervisor on a tour around town to experience what traveling around with a scooter is like in the community. A number of areas of concern were visited with the Municipal reps learning much about resident needs. Improvements were made soon after the tour. Over the last couple of years, new curb cuts have been advocated for and completed. The total of benches has increased to 14.
Communication & Information: Through the Facilitating Independence Grant, a community directory was produced. 500 copies were printed and distributed. A second run will be done quicker than anticipated since we ran out within a couple months.
Community Support & Health Services: Age-Friendly Rosetown has done garden area prep for a local seniors housing facility the last few years. This year we partnered with the Lions Club who built new raised gardens while Age-Friendly Rosetown provided manure and tilling of the area for residents’ use.
Many of the projects listed in Previous Accomplishments are ongoing, such as
Outdoor Spaces and Buildings
Transportation
Housing
Social Participation
Respect and Social Inclusion
Communications and Information
Community Support and Health Services
NOTES:
Additional actions will be added as new needs are identified.
Age-Friendly Rosetown produces a newsletter twice a year that is distributed through local businesses and seniors’ housing buildings. Past issues are linked in the Newsletter tab below. The current issue is linked in the sidebar.
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Age-Friendly Rosetown presented on how to start and sustain and Age-Friendly program in rural settings for the Alberta Age-Friendly Community of Practice webinar in November 2019. This presentation is available for viewing on YouTube at this link.
Media (allies): Local media have been very receptive to covering Age Friendly activities and have attended meetings.
The West Central Online news source published an article on November 9, 2023 about the AF Rosetown informational book on accessibility project. You may read it at this link.
The West Central Online news source published two articles in 2022 regarding Rosetown’s achievement of Maintaining Age-Friendly Recognition. Links are below.
Click here to read the December 14, 2022 article, looking forward to the presentation.
Click here to read the December 15, 2022 article, reporting on the presentation.
The weekly print newspaper, the Rosetown Eagle, published an article on December 19, 2022, celebrating the Maintaining Recognition event. Click here to read a PDF of this article.
Age-Friendly Rosetown Contact:
Crystal Storey
Hugh Lees
Age-Friendly Rosetown email:
Please contact ssm@skseniorsmechanism.ca
On the Web:
Age-Friendly Rosetown Facebook page
Age-Friendly Rosetown page on Town of Rosetown website
Community Directory:
Produced through the FIG Grant.
To access the PDF of this directory, click here.
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