Banner image for Age-Friendly Saskatoon Community Page. Left side is teal-coloured map section with "you are there" icon that includes the zigzags of the Age-Friendly Saskatchewan logo. Icon points to location of Saskatoon on map. Saskatoon is typed over the map image. On right side of banner is aerial image of the city of Saskatoon, with trees and a side view of the Bessborough Hotel in the foreground, looking across the river to the University of Saskatchewan.

Situated in the middle of Canada’s prairie region, Saskatoon is the largest city in the province of Saskatchewan. Saskatoon provides age-friendly options including safe neighbourhoods, housing, educational opportunities, accessible transit, buildings and services, and health and community services. The City’s population is 266,141 and it serves a rural population of approximately 40,000, including the R.M. of Corman Park.

In 2019, in an event at the Legislative Building in Regina, Saskatoon 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.

Photo of Age-Friendly Saskatoon representatives and SSM representatives as Age-Friendly Saskatoon accepted their recognition award from the Saskatchewan Government. Photos of past premiers are on the wall behind them.
Back row, L to R: Murray Scharf, Paul Benson, Fred Sutter ~ Front Row, L to R: Forough Yazdani, Minister Warren Kaeding, Mercedes Montgomery, Elliot Paus Jenssen, June Gawdun, Robert Wuschenny, Randy Dove, Jim Wasilenko
Age-Friendly Committee Members

Candace Skrapek

Cathy Arnold

Cynthia Johnston

Elliot Paus Jenssen

Jane McPhee

JeanAnne Klein

June Gawdun

KC Hall

Shan Landry

Kalli Youngstrom

Virginia Dakiniewich

Sharon Siuksteris

Community Organizations Supporting the Age-Friendly Committee

  • City of Saskatoon
  • Saskatchewan Abilities Council
  • Saskatchewan Seniors Fitness Association
  • Saskatoon Community Clinic Kokums Group
  • Saskatoon Health Region
  • Saskatoon Housing Authority
  • Saskatoon Public Library
  • Services for Seniors
  • University of Saskatchewan

The Age-Friendly Saskatoon Initiative Phase 2 was made possible through funding from the City of Saskatoon, United Way of Saskatoon and Area, the Saskatoon Health Region and the Saskatoon Council on Aging.

Milestone #1: Year Formed

2009

Milestone #2: Municipal Government Support

Resolution/Motion of Municipal Government Support not available.

November 28, 2016 Letter of Support from Mayor Charlie Clark: click here for PDF

Milestone #3: Community Assessment
Milestone #4: Action Plan

The initial Action Plan, including recommendations, implementation activities, outcomes and impact can be found on pages 24 to 38 of the Implementation and Evaluation Report linked here.

Previous Accomplishments

Outdoor Spaces and Buildings: Development of an age-friendly lens that is used to encourage organizations to become age-friendly. View the Age-Friendly Lens document at this link.

Transportation: VIDEO with City Transit (learn how to serve older adults and show older adults how to use City Transit). View the video on the City of Saskatoon Facebook page, linked here.

Housing: Building Respectful Inclusive Communities (training for older adults in congregate living how to combat bullying). Access the Training ToolKit here.

Social Participation: SCOA programs such as Globe Walk, Seniors Tech Buddy, Seniors Neighborhood Hub Clubs and Century Club.

Respect and Social Inclusion: Development of an Age-friendly lens that is used to encourage organizations to become age-friendly. See the Age-Friendly Lens document here.

Civic Participation and Employment: Development of a Community Police and Fire Academy for older adults. See the article linked here.

Communication and Information: The “Remembering When” project with Saskatoon Fire (volunteers will visit you in your home to educate about fire safety). View information about this project here.

Community Support and Health Services: Development of a Community Police and Fire Academy for older adults.

Current Work

Outdoor Spaces and Buildings:

  • Work with City of Saskatoon on Winter City Strategy.

Transportation:

  • Saskatoon Transit and SCOA Bus Buddy program maintain an ongoing partnership to support older adults to use the transit system safely and effectively.

Housing:

  • Continuing collaborations regarding bullying in congregate living situations.

Social Participation:

  • The Seniors Neighbourhood Hub Clubs, SCOA Globe Walk and Century Club support social participation for older adults. Free accessible events continue to be held monthly and have moved to in-person venues.
  • A Pen Pal program matches older adults with school age children to exchange letters and cards. This is a fun activity for seniors and children alike and helps create relationships between the generations.
  • A partnership with local high schools, the Seniors and Youth Connect program, creates an opportunity for older adults to work one on one with students for help with technology devices. This also helps build relationships among generations and dispel negative stereotypes about aging.

Respect and Social Inclusion:

  • SCOA’s collaboration with the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission, numerous community presentations on older adult abuse and ageism.

Civic Participation and Employment:

  • SCOA presentations to employers about age-friendly workplaces.

Communication and Information:

  • Numerous virtual education sessions during pandemic provided current and accurate information on website regarding pandemic public health measures and immunization.
  • SCOA hosts monthly meetings and webinars to assist older adults to stay informed about community services, issues that impact their lives and lifestyle enrichment options.
  • SCOA publishes an annual Directory of Services and Social Activities for Older Adults with over 100 pages of resources for older adults and community agencies.
  • SCOA provides an iPad lending library for older adults to borrow a device along with easy-to-use manuals to learn at their own pace and on their own time.

Community Support and Health Services:

  • Beyond the Pandemic White Paper: Beyond the Pandemic survey and focus groups exploring the impact of the pandemic and recommendations for action going forward.

Updated October 2023:

Using a grant from the New Horizons for Seniors program, they have developed a series of 10 two-hour modules/workshops to be held over the course of the next several months. This project fits in many domains. They are listed on the Domains pages thus. Topics are

  • Healthy aging in retirement
  • Social participation for older adults
  • Digital literacy
  • Wellness
  • Caregiver services and resources
  • Older adult transportation
  • Housing
  • Avoiding frauds and scams
  • Ageism
  • Older adult abuse

Outdoor Spaces and Buildings:

  • Working with City of Saskatoon on winter city strategy

Transportation:

  • “Transportation” – workshop in the Positive Aging Life Enrichment series
  • Working with University of Saskatchewan law students, they have developed a presentation and brochure focusing on Saskatchewan driving laws, driving eligibility, guidelines for medical practitioner reporting, and SGI requirements.

Housing:

  • “Housing” – workshop in the Positive Aging Life Enrichment series

Social Participation:

  • “Social Participation and Well-Being” – workshop in the Positive Aging Life Enrichment series

Respect and Social Inclusion:

  • “Ageism: What is it? What are its impacts? How to combat it.” – workshop in the Positive Aging Life Enrichment Series
  • “Abuse of Older Adults: How to recognize it and what you can do about it” – workshop in the Positive Aging Life Enrichment Series

Civic Participation and Employment:

  • SCOA makes presentations to employers about age-friendly workplaces.

Communication and Information:

  • “Six Stages of Retirement” – workshop in the Positive Aging Life Enrichment series
  • “Digital Literacy for Older Adults” – workshop in the Positive Aging Life Enrichment series
  • “Keeping Your Money Safe: Avoid Scams and Frauds” – workshop in the Positive Aging Life Enrichment series

Community Support and Health Services:

  • “Orientation to Caregiving” – workshop in the Positive Aging Life Enrichment series
  • “Wellness” – workshop in the Positive Aging Life Enrichment series
  • Beyond the Pandemic final report. This completes the work begun with the Beyond the Pandemic White Paper.

Image of the South Saskatchewan River flowing through the city of Saskatoon, looking across the river to downtown. The Bessborough Hotel is the main focus.
South Saskatchewan River, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada

AF Saskatoon Contacts:

Candace Skrapek

Cynthia Johnston

AF Saskatoon Committee Email:

admin@scoa.ca

On the Web:

AF Saskatoon on the SCOA website

SCOA Facebook

SCOA Twitter

City of Saskatoon website