Ruth Elliott

Joy Frenette, Vice Chairperson

Debbie Olesen, Chairperson

Kathy Towle

Brenda Waldron

Kim Anderson (Staff)

• A&B Auto Centre
• Access Realty
• Affinity Credit Union
• Binkley’s Funeral Service
• Centre Street United Church
• Chinook Regional Library
• Christ the King Catholic School
• Cruthers Monumental
• Dr. Matthew Nelson (Chiropractor)
• Evergreen Villa
• Five Buck Bob’s Thrift Store
• Grand Coteau Heritage & Cultural Centre (Museum)
• Hunter Farms
• Jae’s Pharmacy
• Magnum Industries
• Pioneer Co-op
• Prairie Sky Residence
• RM of Bone Creek 108
• RM of Grassy Creek 78 Council
• RM of White Valley 49
• RM of Wise Creek 77
• Royal Canadian Legion Branch #40
• Salem Lutheran Church
• Saskatchewan Health Authority
• Shaunavon Alliance Church
• Shaunavon Community Connector (Social Prescribing staff)
• Shaunavon Courtesy Van
• Shaunavon Detachment RCMP
• Shaunavon Fire and Rescue
• Shaunavon Florist and Garden Center
• Shaunavon IDA Pharmacy
• Shaunavon Public School
• Shaunavon Senior Citizens’ Centre
• Shaunavon Snack Shack
• Stark & Marsh CPA LLP
• Town of Shaunavon Council
  • Shaunavon Communications Officer
  • Shaunavon Economic Development Officer
  • Shaunavon Wellness & Leisure Officer
• Town of Shaunavon Social Prescribing Steering Committee
• Western Financial Group

2022

Terms of Reference pdf

Resolution passed by Town of Shaunavon Council, February 15, 2022

That Council shall approve that the Town of Shaunavon will actively participate, support, promote and work to assess and improve accessibility and inclusion for older persons, persons with disabilities, children and youth in all aspects of community life.  CARRIED

October 2024 update:

Age-Friendly Shaunavon summary of Seniors Survey from focus groups conducted in 2024: click here for PDF.

We ask for feedback at all our events in order to find out what we can be doing better for our seniors. As examples, click here for Spring 2024 Wellness Event, and click here for Fall 2024 Wellness Event.

In September and October, 2021, Focus Groups were consulted for community assessment.

Access the PDF of the Shaunavon Aging in Place Task Force Focus Groups September/October 2021 Executive Summary here.

Updated October 2024:

Transportation

• We have just been donated a 2018 Dodge Caravan for out of town transportation
• We will be raising funds for vehicle expenses and maintenance
• We have recruited 7 volunteer drivers to date
• Our Senior Resource Coordinator will be the dispatcher using AF phone number
• Clients will pay for fuel cost to and from their appointment
• We have partnered with SouthWest Chronic Disease for financial assistance for those who need it

Local Transportation:

It was recently brought to our attention that some low-income seniors struggle to pay the nominal fee for our in-town Courtesy Van. Age Friendly purchased a ride card which clients are referred to use by the Community Connector and Senior Resource Coordinator for free rides to Age Friendly events, grocery store, food bank, hospital, doctor’s appointments, or drug store

Social Participation

• Tech Time resumed September 18, 2024
  • This program will be held the third Wednesday of every month. It’s a drop-in event
  • We have recruited 4 high school students to date
  • Partnered with Chinook Regional Library Shaunavon Branch
• Reading Buddies program resumed September 12, 2024
  • We meet twice a month, once at each of the two elementary schools
  • Both seniors and students love this program!
• Afternoon at the Museum
  • This program started by request of seniors after our Wellness Day art activity
  • In 2024 we held 6 events with 76 seniors made in attendance. This is a great event for creativity and socializing!
  • At our most recent event we had Traditional Knowledge Keeper Elouise Mosquito join us and share her culture with us. She led us in creating a craft and we enjoyed a traditional snack of Bannock.

Communication & Information

• Age Friendly office has been open since March 2023
• There has been a steady increase in the number of contacts since we opened: 2023 1,066, and 2024 (Jan -Sept) 1,361
• Office is open Tuesday’s 9:30-3pm & Thursdays 1-3pm
• Phone is answered Monday to Friday 9-5pm
• Other days by appointment

Evaluation: We are finally becoming well known in our community and many people refer older adults to our office when they are looking for assistance.

The relationships we have been able to cultivate with the older adults in our community means they are willing to share their needs and struggles with us, confident that we will do what we can to assist them with a solution.

• 2025 edition of the Age Friendly Directory will be printed in December and distribution will begin in January of 2024

Community Support & Health Services

• Fall Wellness Day Oct. 3, 2024
  • Our goal is to hold a half day workshop that will educate and be of interest to seniors in our community.
  • We secured sponsors for door prizes, financial support, wellness pack giveaways
  • We received a grant from Pioneer Coop to cover the coffee break supplies
  • Grants from Government of Saskatchewan and Government of Canada helped pay for lunch and other expenses
  • Workshop will be advertised by posters, newspaper, online and through invitations mailed and handed out in the local courtesy van
  • Venue has been booked: The Bridge (Shaunavon Alliance Church) part of the rental fee is donated.
  • The caterer is booked, and 4 presenters confirmed
  • We recruited 4 High School volunteers to help serve lunch
  • Two young people ran the sound and computer for us

Updated March 2024:

Communication & Information

Coordination of Community Resources for Seniors

• November of 2022 we applied for the Facilitating Independence Grant through SSM
• Our goal is to hire an individual to coordinate community resources for seniors
• Once successful in securing the grant we advertised, interviewed and hired Vanessa
• Long term goal is to see this position grow and thrive and become an integral part of our community
• Evaluation: Hiring someone was a time consuming and stressful job, we learned a lot! Museum basement was a perfect venue for the interviews and was donated by the Town.

Community Support & Health Services

Wellness Day Fall 2023

• Our goal is to hold a half or 1 day workshop that will educate and be of interest to seniors in our community.
• We secured sponsors for door prizes, financial support, wellness pack giveaways
• We received $1,000 to help pay for catering a coffee break and lunch
• Workshop will be advertised by posters, newspaper, online and through invitations handed out in the local courtesy van
• Venue has been booked (donated by Town), caterer booked, and 7 presenters confirmed
• Evaluation: Seniors thought the day was informative and fun, venue was cold and day was too long. Next year we will book a different venue and make it a half day event. Art project was a big hit, we will look at an ongoing Art event in the coming year, partnering with the museum. 

Updated February 2024:

Transportation:

• continuing work on out-of-town transportation for medical appointments

Communication & Information:

• Winter 2024 Edition of our Directory of Services has been printed
• February of 2024 we will be holding coffee parties to collect old directories to recycle and hand out the new edition
• Directories will be available to pick up at the Museum (GCHCC), Town Office, our Age-Friendly Office, as well as the 2 drugstores in town
• We have developed a new brochure, which is available at the Museum (GCHCC), Town Office, and our office
• Both the Directory and brochure are available online on our Age Friendly Shaunavon web page on the Town website as well as the Age Friendly Saskatchewan web page
• We are currently conducting focus groups in the community to see what services seniors would like to see offered that would help them to stay in their own homes
• We are also evaluating our office and programs for tips on how we can improve our service to the seniors in our community

Social Participation:

• Held our first Tech Time January 17, 2024
  • This program will be held the third Wednesday of every month. It’s a drop-in event
  • We have recruited 3 high school students to date
  • Partnered with Chinook Regional Library Shaunavon Branch
• Reading Buddies program has started again
  • We meet twice a month, once at each of the two elementary schools
  • Both seniors and students love this program!
• NEW! Afternoon at the Museum
  • This program started by request of seniors after our Wellness Day art activity
  • The first event was held December 19, 2023 — seniors made their own handmade Christmas card. 16 seniors attended and we all had fun!

Community Support & Health:

• We are currently working on planning a half-day Wellness Day event for April or May
  • This event will feature information and fun, coffee break, and a free lunch
  • It is open to all seniors in Shaunavon and area, free of charge
• We are planning on partnering with the Town of Shaunavon in May for another Free Garbage Pick-Up for seniors

Updated March 2023:

Communication & Information: 

• Creating resource directory
• Promoting access to new Senior Resource Coordinator

Transportation:

• Recruiting volunteer drivers for out of town appointments

Currently working on Transportation needs in community.

Our next project will be in the Communication & Information Domain.

Updated October 2023:

Transportation:

• continuing work on setting up out of town transportation for medical appointments. 

Communication & Information:

• printed Directory of Services, Spring 2023 Edition.
• Held coffee meetings at senior residences’, local museum, and seniors center to distribute free copies to seniors in community.
• Directories are now available for pick up at the museum, town office and the Age-Friendly Shaunavon office in Shaunavon, as well as on Age-Friendly Shaunavon’s web page on the Town of Shaunavon website.
• Working on updating it for next printing in December 2023.
• Distribution in early 2024 with a recycle program, “bring your old directory for us to recycle and we will give you a new updated version!”

Social Participation:

• Recruiting students to help seniors with technology. (Tech Buddies)
• Setting up weekly drop-in sessions for seniors to bring phones, tablets, computers in for training and assistance learning new technology
• Reading Buddies program will start up again in October 2023. These intergenerational events are very popular with both the students and the seniors. This year, another school will be added to the program.

Community Support & Health Service:

• Wellness Day event held October 12, 2023 (See the poster in “Publications, Brochures”) 
• Included topics such as Scam & Fraud Awareness, Advanced Healthcare Directive, Grief and Change, Medication Awareness, Art, and Senior Fitness. These topics are aimed at helping our seniors stay in their own homes and maintain their independence. We want our older adults to be safe, healthy, and happy in our community.  
• We will provide a free lunch and a take home bag of goodies sponsored by stakeholders in our community.

Updated October 2024:

We wish to thank the following organizations for funding:

• Government of Saskatchewan (FIG 2 grant)
• Government of Canada, New Horizons for Seniors Program

Transportation: 

• Looking for funding for donated vehicle expenses
• Once vehicle is in place we will begin promoting the service
• Have recruited 7 volunteer drivers
• Local Transportation – Age Friendly purchased a ride card for the local courtesy van for clients who can’t afford the cost. Age Friendly and our Community Connector will refer clients to use this card for rides to, hospital, doctor’s appointments, food bank, grocery store, drug store, and Age Friendly events.

Housing: Go Green Day September 25, 2024

Age Friendly partnered with Stark & Marsh and the Town of Shaunavon on Go Green Day and volunteers cleaned up 7 Senior’s yards in preparation for winter. A team of 9 volunteers of all ages joined forces to rake, trim, and clean up yards. Seniors were very appreciative of the help, which allows them to stay in their own homes longer. For the PDF, including photos, click here.

Social Participation

• Reading Buddies — twice each month, which includes seniors & grades 1-4 students at 2 different schools
• Tech Time — third Wednesday of each month, high school student help seniors with technology issues or to learn new tasks — partnering with Shaunavon High School and Chinook Regional Library, Shaunavon Branch
• Afternoon at the Museum –Partnership with Grand Coteau Heritage & Cultural Centre — once every 2 months for activities, coffee, treats and socializing

Respect & Social Inclusion: First Nations Knowledge Keeper talked with people in an Afternoon at the Museum, sharing her culture and an Indigenous craft. To see the event poster, click here.

Communication & Information:

• 2025 Edition of Directory of services will be printed in December 2024
• New brochure available
• Senior Resource Coordinator’s Office open Tuesdays 9:30am – 3pm and Thursdays 1-3pm. Other times by appointment.
• Phone assistance available Monday to Friday 9-5

At an Afternoon at the Museum event, the Town of Shaunavon Communications Officer demonstrated a new alert system that will let people know via their phones about serious occurrences in their area. To see the event poster, click here.

Community Support & Health Services: In 2024, Age-Friendly Shaunavon held two well-attended Wellness Days. To see the posters, click either Spring 2024 or Fall 2024.

Free Garbage Transfer for seniors

• We partnered with the Town and Shaunavon Fire & Rescue
• Collected items from 40 households
• Had to split pick ups between 2 days as we had overwhelming response, need more volunteers next year

Villa Garbage Collection

• We set up a volunteer garbage collection assistance program at a local senior’s residence
• Seniors were struggling to take their garbage to the dumpster
• Each Monday volunteers collect garbage from a container on their decks and haul it to the dumpster
• This program has been well received. We expect more residents to sign up when winter arrives
• This service is free of charge to the Evergreen Villa Residence

Ongoing Evaluation: Age-Friendly Shaunavon is intentional about receiving evaluation from participants in events and in compiling the results in a useful manner. For example, 

Click here for the evaluation report on the Spring Wellness Day,

Click here for the evaluation report on the Fall Wellness Day,

and click here for the Summary of the Age-Friendly Shaunavon 2024 Survey of Seniors.

Updated February 2, 2024:

We wish to thank the following organizations for funding our Reading Buddies and Tech Time programs!

*Saskatchewan Lotteries Community Grant Program

*Community Initiatives Fund – Government of Saskatchewan 

Communication & Information:

• Winter Edition of Directory of services is being distributed
• New brochure available
• Holding focus groups for feedback from seniors
• Senior Resource Coordinator’s Office open Tuesdays 9:30am – 3pm and Thursdays 1-3pm. Other times by appointment
• Phone assistance available Monday to Friday 9-5

Transportation:

• Recruiting drivers for out-of-town appointments
• Looking at options for vehicles

Social Participation:

• Reading Buddies — twice each month, which includes seniors & grades 1-4 students at 2 different schools
• Tech Time — third Wednesday of each month, high school student help seniors with technology issues or to learn new tasks — partnering with Shaunavon High School and Chinook Regional Library, Shaunavon Branch
• Afternoon at the Museum –Partnership with Grand Coteau Heritage & Cultural Centre — once every 2 months for activities, coffee, treats and socializing

Click this link to access the new Age-Friendly Shaunavon brochure

Click this link to access the Tech Time poster

Click this link to access the AF Shaunavon Transportation brochure. 

January 2024 Shaunavon Community Directory compiled and created by Age-Friendly Shaunavon. Click for PDF.

Below you will find examples of what has been published in the local newspaper, http://www.theshaunavonstandard.com

Accompanying photos are now in the Photos section below the gray section on the page.

Front Page coverage of Age-Friendly Shaunavon’s Facilitating Independence Grant at this link.

Reading Buddies:

Age Friendly and SPS celebrated Valentine’s Day a little early! On Thursday, February 1st, 2024 our senior reading buddies met with students at Shaunavon Public School to read together and create Valentines gifts for each other as well as enjoy each other’s company over veggies and valentine’s cookies.  Thanks to all who participated, everyone had great fun!

Photos are in photo section below.

Tech Time: 

January 17, 2024 Shaunavon seniors and high school volunteers met for the first Tech Time session. This partnership between Age Friendly Shaunavon, the Shaunavon Branch of the Chinook Regional Library and the Shaunavon High School allows older adults assistance and training with devices such as computers, cell phones, tablets, and Ipads. This is a drop in meeting once a month where area seniors can gather to receive help with technical issues or learn a new skill on their devices! Teen volunteers helped seniors with questions about saving pictures, storing pictures, transferring pictures as well as how to download music onto their phone. Seniors found the students to be patient, encouraging and fun to work with! Not only new skills were learned but new friendships developed! Thank you to all who attended our first event, come and join us on the third Wednesday of each month at 3:30pm at the library for Tech Time.

Photo is in photo section below.

Beginning January 17, 2024, to be held the third Wednesday of every month, a drop-in Tech Time was held. 

Click here for the Tech Time Poster PDF

Senior Artwork Installed at Age-Friendly Office:

On January 16th, 2024, an art piece that was a collaboration by seniors at our Wellness Day in October 2023 was installed at the Age-Friendly Shaunavon office by Tammy Willman, program coordinator of the Grand Coteau Heritage & Cultural Centre. Tammy was the presenter at our event, who led the activity which created this amazing piece. This project includes art work from 26 local senior artists.

Photo is in photo section below.

Art Afternoon Media: 

Seniors gathered at the Grand Coteau Heritage and Cultural Centre on December 19th, 2023, to create their own handmade Christmas cards by carving and inking their own stamps. Tammy led them through several different methods and the results were impressive! Coffee and Christmas baking were served, and a great time was had by all!

Photos are in photo section below.

Click for Christmas Card Making Poster jpg

Nice article in Swift Current Online, February 7, 2023 about AF Shaunavon’s Family Literacy Day/Let No One Be Alone Week intergenerational project on January 27, 2023. Read it here.