Town of Strasbourg

Strasbourg Recreation Age-Friendly Board

• LMPH Foundation
• Strasbourg Health Centre
• WDS
• Strasbourg Seniors
• Strasbourg Housing Authority
• Rowan’s Ravine Provincial Park

The committee was formed on February 8, 2015, with 17 committee members. In 2018, the committee re-organized, and currently has 9 committee members.

Resolution passed Wednesday, July 9, 2015

Date completed: May 6, 2016

The surveys were placed in 410 mailboxes and distributed to 28 housing units, with 62 responses

Items in initial action plan:

• Access to public washrooms in the downtown area
  • Temporary Public Washroom sign – end of August 2016
  • Freestanding Public Washroom open 24/7 in Green Space – spring 2017
  • More benches for people walking around downtown
    • Six benches to be placed around town – end of August, 2016

• The primary indicators that we have used to determine if we are on the right track are anecdotal positive remarks. However, people have expressed interest in purchasing more benches, increased usage of the washroom at the Town Office has been noticed, and there was considerable enthusiasm regarding the Intergenerational Letter Writing Project.

• Additional benches for the town completed in 2017
• Produced a Community Resource List for newcomers
• Had a successful pen pal project between youth and seniors
• Held a Community Volunteer Information Fair on September 16, 2017 with volunteer organizations from Strasbourg and surrounding area providing information, and with presentations from the Alzheimer Society of Saskatchewan, the Red Cross, and the Saskatchewan Seniors Mechanism. This was a joint project with the Strasbourg Recreation Board.
• Resident identified lack of benches at Strasbourg Cemetery.
  Outcome: AF consulted with Town Administrator who has ordered a bench.
• Concerns raised by residents regarding the risk of falling on the bottom step in entrance to Strasbourg Lower Hall.
  Outcome: AF consulted with Town Administrator who investigated possible options. Sign may be posted to ‘Hold Railing’.
• To attend Town Council Meeting to update numbers regarding AF.
  Outcome: AF consulted with Town Administrator who advised AF to make arrangements with her to set a date for a presentation. To do so after outcome of application for
  Age-Friendly Recognition.
• To submit an update to the Town of Strasbourg Newsletter regarding Age-Friendly Strasbourg.
  Outcome: Article published in July September 2018 newsletter

• Volunteer Taxi service – have increased the drivers list
• 10 new benches located in community
• Reconcillation Events hosted
• Park revitalization project: barrier free, gender-neutral washroom, seniors exercise equipment, 1120 ft picnic shelter, memorial garden, 2000 linear feet of 6ft walking trails.
• Annual Mental Health Events

Previous Actions Listed by Domains

Outdoor Spaces & Buildings — more benches in community

Transportation — volunteer taxi service

Housing — low rental property, Senior Manor

Social Participation — offer courses, communication issues

Respect & Social Inclusion — youth-senior programs

Civic Participation & Employment — Recreation Board

Communication & Information — community calendar

Community Support & Health Services — health and wellness fairs

AF Strasbourg updates on Current Work, February 2023

AF Strasbourg has been busy! Here is an update, divided into the appropriate domains.

Transportation Domain: AF Strasbourg provides free rides to local seniors to their monthly Toonie Lunches. For more about the Toonie Lunches, see below in Social Participation.

Social Participation Domain: This is a very active domain in Strasbourg.

• Reading Practice for Kids: 20 adults go to William Derby School in Strasbourg every Wednesday, and are read to by students for one hour.

• Tech Buddies: They provide a Tech Buddy program, in which William Derby School students are paired with seniors every second week. The seniors are helped with any device they’re having trouble with.

• Winter Treats: The Grade 9 class delivered 150 packages of hot chocolate labeled “Warm Winter Wishes” providing a special treat for many people on a cold winter day in January, 2023.

• Yard and Walkway Cleaning: William Derby School students raked and cleaned seniors’ yards in the fall, and the Snow Angels program made sure walkways were cleared in the winter.

• Toonie Lunch: The monthly Toonie Lunch has been a highlight in the past year. AF Strasbourg teams with a different partner each month to provide a lunch for seniors where seniors can not only get a meal, but also have a chance to socialize. This is a great way to help alleviate isolation. Partners have included the Adult Day Program, who provided a soup lunch for 50 guests; students from William Derby School, who cooked and served a meal to 70 plus seniors; and Strasbourg Emergency Medical Services, who not only helped with the meal but also set up blood pressure testing for anyone who wanted it. Strasbourg Lions Club, Forever…in motion, and Business Association Members each partnered at one of the meals and helped serve. They are ongoing partners.
  
  

Civic Participation & Employment Domain:

• Communication Person: In 2023, AF Strasbourg/Strasbourg Recreation Board hired a communication person to put together handout packages with all local heath and emergency phone numbers and all pertinent info in one book. Seniors developed the job description and the policy for the new staff hire.

• Seniors’ Safety Presentation: As part of AF Strasbourg’s ongoing presentations for seniors, Town Council and the local RCMP participated in a safety presentation, talking about such issues as phone scams, mischief door knocking/doorbell ringing, and the local buddy system to make sure neighbours are okay.

Community Supports & Health Services Domain:

• Health Checks: Each month, AF Strasbourg hosts a health presentation at the library followed by Q&A. The presentations are on various health-related topics. Monthly Wellness Checks are provided by a Nurse Practitioner. Foot care will be provided by a retired Nurse Practitioner following the presentation, for a small fee. AF Strasbourg paid the initial cost for this footcare. The fee individuals pay helps offset this initial investment.

• Mental Health: Talk, Ask, Listen is a Farmers’ Mental Health workshop put on in a farming community for everyone. This is a great way for AF Strasbourg to reach out to our community’s farmers and families.
  
  

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Previous (Pre-2022) Goals and Plans:

• Write a Passage: an intergenerational writing project.
• Helping Grandmas and Grandpas at School: to pair Grandmas and Grandpas with students to assist with literacy. To be developed with School Administration.
• Table for One More Supper: to invite people who are living alone to attend a supper at a local restaurant.
• Strasbourg Age-Friendly Facebook Page: in process

Current work listed by Domains:

Outdoor Spaces & Buildings — Park Revitalization Project

Transportation — Free rides during month of December, more volunteer drivers

Housing — all low rentals are full, and Senior Manor completely occupied

Social Participation — videos produced for all community events, and people given links to watch on home computers

Respect & Social Inclusion — Specific parking set up at events, for people needing closer to program area. People helping at events with elevator assists.

Civic Participation & Employment — all programs have posters printed and put up in all senior facilities

Communication & Information — Board members attending Senior events at their facilities and telling groups about upcoming events. Hand-outs.

Community Support & Health Services — Age-Friendly community events in partnership with LMVBA, free ice cream in the summer, free coffee, free baking.

Media Coverage:

• Penpal project