Banner image for Age-Friendly Strasbourg 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 Strasbourg on map. Strasbourg is typed over the map image. On right side of banner is image of Strasbourg town sign.

Settled in the Last Mountain Hills is the friendly town of Strasbourg. The earliest settlers came to this area in 1884 and the area became known for its rich agricultural soil and ample land for pastures. The town has a rich cultural and historical background, originating with the German pioneers who settled the area. The town’s name was originally spelled Strassburg – ‘Strass’ meaning ‘street’ or ‘road’, and ‘Burg’ meaning ‘town’. The spelling was changed to the French “Strasbourg” in 1919. Strasbourg and area has a hardworking, dedicated group of people who take an active role volunteering their time in the many community organizations that support our recreation, culture, and tourism industry. The population is 788, and the town serves a rural population of approximately 1,500. The rural municipality served is RM #220, the RM of McKillop.

Strasbourg is a thriving rural, agricultural community that has a strong cultural identity. We are extremely lucky to have a town with activities and programs that support our youngest and oldest residents. We have a school, library, two grocery stores, and many restaurants.

In 2018, in an event at the Legislative Building in Regina, Strasbourg 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 two people from Age-Friendly Strasbourg Committee with Government Minister, receiving Age-Friendly Recognition Award in room with paintings of former Saskatchewan premiers on the walls.
Aerial view of the Town of Strasbourg, Saskatchewan: small town streets and buildings surrounded by green fields. Caption in swirling script says Welcome to the Town of Strasbourg
sunset scene with deep gray clouds tinged purple and pink by the setting sun. Grain elevator in stark shadow silhouette. Strasbourg, Saskatchewan

Age-Friendly Strasbourg Contacts:

Carol Schultz

Vicki Cornwell

Contact Email:

ssm@skseniorsmechanism.ca

On the Web:

Town of Strasbourg website

Town of Strasbourg newsletter and community calendar

Facebook: Strasbourg Recreation Board

Age-Friendly Committee Members

Carol Schultz

Vicki Cornwell

Diane Kondraituk

Ruth Heintz

Sherry Burgess

Tony Gillich

Ashley Scholefield

Joe Lech

Peggy Gwillim

Dr. Nichole Heintz

Jennelle Hubick

Community Organizations Supporting the Age-Friendly Committee
  • D’s Place
  • Last Mountain Business Association
  • Leaning Maples Meats
  • Long Lake Insurance
  • Mama Bear’s Den
  • RBC
  • RCMP
  • Shared Ministry
  • Silton Legion
  • Strasbourg EMS
  • Strasbourg Fire Department
  • Strasbourg Health Centre
  • Strasbourg Lions Club
  • Strasbourg Library
  • Tiny Tots Daycare
  • Town of Strasbourg
  • William Derby School
Milestone #1: Year Formed

The committee was formed on February 8, 2015, with 17 committee members. In 2018, the committee re-organized, and currently has 12 committee members.

Click here for Terms of Reference.

Milestone #2: Municipal Government Support
Milestone #3: Community Assessment

Date of new survey: January, 2024

 

Date first survey completed: May 6, 2016. The surveys were placed in 410 mailboxes and distributed to 28 housing units, with 62 responses

Milestone #4: Action Plan

Items in initial action plan for revived committee:

  • Developed a taxi service to assist seniors to get to doctor appointments in the city at an affordable rate.
  • Worked with the Health centre and the doctors, and developed a great working system.

 

Items in initial action plan from 2015:

  • 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.
Previous Accomplishments

Updated April, 2024:

Outdoor Spaces and Buildings:

  • Benches located all through the community
  • Safe walking in the winter indoors at the hall

Transportation:

  • Volunteer drivers on a monthly rotation. Utilize the bus owned by the Last Mountain Pioneer Home Foundation. 

Housing:

  • All low rentals are occupied.
  • Senior Manor has a waiting list, and 4-plex is full.

Social Participation:

  • Toonie lunches.
  • No one Eats Alone
  • Free ice cream day each month in the summer

Respect and Social Inclusion: 

  • Cultural information nights at the library.
  • Welcome to Strasbourg event planned for once a year.

Civic Participation & Employment:

  • Town Council, Shared Ministry, RCMP, Health Officials, and School are all partners

Communication & Information: 

  • Produced an information booklet
  • Produced business cards for Senior Communications Officer

Community Support & Health Services:

  • Outdoor fitness equipment
  • Forever … in Motion
  • SCOA (Saskatoon Council on Aging) Global Walk:  walking and outdoor boot camp
  • Yoga

Earlier Accomplishments:

  • 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: Age-Friendly Strasbourg 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: Age-Friendly Strasbourg consulted with Town Administrator who investigated possible options. Sign may be posted to ‘Hold Railing’.
  • To attend Town Council Meeting to update numbers regarding Age-Friendly.
    Outcome: Age-Friendly Strasbourg consulted with Town Administrator who advised Age-Friendly 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
  • Reconciliation 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

Current Work

Updates, October 2024:

Housing:

Yard Cleanup: We partnered with William Derby School and the students helped seniors with their Spring and Fall Yard Work this year. 

Window Washing: We provided this service twice this year once in the Spring and again in the Fall.  

Handyman/Maintenance Service: We work with a local handyman, book appointments through our Senior Communications Officer and provide $20 off each call for seniors. 

Respect & Social Inclusion:

Volunteer Readers: A group of volunteer readers goes to William Derby School and reads books to youth. A great mixing of different generations. 

Ageism Calendar: We partnered with Bulyea Elementary School and had teachers had students draw pictures of what they thought of when they pictured grandparents/seniors. We will take these pictures and make a calendar to be given to our seniors as well as one to be displayed at the school.

Social Participation/Communication & Information:

Monthly Education Nights: We host these monthly events at the Strasbourg Branch Library and some topics have been, caregiving and caregiver burnout, Cree Beadwork, cultural presentations, Remembering D-Day, even a knitting class. (A few posters/pictures below).

Community Supports & Health Services:

Community Vegetable Box: This box sits in front of the local pharmacy/bulletin board on Mountain Street and you can drop off produce you don’t need and take what you do need. 

Wellness Clinic: These continue to be one of our most popular events. We choose a different presenter each month, with footcare provided. Our Nurse Practitioner will be hosting again in the New Year.

Golf Clinic: We hosted our second Youth Golf Clinic this summer for ages 7+ in the morning and a 16+ group for older youth and adults.

Gymnastics Day Camp: This summer we hosted a gymnastics day camp for ages 2-12. Flipside from Lumsden came out for the day and set up in the school gymnasium. 71 children attended. 

Updates, April 2024:

Outdoor Spaces & Buildings:

  • Outdoor Senior exercise equipment in new park.
  • Paved walking trails that can be used all year long.
  • Indoor walking for the winter months at the hall.

Transportation:

  • Taxi policy established that enables seniors to access 4 subsidized rides for appointments and personal needs.

Housing:

  • Programs set up include:
    • window cleaning
    • replacing and checking smoke and CO2 detectors
    • small repair program

Social Participation:

  • No One Eats Alone
  • Toonie lunch
  • Monthly wellness presentation
  • Everyone is welcome cultural presentations
  • Welcome to Strasbourg event planned for October for all new people to the community

Respect & Social Inclusion:

  • Senior drop-in center has events happening 3 days a week.
  • Provide taxi service in town and monthly bus trip to the city with special rates May and June for Mothers’ and Fathers’ Day promo.

Civic Participation & Employment:

  • Hired Senior Communications Officer in Spring 2023

Communication & Information:

  • Bulletin board
  • Work with town to print posters,
  • Facebook, etc.

Community Support & Health Services: 

  • Wellness Clinic
  • Collaboration with local health professionals

Age-Friendly Strasbourg updates on Current Work, February 2023

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

Transportation Domain: Age-Friendly 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. Age-Friendly 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, Age-Friendly 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 Age-Friendly 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, Age-Friendly 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. Age-Friendly 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 Age-Friendly Strasbourg to reach out to our community’s farmers and families.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

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. 

Posters for events in 2024

Please click the title of the poster to view the PDF.

Container Planting, April 11, 2024

Wellness Clinic, April 15, 2024

Toonie Lunch, April 16, 2024

Community Directory

Click here to access the PDF of the Strasbourg Community Directory.

Media

Media Coverage:

Updated October 22, 2024

MLA Travis Keisig posted about attending “No One Eats Alone” dinner on his Facebook page. Click here to view.

Local RCMP posted about Toonie Lunch on their Facebook page. Click here to view.

Last Mountain Times Article about Age-Friendly Rec Board’s Senior Communications Officer: Click here.

PHOTOS

Social Participation

Cultural Presentation
Beadwork Presentation
D-Day Presentation

Respect & Social Inclusion

Volunteer Readers
No One Eats Alone meal
MLA Travis Keisig at October 2024 No One Eats Alone meal

Community Supports & Health Services

Wellness Clinic
Golf Clinic
Vegetable Drop Box