Coming up just for Newport seniors - a community lunch and discussion
about what they'd like to see happen for them. The consultation is the climax
of Newport's new Age-Friendly Municipality (MADA) project. It comes after nine
months of hard work.
Lyne
Maisonneuve coordinated the project. She worked with a committee of seven:
Marie-Paule Boutin, Christiane Côté, Anne-Marie Dubeau (municipal councillor),
Guy Gagnon, Pierrette Quevillon, Johanne Therriault, and Germain Tourigny. The
MADA Committee, they call themselves.
First they
checked out the senior population in Newport, QC. Out of 740 people, about 265
are over age 55. They are distributed among four hamlets, Island Brook,
Lawrence, Randboro, and Saint-Mathias-de-Bonneterre, and in the spaces between.
About one-third of the people have English as a first language.
Then they
created a short survey about seniors' needs and interests, and Maisonneuve
interviewed 108 seniors in Newport. That's a full 41 per cent of the seniors.
Among the respondents were 38 English speakers and 70 French speakers.
Maisonneuve
mailed the survey results last week to all of Newport's seniors. The document
contains a whole cartload of suggestions. The respondents want a variety of
courses. Cultural outings. Community meals. Evenings of music. And 17 other
activities.
Ten people
asked for a local foot clinic. Fitness and walking head the list of 13
different physical activities. And various home care services. Public transportation.
Housing and urban planning.
Along with the
survey report, Maisonneuve sent the senior citizens a portrait of the
Municipality and its population. And an invitation to a consultation.
"We aim for at least 40 persons," Maisonneuve
said, speaking in French. "For the discussion, we'll divide into small groups
of eight to ten people. Each team will be asked to choose three priorities for
the next three years. Both French and English will be heard. Newport is a
bilingual municipality."
"We have a lot
of suggestions," said Maisonneuve. "And the people who come may not be
necessarily those who were interviewed. So maybe new suggestions will surface."
The discussion
will finish with a plenary session, when participants will make the final
choice of activities. The MADA committee will take their recommendations to the
Newport Municipal Council.
The afternoon
will end with a buffet catered by the Monique & Marie-Paule Restaurant in
Island Brook.
"I really want to thank people for having
welcomed me so warmly, with open arms," said Maisonneuve. "The people I met
showed me what ‘active living' really looks like. Now that we have a study that
names impediments to autonomy, and suggests solutions, we can envisage concrete
measures to improve seniors' quality of life."
The
consultation is planned for Saturday, April 12, at the Newport Municipal Hall,
1452 Route 212, in Island Brook. It begins at 1 p.m., and will likely finish at
about 4:30 p.m. To register, Newport senior citizens can call Lyne Maisonneuve
at 819-889-1340 before April 5.
