What’s new at Age Friendly Moosomin?

February 13, 2023, 2:30 pm
Devona Putland


A recent project is in response to the survey information that identified a lack of rest areas within town for those walking.
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Moosomin Age Friendly is a volunteer committee established in the community of Moosomin. Age-Friendly Communities is a global movement with a goal of making communities safer, smarter, healthier, happier, more inclusive places for all people to live and thrive. While concentrating on the needs of an aging population, Age Friendly believes that the benefits they strive to ensure will benefit all age groups within a population.

Since the Age Friendly survey of fall, 2021, Age Friendly Moosomin has worked on a few projects that are related to the results of that survey. A recent project is in response to the survey information that identified a lack of rest areas within town for those walking. Age Friendly has a prototype of the bench located on Main Street on the sidewalk south of the RM office. Age Friendly is seeking sponsorships for benches and each bench is something that can be sponsored by anyone—private individual or business.

Benches are intended to be a tribute to an event or person or business. In other communities these benches have included memorials, commemorative tributes to special events such as anniversaries or sports championships, placed in appreciation for individuals who have gone above and beyond, or by businesses as a means of advertising.

The benches are ordered through committee member Bill Thorn until the end of February. They are manufactured locally by a high school student, Kale Holmstrom. The maintenance free paint job comes from Celebration Ford and makes them a perfect fit for sale by a group of older adults. The composite board seat comes from the Borderland Co-op and the engraved signage is done by Kassie’s Jewelry. In a time promoting shopping locally, this bench hits the mark! If you wish to inquire or sponsor the purchase a bench, you may text or call Bill Thorn at 306-435-9790.

The second undertaking of the Age Friendly group was an assessment of existing sidewalks in the town of Moosomin. Committee members walked the sidewalks in spring, compiled their findings, and shared the information with the Town of Moosomin Administration. The hope of the committee was to supply the town with a snapshot of the existing walkways noting where sidewalks were in good condition, areas where minimal maintenance was needed, or areas where sidewalks needed significant repair.

On the afternoon of February 14, Age Friendly is hosting another Coffee House at the Legion Club Room. While enjoying a coffee and treat, committee members will be engaging in a conversation about transportation needs to out of town medical appointments. The committee hopes to gain insights and information that the survey responses did not provide.

One AF project is in its proposal stage through a grant application that has been made under the New Horizon for Seniors program. In the 2021 survey, there were many respondents identifying the need for the community to intentionally reach out to seniors. Since many communication methods have become more dependent on the use of technology, Age Friendly submitted a grant proposal to increase older adult’s use of technology. The application was made for the purchase of a set of Ipads that will be used on a loan basis by people learning the technology, and small group formal instruction will occur from Southeast College. Along with the formal instruction, weekly tutorial opportunities to learn and practice the use of the technology will be held. Most can identify with being shown a new skill and then forgetting it because you did not use it again for a length of time. The tutorials will provide some extra practice.

At approximately three months, participants return the devices for a new group of participants to begin the process. The program will also be open to those wishing to learn the use of their own personal device. During the loan period, participants will become familiar with the functions of tablets, use of text or email, photography potential, information searches, group platforms for meetings or visiting such as FaceTime and Zoom, accessing library materials virtually, and anything else that the users desire. Funding status is not released until March but once the funding status in confirmed, Age Friendly will advertise to recruit participants wanting exposure to technology and a learning opportunity. The hope is that community members will experience an ease of access to many forms of information.

To help ensure safe technology use, Age Friendly has also booked two informational sessions through Conexus Credit Union about Identity Theft and Fraud Prevention and Senior Financial Abuse Prevention. These presentations will be held on two different evenings during May with hopes that many community members will gain relevant information.

If you are someone interested in doing work towards making Moosomin a more inclusive community for all its citizens, please feel free to join the Age Friendly group. Whatever makes this community better for older adults will improve standards in the community for everyone!

Age Friendly usually meets the first Monday of each month, and welcomes anyone of any age to the group. The group has recently created a Facebook presence and will endeavor to provide updated information to that platform. Age Friendly Moosomin hopes that while most work at adding years to their life, they can also help add life to your years!


Age Friendly is seeking sponsorships for benches and each bench is something that can be sponsored by anyone—private individual or business.<br />


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