In a letter to Ontario Minister of Rural Affairs and MPP Lisa Thompson, the Canadian Federation of University Women (CFUW) Southport is advocating for an independent Seniors’ Advocate to gather data that would assist the Province in establishing policies and legislation to assist seniors when it comes to housing and living conditions.
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Dear Minister Thompson,
Subject: Seniors Advocate for Ontario
Ontario needs a Seniors’ Advocate independent of government.
We are writing on behalf of the Canadian Federation of University Women (CFUW) Southport (Saugeen Shores and area), a local club with 107 women members. We are part of CFUW Ontario Council which is a provincial organization with 48 clubs across Ontario and 4,500 members.
CFUW is a voluntary, self-funded, non-profit, nonpartisan women’s organization whose members seek to provide life-long learning, to improve public policy and to advocate for gender equality and for the rights of women and girls.
An independent Seniors’ Advocate will assemble data needed by the government to implement policies and legislation to facilitate aging in place programs, an option to costly long-term care facilities which is prioritized by an overwhelming majority of seniors, as well as the establishment of more supportive housing or placements for those who require it.
Independent Seniors’ Advocate positions created by governments across Canada, for example in British Columbia, Newfoundland and Labrador, are effective in identifying systemic reforms to improve living conditions for seniors at significant cost savings to taxpayers.
Our CFUW Club members believe it’s important for the Government of Ontario to establish and fund a Seniors’ Advocate who is an independent officer of the legislature, with a primary focus on the aging in place research and experience, with the following mandate:
● to solicit and receive input from the public on matters of concern to seniors
● to collect relevant data and monitor the impact of provincial policy and legislation
● to make recommendations prioritizing a diversity perspective to help the people of Ontario to age in place
CFUW Southport urges you to support our aging population by creating an Independent Seniors’ Advocate. We look forward to hearing from you at your earliest convenience.
Yours sincerely,
Susanne Steed, Samantha Trumbley Judy Moir, Kathleen Wallace, Odette Advocacy Committee Co-Chairs Leadership Team – CFUW Southport cfuwsp@gmail.com / cfuwsp@gmail.com
cc: Hon. Natalia Kusendova-Bashta, Minister of Long-Term Care ltcminister@ontario.ca
Sandra Shaw, President, CFUW Ontario Council
Sandy Lindsay, Saugeen Times Saugeentimes1@hotmail.com
Frances Learmont, Shoreline Beacon Shorelinebeacon.news@sunmedia.c
