Candidates outline plans to help those 65 and over

When it comes to helping seniors in the ward with the highest percentage of residents aged 65 and over in Toronto, council candidates have a variety of ideas.

Ward 4 (Etobicoke Centre) has 11,080 seniors, representing 20.5 per cent of the ward’s 53,955 people according to the latest Statistics Canada data. That could amount to a lot of votes when one considers that CARP, a group representing older persons, says seniors make up a high percentage of the voting population. While one Ward 4 candidate wants to improve transportation for seniors in the ward, another wants to provide local recreational facilities for seniors, and another wants to make it affordable and practical for the elderly to continue living at home.

Those points are all important to Darlene Dubbin, board chair for Etobicoke Services for Seniors (ESS).

While the non-profit group helping seniors remain in their homes and communities has its own volunteer drivers, more public transportation is needed, she said.

“Transportation really is a big one, there are a lot of seniors and particularly at that age perhaps women who never drove,” she said.

The ward’s incumbent Gloria Lindsay Luby touted her role in bringing a community bus to the area, but noted securing more senior-friendly buses is a goal.

“I think the biggest need is accessibility to transportation such as the community bus, such as low-floor buses, those are very important for seniors … we need more of those,” she said.

The “problem” with the existing bus, she added, “is it operates on a one-hour loop; it’s extended as far as it can go within that hour. What it would take would be to get a second community bus, and I don’t know what the possibilities of that would be.”

But while she didn’t promise a second bus, she said the demand is there.

“With 20 per cent of the ward being seniors and many of them don’t drive there is a great need, and I’d be very happy if I could convince the TTC to furnish another (community bus),” she offered.

Dubbin said for seniors wanting to remain in their homes, they also need a place to gather.

“What we find is people who do have access to (a community centre), it’s amazing how their health improves,” she said. “You want to stay in your home, but you don’t want to be isolated.”

John Campbell, a former public school trustee and chair, said one of the projects he would tackle as ward councillor would be to introduce a seniors/youth community centre to Ward 4, noting there are recreational facilities just outside the ward’s borders.

“There’s a need for a community centre for seniors and youth in the Martin Grove-Westway-Dixon road area,” said Campbell. “I know the local MPP has been supportive of getting something going, and I know the principal at one of the schools where there’s excess property, we’ve talked about it.”

But he acknowledged it would take time and possibly some cooperation from other stakeholders to establish a new place for seniors to call home.

“It’s not something that’s going to happen overnight or in two or three years, but certainly something to work toward,” he said, noting there is a chance for some public-private partnerships. “Working toward a community centre would be a really big positive in this ward.”

Daniel Bertolini, entrepreneur, wants to help those on a fixed income stay in their homes.

“Let’s not try to tax the homeowners out of their home,” said Bertolini. “As city council we have to learn to manage our taxes better than we have in the past.”

He said that doesn’t necessarily mean a property tax cut for seniors; but he offered, “let’s look at not increasing (taxes for) fixed income families … I’m sure we can find better ways. We keep taking out of their pot and they can’t recoup it.

“We can’t take five per cent out of their pocket when they’re only collecting two or three per cent (cost of living) raises every year.”

Campbell echoed some of Bertolini’s points on taxation.

“One of the things I support is the repeal of some regressive taxes that particularly hit people with fixed incomes the hardest,” he said, making reference to the vehicle registration tax, adding property taxes hit seniors hard too. “All of the mayors would have to get together and form a position with the province … the way we collect taxes from seniors makes it particularly onerous for them if they’ve been in a house for a long period of time.”

Other matters affecting seniors, such as accessibility and even leaf collection, came up during discussions with the candidates.

Lindsay Luby said while she wants to help seniors get around in vehicles, she wants to improve how they can get around on foot or wheelchair.

That means continuing to work with private landowners to add accessibility features, noting she helped lobby for ramps at a medical centre on Royal York Road because “for years people were complaining it wasn’t accessible because of the steps”.

Campbell noted the possibility for “broadening of some services”, noting leaf collection is “particularly onerous if you have to bag it all, and you don’t want to have any reductions in snow removal. Things like those matter a lot to seniors.”

Bertolini wants to explore maintaining leaf pickup service at its current level while trying to save cash.

“It’s a great service, but from what I’ve heard there’s a lot of waste going on there, there’s a couple of different crews picking up leaves and maybe we can cut that back a little bit … maybe we just can’t afford both (crews),” he said.

- Jeff Hayward

Posted in Etobicoke, News