Cambridge, City of
Community Profile
Name of Committee: City of Cambridge and Cambridge Council on Aging
Population: 138,479 (2021)
Contact:
- Website: www.cambridgecoa.ca/
- Email: Sharon Livingstone (Consultant, Volunteer Sector) cambridgecouncilonaging@gmail.com
- Email: Wendy Meek (Co-chair) wendym@cjwr.com
- Email: Kim Cusimano (Age-Friendly Coordinator) cusimanok@cambridge.ca
Funding:
- No funding
This profile was updated in July 2023.
Age-Friendly Program Description
The community began and completed the AF work in 2013, and presented this report to the City council. An update was provided in 2016 – both are on the CCOA website. Much of our work focuses on low-income older adults. Presently, the council is focusing on transportation – both teaching older adults how to ride a bus and working with age-friendly partners in the Region of Waterloo to reduce fares. The council is also at the Solutions to Poverty Waterloo region table to represent Cambridge – the three big ideas are: reduce isolation, ensure older adults have the finances they are entitled to and provide information on resources.
Current and Completed AFC Projects, Programs and Initiatives
Transportation
- Ride the Bus (partnership with Age-Friendly Waterloo and Kitchener to offer ride the bus workshops)
Housing
- HomeShare Pilot
Social Participation
- Seniors Centre Without Walls (piloting Ottawa toolkit)
Respect & Social Inclusion
- Social isolation of seniors (focus on women in emergency shelters – Trillium grant – Jan 2018)
Civic Participation & Employment
- Seniors as Leaders & Peer Mentors (program to address isolation – new horizons grant)
Communication & Information
- Creative Aging (Yearly Educational event)
Community Support & Health Services
- Drug Educational Informational Event (weighing Risks and Benefits for Older Adults Using Drugs/Alcohol/Cannabis)