Markham Stouffville Review, November 2023

NOVEMBER 2023
Hub to provide accessible seniors-focused programs
11 MARKHAM STOUFFVILLE REVIEW
BY CONNOR SIMONDS
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Exciting developments are underway
in York Region as plans for the Unionville
Commons Seniors Hub takes shape.
The project aims to provide enhanced
services for seniors, promoting community
well-being and inclusivity.
Jennifer Strong, acting director of Integrated
Business Services with York Region,
states, “York Region’s senior population is
growing faster than any other age group,”
and with the senior population on the rise,
there is a growing need for localized and
accessible services. Community hubs have
emerged as effective spaces for bringing
people together and offering a range of programs
and opportunities. The Seniors Hub
and Community Centre align with York
Region’s Seniors Strategy, which focuses
on creating multi-service centres that adapt
to the changing needs of seniors.
The opportunity to establish the seniors
hub arose during the redevelopment of the
Unionville Home Society campus. Collaborating
with Unionville Home Society and
Minto Communities, the project includes
a 265-unit affordable rental building for
seniors. Located on the ground floor of
Unionville Commons, at 4310 Highway 7
East, the hub and community centre will become
a centre for seniors-focused services,
programs, and amenities.
According to Strong, “The City of
Markham is home to the highest share of
York Region seniors, and it is estimated
that between 2021 and 2051, the number of
seniors living in the City of Markham will
grow by 113 per cent,” underscoring the
pressing need for this initiative.
“In the coming months, we will
begin recruiting residents from Unionville
Museum will use grant to keep
seniors ‘socially connected’
Commons, community members, and key
partners to create the Seniors Hub Advisory
Group; the group will provide feedback
and advice to York Region on the planning,
operations, and continuous improvement
of the hub and will also support ongoing
consultation opportunities with community
members and agencies,” says Strong,
reflecting the commitment to involving the
community in the project.
In addition to the seniors hub and
community centre, Unionville Commons is
making significant strides in construction.
The development features two towers, an
eight-storey and a 12-storey building, providing
a total of 265 apartments for seniors.
Designed with seniors’ specific needs in
mind, the building offers universal accessibility
and on-site parking. Outdoor spaces,
gardens, and pedestrian walkways will contribute
to the residents’ overall well-being.
York Region’s commitment to building
age-friendly communities is evident in the
Unionville Commons development and the
seniors hub and community centre.
Funding for the capital construction
costs will be supplemented by contributions
from the federal and provincial governments
through the Investing in Canada
Infrastructure Program. The hub and community
centre operations are designed to
be self-sustaining, avoiding the need for
regional tax levy contributions or subsidies
from Housing York Inc. Affordable membership
fees will ensure accessibility for the
community.
“York Region received funding to
support capital costs to build the seniors
hub through the Community, Culture, and
Recreation funding stream of the Investing
in Canada Infrastructure Program,” says
Strong. The collaboration with the City of
Markham underscores the shared dedication
to meet the needs of the growing senior
population and create a vibrant and inclusive
community.
Strong concludes by stating that the
design and construction of the seniors hub
is anticipated to begin in 2024, with operations
commencing in 2025. She also notes
that “In 2024, we will initiate a public process
to bring in partner organizations; these
partners will provide seniors with programs
and services at the hub that are tailored to
the community and easy to access.”
Local dignitaries at the Sept. 23 government funding announcement at Markham Museum.
The Markham Museum will use a community
grant to encourage older adults to
take part in pottery classes and group tours
of an exhibition that shares experiences of
the Chinese community.
The museum has received about
$24,500 through the provincial government’s
2023-24 Seniors Community Grant Program
and will use it to focus on seniors who may
face a variety of barriers to participation,
such as economic, language, lack of opportunities
and accessibility.
“Seniors Community Grants are keeping
our seniors fit, active, healthy and socially
connected close to home in their communities,”
Minister for Seniors and Accessibility
Raymond Cho says. “Our government is
proud to invest in these projects with local
organizations to meet the needs of seniors,
provide the supports seniors need and deserve
that also help to battle social isolation.”
The ministry reports investing more
than $22 million in Seniors Community
Grants to more than 1,200 grassroots projects
that have helped seniors stay socially and
physically active in their communities since
2018.
Markham Museum is home to more
than 20 historic buildings on 25 acres of
parkland. It offers year-round exhibits, public
programs, signature events and research
facilities. It will use the Seniors Community
Grant to offer three main programs, including
four sessions of five-week pottery handbuilding
courses at the museum between
October and March.
It will also offer 10 two-hour introduction
to pottery hand-building classes in the
community. Finally, it will offer six group
tours of the Standing in the Doorway: Lived
Histories and Experiences of the Chinese
Community exhibition and related activities.
Two of the tours will offer accessible busing
at no cost.
“Markham’s commitment to inclusion
has always extended to seniors in our
community,” says Mayor Frank Scarpitti.
“With this additional funding, the Markham
Museum can extend its already robust series
of programs for people of all ages. Programming
specifically for older adults focuses on
their particular interests and the ability to
access the museum site.”