By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON September 13, 2012 Burlington’s Mayor Rick Goldring seems to have taken that insurance tag line – Freedom 55 – to heart. Now that he is 55 years of age he has decided to become a member of the Senior’s Centre. This man recognizes a bargain when he sees one – coffee at the centre is $1 a cup.
Mayor Rick Goldring has his membership application processed at the Seniors’ Centre – filling another of his campaign promises.
The Mayor chatted with the Heather Pilling, supervisor of Adult and Senior programming for the city and the lady responsible for the operation of the Seniors’ Centre. Newly appointed Ms Pilling appears to have passed the first acid test with what is a tough crowd to keep happy. “She’s as different as chalk is from cheese when you compare her with the other person who was here” commented Joe Veitch, who was in the process of filming the Mayor’s membership event at the Centre.
Heather Pilling the newly appointed Supervisor of Adult and Seniors programming for the city, welcomes Mayor Goldring as a new member. Pilling will be the city’s eyes for a constituency that can get cranky at times and very vocal.
Veitch is one of the people taking part in the WNEB Buffalo television station’s plans for an Our Town segment. Joe Veitch as a film producer/director – imagine that?
Becoming a member of the Senior’s Centre was a campaign promise made by the Mayor – he made the promise a second time – the day the city gave the Seniors’ Centre more money than one could carry in a wheel barrow. On that occasion the city basically bought the support of the seniors with money to pay outstanding taxes, money to pay for their incorporation and money to cover the insurance they will need. Those seniors will be in for a bit of a surprise when they realize they aren’t going to get gifts like that every year – 2014, an election year might be the exception.
With his 55th year upon him and a membership card in his pocket the Mayor crossed the street to the Band shell park and mingled with the seniors out enjoying their annual Brown Bag picnic.
Then he did what every politician has to do – he made a speech – a very short one. This man knows how to read his audience.
While everyone is vaguely aware that we are an ageing society it is only when the fact is laid out in raw numbers that the point is really made. 17% of Burlington’s population is over 65 and 45% of the population is over 45 – according to 2011 census data. 46% of the seniors in Halton live in Burlington, according to 2006 census data.
We can see where this is going. If the trend continues we will become a city with an older population, albeit one with high disposable income if the number of high end retirement homes going up. There are two under current construction that are more than six stories high – more like warehouses for older people. And they are not cheap.
The handi-van showed at the picnic site frequently and there was a decent flow of taxis which suggests how many seniors will be getting around town.
Lining up for a Brown Bag lunch – annual Seniors’ Centre event held at Central Park this year. Last year the LaSalle Park event got rained out.
For the Mayor it was a good day. As he walked into the park around the band shell one constituent called out: “Hello there Mayor Rick”. He’s got that vote.
Mayor Goldring talks about seniors and their issues with a community representative. The Brown Bag picnic, an annual event, is for a demographic that is also a market. Vendors with various products and services took part in the event.
Keeping a constituency happy is however just part of the job – the Mayor also has to look longer term and get his community thinking about what we are going to do in terms of serving this aging population. On October 17th, the Mayor has invited Dr. Samir K. Sinha MD, DPhil, FRCPC Director of Geriatrics Mount Sinai and the University Health Network Hospitals, Assistant Professor of Medicine University of Toronto and the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and a Medical Advisor to the Toronto Central Community Care Access Centre.
He will be talking about how communities serve their ageing population. October 17th at the Performing Arts Centre. In the past these events have been close to full – if this matters to you – get there early.
Need to disabuse you, Pepper of the notion “the city basically bought the support of the seniors with money to pay outstanding taxes, money to pay for their incorporation and money to cover the insurance they will need. ” The support was already in place as a result of the City agreeing to continue with much of the the arrangement which worked so well in the past. The modest donation of funds to cover expenses was a generous add on to acknowledge the City’s status as a partner, and was gratefully accepted as such.
Heather Pilling is indeed a gem to work with. Her value stands on its own without any unfortunate disparaging comparison to her predecessor.