Port Alice council agreed to wave rental fees for the proposed Adult Day Program (ADP), which would be a one-day-a-week program of support and recreational activities for seniors in the village. The initiative aims to help maintain the health and independence of seniors, while also providing respite for the caregivers in their lives.
Wendy Smith from North Island Community Services is the ADP coordinator, and she gave a presentation requesting a letter of support for the program at the village’s regular council meeting on Jan.24.
“A successful ADP pilot project was delivered in Port Hardy in 2016, which provided services for up to 23 participants per day,” wrote Smith in her briefing note to council.
“North Island Community Services Society is developing an ADP for the communities of Port Hardy, Port McNeil, Port Alice, Alert Bay, and Sointula. The intention is to build off the pilot project to provide one day per week of ADP to each of the five communities by providing accessible, multi-level supports from a team of professionals.”
During the village’s council meeting on Feb. 14, mayor and council addressed a follow-up letter from Smith, where she requested both a letter of support and in-kind donations.
“I would take this moment to thank you for the wonderful services of Tanya Spafford from your village office. She kindly showed me some possible locations to house this program. I believe the home economics room and the old fitness room in the Seavac Building will meet our needs,” wrote Smith, adding, “If any consideration for in-kind donations (rental fees) for this endeavour is possible, I would be delighted to further discuss this opportunity with you, at your earliest convenience.”
“I think it would be appropriate if we had the motion here to wave any of the rental related to the senior adult day program,” said Mayor Jan Allen, noting they would have to wait to address the letter of support until they received the official budget for the program and it can be approved. “And at that time we could look at putting something in the budget to support them in addition to the in-kind.”
Coun. Marnie Chase pointed out that “Our population demographics are changing. It’s more so a senior’s town now, and that seems to be screaming out loud at our economic development and community engagement and we have to support our elders in this community and our tax dollars should be going to support that.”
Council approved the motion to wave the rental fee for the ADP in the amount of $5,500.