Oxford, Elgin and St. Thomas recognized as age-friendly communities

By Lee Griffi

The Ontario government has recognized Elgin-St. Thomas and Oxford County as age-friendly communities for their contributions to more inclusive physical and social environments for aging adults.

The recognition was announced at the recent Rural Ontario Municipal Association (ROMA) conference in Toronto on Jan. 18, where the Honourable Raymond Cho, minister for seniors and accessibility, acknowledged nearly 70 age-friendly communities across Ontario.

“We are honoured to recognize and celebrate Elgin-St. Thomas and Oxford County as age-friendly communities,” said Cho. “Through community-led initiatives that promote social engagement and physical activity, you are helping to protect the health and wellbeing of seniors and demonstrating your commitment to continuing to build a province that is inclusive for Ontarians of all ages and abilities.”

Local initiatives to support an aging population are led by the Oxford Age-Friendly and Elgin-St. Thomas Age-Friendly steering committees, comprising local older adults, community organizations and representatives from municipalities, counties and public health.

“It’s an incredible honour to be recognized by the province in this way,” said Meagan Lichti, chair of both committees. “This work reflects our belief that every resident deserves the opportunity to age safely and with dignity while engaged in community life. We are grateful for the commitment of our partners who continue to champion this initiative locally to ensure aging-related priorities are woven into the fabric of our community.”

According to data from Southwestern Public Health, adults aged 65 and older increased from 16.1 per cent to 20.2 per cent in the region between 2011 and 2021. The proportion of seniors living on low incomes is on the rise, and one in five seniors lives alone. The region also reports a significantly higher rate of emergency department visits for injuries related to falls compared to the provincial average.

Oxford County established its partnership for aging populations in 2024 and completed a local needs assessment in 2025. Revised age-friendly strategies from both committees are anticipated this spring.

“We used a survey, focus groups and interviews. We looked at the eight domains in the age-friendly framework and focused on the five we thought were most relevant. Those were health care, housing, social inclusion, outdoor spaces and buildings, and transportation.”

Lichti said the biggest need to come through was transportation, something described as a key barrier across all the domains, as well as knowing what programs are available.

“Awareness of existing programs and services, how to access them, who to call and where to go; it’s not like we don’t have programs and offerings for our local older adults, but I would say there is a bit of a gap with some interests. There are programs not geared to everyone’s interests.”

She added a need for more intergenerational programs was also identified.

“Not everything that’s geared at seniors, but more on how we can combine senior and youth programming,” Lichti said. "

Lichti, who is also a community member on the East Zorra-Tavistock recreation advisory committee, felt there are enough programs in rural areas for older adults, but communication needs to improve.

“I don’t know if they need more. I think we need better communication about what we have. There are programs out there, but a lot of people don’t know about them. A better communication strategy around what’s available and better communication around the availability of space are needed.”

She added there was a good response to the survey from East Zorra-Tavistock residents, whereas Zorra saw a very low rate. Zorra Township has a formal recreation program, and EZT does not, but that could change once the 2026 budget is released.

“Community vitality is a strategic focus for Oxford’s municipalities and the principles of age-friendly communities align with our vision for a healthy, vibrant and sustainable future,” said Oxford Warden Marcus Ryan. “This designation is possible through the strength of our community partnerships, a commitment to inclusivity and accessibility at the highest levels, and the ongoing work and support of Southwestern Public Health.”

The age-friendly committees are planning an Aging Well Road Show for 2026 with stops planned in each municipality.

“Likely some in the spring and some in the fall to try and increase our presence and share information about all the different programs and services that are out there,” Lichti said.

More information about Age-Friendly communities is available at www.csah.ca/age-friendly-communities-ontario.