By Spencer Sterritt

Federal seniors minister tours Nanaimo’s Five Acre Farm

Aug 25, 2018 | 11:51 AM

NANAIMO — Gazing out at rows of vegetables planted in a south Nanaimo urban farm, federal Seniors Minister Filomena Tassi says it’s “brilliant” to see the hard work of seniors paying off.

She met with many elderly volunteers of Five Acre Farm, tucked away across from Park Avenue Elementary, on Tuesday, Aug. 21. The visit was part of a tour through Vancouver Island communities which benefitted from the New Horizons for Seniors Program, which funds community-based programs for seniors.

“I’m a strong believer in this program and I believe it’s important I witness first-hand how this program actually addresses and targets challenges seniors face,” she told NanaimoNewsNOW.

“Seniors have to know the value in their contributions and (this) helps make that a reality.”

Food from the farm helps stave off malnourishment in Nanaimo’s elderly, which volunteers say is increasingly becoming a problem. Crops are also used by the Nanaimo Foodshare to help families struggling to put food on the table.

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Tassi said the positive attitude fostered at the farm will help many seniors age gracefully.

“We believe seniors deserve to age feeling secure and looking forward to their aging years.”

On her tour, Tassi said the largest concerns she heard were seniors isolation, affordable housing, income security and access to health care.

The number of seniors in Canada is expected to rise to 23 per cent by 2030. In local communities such as Qualicum Beach Parksville, the number of seniors has outpaced other demographics, according to the 2016 census.

spencer@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @spencer_sterrit