West Island getting older

BY MARC LALONDE

marc.lalonde@transcontinental.ca

The West Island is older than average, but nobody really knew exactly how much older we were until Statistics Canada released its 2006 census figures for age and sex numbers in Canada, Quebec and locally, yesterday morning.

The median age of Quebecers is 41 years old, up from 38.8 years old in the 2001 census. For the most part, the West Island’s demographics have reflected that shift as well.

Senneville is the West Island’s oldest city, with its median age coming in at 46.4 years old, while Baie d’Urfé is second, with a median age of 44.2 years old, up from 42.9 in 2001.

Pointe Claire also got older; its median age is 43.2 years old, up from 40.3 years old in 2001.

Dollard des Ormeaux’ median age stands at 39.5 years, up from 37 in 2001 while Dorval aged less precipitously than the other cities, reporting a median age of 42.8, up from 41.7 five years ago.

Beaconsfield’s median age climbed to 41.9 from 39.4 in 2001, Kirkland’s climbed to 40.2 years of age from 37. 2 years in 2001 and Ste. Anne de Bellevue’s median age rose slightly, to 38. 9 years old up from 38.2 years old.

“This is no secret. It’s something we’ve been expecting for some time,” said Ann Davidson, co-ordinator of the West Island Community Resource Centre. “It’s also something we’ve been preparing for. It’s a big issue for coming years, because we’re going to have a lot of people on fixed incomes. How people are going to keep on living in the communities they built with taxes rising so quickly all the time is a real issue,” she said.

More and more emphasis is being placed on home care for seniors who need daily medical attention because the health-care network is clogged by chronic-care patients who have no one to take care of them and can’t go home, she said.

“The real issue is the baby boomers - we’re a large generation, but the diversity of wealth is quite great. I’ve heard about people my age who can retire early, but I’ve also talked to people who think they’ll never be able to stop working,” she said.

The West Island Community Resource Centre publishes information booklets for residents, including West Island seniors. For more information, or to get a booklet, call 514-694-6404.