The year 2015 marked the first time Canadians aged 65 and over started to outnumber children under the age of 15. This demographic shift in Canada prompted the publication of the first version of the National Seniors Strategy (NSS 2015), recognizing that Canada’s policy response to an ageing population was lagging behind real, historically unprecedented changes in the make-up of our national population. Older Canadians now represent Canada’s fastest growing demographic. In 2019, approximately 1 in 6 Canadians were over 65 years of age. By 2035, one in four Canadians will be over 65 years of age.

As in 2015, this demographic shift still presents both challenges and opportunities to improve the social, financial, and health policy landscape for older Canadians. While Canadians 65 and older account for approximately 17.5% of the population today, they represent almost 44% of all public-sector health care dollars spent by provinces and territories. With the population ageing faster than ever before, health care, social services, and economic systems must be continuously reviewed to ensure that they can remain sustainable and continue to meet the needs of all Canadians as they age.

Meeting the growing and evolving needs of our ageing population will require concerted coordination and effort between municipalities, provinces, with the federal government playing a key leadership role on this issue of significant national importance.  Historically, our federal government has been able to play a key role as a standard-setter, catalyst and funder of important social change in areas like the delivery of health care.  We believe that in a similar way our federal government can enable the meaningful change that will be needed to meet the needs of ageing Canadians.

The way we approach our coming of age will also require coordination and mobilization across government departments as well as between the private and public sectors. Indeed, many are now seeing the need for an integrated approach where the federal government could help keep us all moving in the right direction. As a result, many see that implementing a National Seniors Strategy could provide us exactly the focus and commitment we need to ensure Canada can become the best country to grow up and grow old in.