Posted by Sudbury Northern Life Reporter Bill Bradley 

There is an ace in the hole to help cities like Greater Sudbury in troubled economic times - seniors.

If you want to get consumer spending happening in Greater Sudbury during this economic downturn then you have to convince seniors to spend money, said John Lindsay, in his report to the priorities committee of city council Wednesday night.

The report, entitled Greater Sudbury Challenges of Aging: Report and Recommendations, outlined why the city needs to take the concerns of seniors seriously.

Lindsay, who represents a group called Friendly to Seniors, said that those over 55 years old control 75 per cent of the wealth in Greater Sudbury.

"We talk about young people and young families and their economic impact. They do have to spend money. Older folks do not have to spend as much as younger citizens. But they have more disposible spending," said Lindsay.

"So if we as a community can tap into that wealth, a lot of which is disposable wealth, then this is where the city can definitely benefit."

If you are older, you have a choice what to with your money. You can pass it onto your children, save it for your declining years, or spend some of it now, said Lindsay.

How can the city benefit? According to Lindsay:

-seniors tend to pay cash for big ticket items like cars or big screen televisions, sometimes even homes which benefits retailers and sellers
-those 65 and up have more savings than the much touted baby boomers just now reaching the age of 60
-only 5 per cent of seniors use transit-if they got free transit during off peak hours and the city received grants to support that, the city could benefit financially by keeping those buses running full
-making it easier for seniors to get around the city increases the potential they will spend money in retail outlets or attend cultural events such as the Sudbury Theatre Centre or art shows

A smart community takes advantage of that golden opportunity to encourage seniors to spend some of their accumulated wealth, said Lindsay. What he is asking city council is to respect what seniors have to offer to the community and make it easier for them to reside in the city and contribute to the economy.

Some of his recommendations for the city:
-promote supportive or transitional housing efforts where seniors are encouraged to stay in their homes as long as possible-sometimes help with household maintenance or snow shoveling is all that is required
-when seniors can no longer maintain homes, ensure housing is there for them catering, to their specific needs such as buildings with elevators, balconies and without stairs
-better informing seniors of what is out there in the community by adding sections to the city's Leisure Guide-arts events pages including arts associations and heritage groups, civic services such as councillors' phone numbers, bus schedules and waste management information, tourist attractions and museum information, and leisure services such as outdoor and indoor facilities information

Councillors applauded the recommendations made by the report.

Ward 5 Coun. Ron Dupuis said it was refreshing to hear doable recommendations included in the report.

"When we have recommendations like this then it helps us formulate a plan of action. As the baby boomers age we need to address transit and housing issues," he said.

Ward 1 Coun. Joe Cimino said he was interested in senior housing in his ward.

"If we can support them in their home longer then that saves us all money. After that they can move to more supportive housing that is safe and secure for them," said Cimino.