Councillors have second thoughts about senior definition

Just weeks after agreeing to the change, some members of city council have had a change of heart about Greater Sudbury's new definition of who is a senior citizen.

Ward 4 Coun. Evelyn Dutrisac and Ward 5 Coun. Bob Kirwan have filed a notice of motion that would reverse the decision that raised the age to 65 from 55 for eligibility to get discounts on certain city services.

In particular, the switch affected discounts for people who ride Sudbury Transit or who have memberships at city-owned recreational facilities. The move was expected to raise about $150,000 in revenue.

Kirwan and Dutrisac both sit on the city's seniors advisory panel. In an email to Northern Life, Kirwan said they have been hearing from seniors about the impact of the switch.

“These people are now finding their annual cost of 31-day (Sudbury Transit) passes increasing by $408,” Kirwan wrote. “For a couple, that works out to $816 per year for the household.”

One older woman said because she takes the bus to the Howard Armstrong Recreation Centre every day, her costs are going up $525 a year.

“Stories of financial hardships such as this have been pouring in from senior organizations and senior advocates to the members of the Seniors Advisory Panel,” Kirwan wrote.

Reversing the decision “is something that is very important for council to consider if we are going to become a senior friendly city,” he said.

In order for the motion to pass, two-thirds of city council must vote to reverse the decision to change the definition of a senior. The next city council meeting is scheduled for March 8.