A Society for all Ages!

For a few years experts, seniors and youth groups, social movements and citizens have been recommending that we start a medium and long term collective thinking process about the objective dimensions as well as the social and cultural impacts of the ageing population in Québec.

It is, so to speak, about creating a vision for Québec society to emerge as a “Society for all Ages”.

Several factors explain the importance of this social debate; they become the themes of the proposed discussion.

Solidarity between Generations

1. Increasing life expectancy is advancing quickly and can now allow five generations to live together, but dialog between them is difficult if not nonexistent. Yet, it is the very base of life in society and of solidarity. This phenomenon could be an opportunity for a thorough thinking process on:

• Our ways of living together;

• The renegotiation of the relation of solidarity between generations;

• New ways of conceiving life paths;

• Ageing and end of life ethics.

Ageing is an Opportunity

2. Quebecers live older and their good health lasts longer. These facts are ignored too often. Stubborn prejudices give the impression that seniors are a burden on society and government finances while in reality the majority of them keep active for many years. It is essential to overcome this vision of things and to:

• Promote active ageing;

• Encourage a greater respect towards seniors;

• Mobilize community organizations, associations and municipal organizations to this effect;

• Encourage seniors’ mobilization and their active citizenship as well as their contribution to the development of society.

New Requirements

3. Collective ageing will create new requirements that will influence many different situations, including:

• Urban planning and housing;

• Transportation;

• Health care;

• Workplace;

• Lifelong access to education;

• Public safety;

• Proximity services;

• Governance;

• etc.