The Aging Population In Canada

One news headline today is hardly news. An aging population is changing Canada.

Where was the federal government 25 years ago when it was crystal clear that starting about now Canada would become a nation of seniors?  It was around 1984 that reports like the one recently released by Infrastructure Canada needed to be drawn up. Governments and business routinely think in terms of decades, and even centuries. Why this one seemed to get away from our leading elite is a bit of a mystery.  The report finds that no part of infrastructure will be left untouched by the needs of the increasing number of retiring and aging baby boomers.

The report mentioned is titled Population Aging and Public Infrastructure: a Literature Review of Impacts in Developed Countries.

The report is available in PDF format and deals with the following issues:

Canada faces significant demographic shifts in its population as the proportion of seniors increases at a higher rate than any other age cohort for the first time in its history. This demographic shift will have significant consequences on a wide range of issues that affect all Canadians. The effects of aging demographics will impact demand for health services, labour markets, public finances, and the provision of public infrastructure.

Another useful website to explore on these aging population issues is the About Canada website on Aging.  It highlights some of the questions we all should be asking.

A Canadian born in 1960, for example, can expect to live 20 years longer than a Canadian who was born in 1900. Meanwhile birth rates have declined, so that a growing proportion of the population is over 65. By the year 2031, approximately 20% of Canada’s population – one in five – will be seniors. This fact has important consequences for Canadian society. Who are these older Canadians? What are their roles in society? What are their needs? How will they be taken care of?

It is surprising that there is not enough discussion about these matters given the increasing number of aging baby boomers.  Although British Columbia is the province most affected, this aging population issue must be addressed in all provinces of Canada.

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