It is your right and your responsibility to speak up for yourself as well as others. If you are experiencing a problem, chances are others are experiencing that very same problem. Working towards better Handivan services, for instance, not only benefits yourself but also others, thereby strengthening the community in which you live. The survival of rural communities in Manitoba depends on their ability to meet the needs of senior citizens. All over Canada, a growing proportion of the population is over 55.
Northern communities are generally younger than communities in the south.
In the past, frontier towns like Thompson and The Pas were made up of young, pioneer families. Now there is a significant percentage of people in these communities who are in their senior years - people who have spent their adult life in the North and who wish to retire in the North. To allow them to do this, however, northern communities must become more accommodating to a senior population. Many Manitoba seniors choose to live in rural and northern areas and this is where they wish to remain. But as the population continues to age, shortages of services or resources presently existing in remote areas are going to become even more critical.