The decline in seniors' health is not only an emotional drain but a financial one as well. That's more than half the country's gross domestic product. There may be ways out of the problem, but they will be controversial. Demographers suggest immigration is one way to increase the number of younger people who could support the aging population. The 1998 Canada Year Book says that two-thirds of immigrants are younger than the baby boomers.
Young immigrants pay taxes to support heath care and pension plans.
Baxter is executive director of the Vancouver-based research firm Urban Futures Institute. He says Canada lacks a policy focused on keeping a certain proportion of the population young. We're on the bow of the Titanic, but we're not looking at the iceberg out there. Experts suggest there are steps that can be taken to help make the transition to a country where the burden to support the elderly gets heavier and heavier. A mix of options to allow healthy seniors to stay on the job past 65.