Seniors 55 years and over are the fastest growing demographic in Richmond, currently making up 35 per cent of the population (2021 Census). Richmond residents also live longer than most Canadians, with an average life expectancy of 86.8 years, higher than both provincial and national averages.

The City of Richmond has a long-standing commitment to supporting seniors through coordinated policies, planning and services that promote healthy and active aging. Over the past two decades, City Council has endorsed a series of strategic plans, including

• Older Adults Service Plan (2008–2012)
• Seniors Service Plan (2015–2020)
• Age-Friendly Assessment and Action Plan (2015–2020)
• Dementia-Friendly Community Action Plan (2019)
• Richmond Seniors Strategy (2022–2032)

These plans collectively guide the City’s efforts to create supportive environments and services for seniors. These plans reflect a consistent focus on ensuring older residents are safe, respected, connected and able to live independently. In 2015, Richmond was recognized as an Age-Friendly BC Community by the Province of British Columbia’s Ministry of Health, emphasizing the City’s leadership in integrating age-friendly principles into municipal planning and service delivery.

Building on this foundation, the City launched the Engaging Seniors in Age-Friendly Planning project in 2019 to embed age-friendly principles at the neighbourhood level. Through this project, diverse seniors are engaged to identify local strengths and barriers to aging in place, guided by the World Health Organization’s eight age-friendly domains. Feedback from these groups has provided valuable input to help ensure that the City’s neighbourhood-level planning reflects the experiences and priorities of Richmond seniors.

The City further advances age-friendly initiatives by implementing strategic actions through municipal planning processes and delivering programs and services in partnership with non-profit Community Associations and Societies.