The Municipality of St.-Charles is a beautiful, rural, touristic and agricultural northern community and home to approximately 550 adults age 50 and older, accounting for 43% of the population. (Statistics Canada, 2016).
At the September 2016 visioning workshop for an age-friendly community, we founded our vision, “St.-Charles is an age-friendly, caring community that values the diverse needs of all ages while supporting independence and respecting dignity”.

The St.-Charles Age-Friendly Advisory Committee members include representation from health services, senior support organizations, senior social club services, municipal council and public at large. Supportive committees include the Sudbury East Safety Coalition and the Sudbury East Community Drug Strategy Committee. The terms of reference are approved by Council whereby the committee members are re-assigned and/or elected every two years.

On March 26, 2018, the Municipality of St.-Charles received the “Ontario Age-Friendly Community (AFC) Recognition Award”. This award has been established to celebrate the accomplishments of Ontario communities that are striving to become age-friendly and to show case promising practices across the province.
The St.-Charles Age-Friendly Advisory Committee has been reviewing, implementing, planning, evaluating and prioritizing many items from the age-friendly action plan. Priorities for 2019 includes transportation, housing, communication, information, community support and health services age-friendly dimensions. The committee has assisted with the successful application and support letters for the local church renovation accessibility and the Municipality’s website AODA friendly development grants.

An Age-Friendly community is one that ensures aging residents at all levels of ability are supported, respected and encourage to participate in community life.