MoneySense Magazine has only confirmed what many seniors already knew — Salmon Arm is a great place to spend your golden years.
The Shuswap has an wonderful climate, good access to doctors, an excellent hospital for a community of its size and a relatively low crime rate. What the survey doesn’t show is that there are also plenty of ways for seniors to enjoy their retirement. There’s top-notch golf courses, tennis, walking trails and bird-watching. The seniors centres in town also offer a wide range of activities designed to keep seniors healthy and entertained, as well as make precious social connections.
While Salmon Arm is justifiably pursuing opportunities to enhance the offerings at Okanagan College and attract students into the community for the economic benefits that brings, the city should not forget that attracting retirees comes with its own economic payoffs.
The city has many things to offer seniors, but other areas of improvement would be in trying to work with developers on creating additional housing options, especially in the rental housing market. Ensuring quality transit would be another key piece to drawing in seniors.
Salmon Arm’s demographics show an aging population, so why not cater to that market and actively market our city to other retirees from Alberta, Saskatchewan and the Lower Mainland?
It would be wise to direct our economic development dollars to enhance an area where the city already has developed an enviable reputation.
