Networks and partnerships in a resource town: A case study of adapting to an aging population in Mackenzie, B.C.

Adapting to an aging population has become a priority for communities in Canada's resource hinterland, as seniors require specific infrastructure and services to allow them to age-in-place. The ways in which each community responds to these emerging needs is unique and place-specific. In an atmosphere of economic and welfare restructuring, the perceptions of population aging and its implications from those involved in local governance are explored in a case study of Mackenzie, a remote forestry-based community in Northern BC. This study analyzed qualitative data from 33 key informant interviews across the public, private and voluntary sectors between May and June 2005. These data provided valuable insights into three research questions guiding the thesis: how local leaders frame issues of population aging, their perceptions of the allocation of responsibilities for meeting seniors' needs, and experiences and impressions of working together to accomplish collective action. Overall, the interview results suggested that adapting to an aging population in Mackenzie will take time as local leaders are operating in a context of change influenced by economic and social restructuring. What is apparent from this study is that local leaders are well situated to address community issues through their networks and partnerships that draw on social capital and social cohesion when working together.--P.ii.