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“I am pleased to announce that Trent University will launch a new research Centre for Aging & Society,” said Dr. Neil Emery, vice-president of Research & International at the Seniors Summit held in Trent University’s Great Hall on Thursday, June 27, 2013. The announcement was met with great applause during the Summit that was held as part of Ontario’s Seniors Month celebrations in Peterborough.

Focusing greater attention on issues surrounding the aging population in the City and County of Peterborough and Canada, the creation of Trent University’s Centre for Aging & Society will bring together a multidisciplinary group of research faculty with common interests in aging studies led by Dr. Stephen Katz, professor of Sociology. Areas of research will include Nursing, Psychology, Geography and Culture.

“I want to congratulate Trent University on the creation of this important new research Centre,” said the Honourable Deb Matthews, minister of Health and Long Term Care, who was present for the announcement and provided a keynote address at the summit. “With our population living longer, we need to take steps to ensure our seniors have the best quality of life and can live at home for as long as possible, which is why Ontario's Seniors Strategy is a key part of our Action Plan for Health Care. Trent's research will help us to provide the right care, at the right time and in the right place for our seniors."

Also attending the Summit were the Honourable Jeff Leal, minister of Rural Affairs and Peterborough MPP, Peterborough mayor Daryl Bennett, Peterborough County warden J. Murray Jones and Dr. Neil Emery, Trent University’s vice-president, Research & International.

“Peterborough has the largest per capita population of older adults in Canada, so it makes sense for Trent to take a leadership role on the issue of aging,” said Peterborough MPP Jeff Leal, also in attendance at the summit. “The Centre for Aging & Society will further enhance the University’s world-class reputation as a teaching and research institution.”

Trent Professor of Geography, Dr. Mark Skinner says he was excited when Statistics Canada named Peterborough as Canada’s oldest community, as it fits right into his area of expertise as an internationally-recognized health geographer who specializes in aging communities.

Bringing his expertise into the community, Professor Skinner kicked off the Seniors Summit with a talk entitled, “Aging at Home in Canada’s Oldest Municipality – how we can and must foster volunteer-based community support for seniors.”

Featured recently in Trent’s Showcase Magazine, Prof. Skinner’s work brings him and his students into close contact with the communities they study, ranging from Peterborough and the Kawarthas to other parts of rural Canada, France, Ireland and New Zealand. “Geographers need to go where the populations they are studying live," said Prof. Skinner. "They have to go where the processes they are studying actually take place.” Prof. Skinner is currently principal investigator on a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) funded project “The Transformative Role of Voluntarism in Aging Resource Communities: Integrating People, Place and Community” and he is a co-investigator on a Canadian Institutes of Health (CIHR) funded project “Refining a Decision-Support Model for Siting Palliative Care Services in Rural Canadian Communities.”

 “With the expertise and research capabilities at Trent, I believe we are well positioned to improve the lives of seniors in a variety of different areas,” said Dr. Steven E. Franklin, president and vice-chancellor of Trent University. “The Centre of Aging & Society is an important step forward for the University and I applaud all of those involved in making it a reality.”

About the Seniors Summit

Presented by the Peterborough Seniors Planning Table, the Seniors Summit is a day-long event and dinner dedicated to seniors and some of the issues affecting them. The day featured keynote speakers, including the Honourable Deb Matthews, minister of Health and Long-Term Care, and experts from Trent University. Dr. Mark Skinner presented his talk, “Aging at Home in Canada’s Oldest Municipality – how we can and must foster volunteer-based community support for Seniors.” Professor Skinner is an internationally-recognized health geographer who specializes in aging communities.

Posted on Friday, June 28, 2013.