Upwards of 200 people filled the ballroom of the Coast High Country Inn this morning as the Yukon government began the first portion of an initiative that will look at aging in the territory.

The Summit on Aging in the Yukon today was the first piece of a public engagement process that will continue into November. It will include surveys, sessions in Yukon communities and meetings with groups and individuals.

A larger plan will see the government engage with residents of continuing care facilities and home care clients; First Nations and municipal governments; and Yukon government employees who work directly with older adults.

A “What We Heard” document will then be drafted and available in the new year that will help inform how the government moves forward, the large crowd was informed.

As Health and Social Services Minister Pauline Frost said, the summit is a result of the concerns that have come in to her office.

Seniors want a voice in the future of the Yukon, Frost told the audience, and she and other government officials were there today to listen.

The government, the minister said, is open to feedback. It’s looking at the “here and now and what we need to do in the future,” Frost said.

“I know we have a long way to go,” she said, stressing the importance of a continuum of care “in the right place at the right time” for Yukon seniors.

Being from Old Crow, Frost said she knows first-hand the importance and challenges faced by those who want to age in their community when there aren’t a lot of services available.

Frost also stressed the importance of having the knowledge of elders passed down to the next generation, something she learned early on, as she had the privilege of being raised by her grandmother.

Frost also acknowledged the work that will continue.

She highlighted some of the efforts already underway, including resources that have been put in place so that those faced with lengthy hospital stays can have supports in place that will enable them to live at home.

“Hospitals are not a place for us to age,” she told the delegates.

A funding program available through the Yukon Housing Corp. (which Frost is also the minister responsible for) allows older Yukoners to modify their homes to meet needs as they age.

Frost also cited the ongoing construction of the $150-million, 150-bed continuing care facility in Whistle Bend, noting it is on schedule to open this fall.

The government is continuing its efforts for aging Yukoners (and, as it was noted throughout the opening, everyone is aging), Frost said.

She added she is hopeful today’s session and ongoing engagement events will result in positive initiatives for the territory in the future.