By 2030, the youngest members of the baby boomers generation will turn 65.
According to a recent report by Statistics Canada, 23.6 per cent, or almost one-quarter, of this country's population will be over the age of 65 by the time the calendar hits that year. In Ontario alone, 4.2 million members of the population will be seniors.
It's a demographic shift that is expected to have a profound effect on Canadian society. In particular, the cost of healthcare is expected to skyrocket with so much of the population reaching a critical age. The time to prepare for this shift is now.
On Friday, the Government of Ontario announced a new five year, $23.5-million investment in to the Baycrest Health Sciences facility at Bathurst and Baycrest. The $23.5-million will go towards the creation of the new Canadian Centre for Aging and Brain Health Innovation.
With this investment, the provincial government says it hopes to create a new national hub for the development of technologies, products and resources that help people maintain their cognitive, emotional and physical well-being well in to their twilight years.
In a statement issued to Yonge Street, Premier Kathleen Wynne, said of the centre, "our investment in this centre will allow new advances in brain research and care, cementing Ontario's position as an innovation leader and ensuring that people can continue to lead healthy lives as they age."