Toronto's social landscape

The number of seniors living in Toronto (and across the country) is growing by leaps and bounds, raising important questions for the public and non-profit sectors regarding the funding of seniors services and the capacity of these sectors to meet seniors' needs. [...] The City of Toronto projects that the number of seniors living in Toronto will increase by 42% between 2001 and 2031, comprising 17% of the total population by 2031 (City of Toronto, Social Development, Finance and Administration Division, 2008). [...] Questions regarding the well-being and potential social isolation of seniors are particularly pertinent for Toronto with its higher proportions of seniors living alone (26.9% of all seniors compared to 22.6% in the Toronto CMA and 25.7% in Ontario). [...] In the city of Toronto where 47% of residents are members of racialized groups, the word minority gives a false impression of the size of this population. [...] A consistent pattern emerged across all three geographic areas, showing the largest percentage increases in the seniors populations, 65 years of age and older, followed by working age adults, and then children and youth with the smallest percentage increases (or decrease in the case of the city of Toronto).