What is a Seniors Policy?
A Seniors Policy is a municipal planning tool that helps ensure that the needs and realities of older adults are considered in municipal decisions, services and initiatives.
Hudson’s policy is developed as part of Québec’s Municipalité amie des aînés (MADA) program. The MADA approach encourages municipalities to look at their community through the lens of aging and identify practical ways to create environments that support active aging, participation, safety and quality of life.
The process considers a broad range of areas that can affect daily life, including housing, transportation and mobility, outdoor spaces and municipal facilities, recreation and social participation, communication and access to information, community involvement, safety, and access to services.
Most importantly, the policy and its accompanying action plan are developed with the community. Residents will have opportunities to share their experiences, needs and priorities through consultation activities during the renewal process.
Introducing the members of the Policy Steering Committee
Left to right:
- Ron Goldenburg, Le Pont/Bridging
- Paula Mesa, Meals on Wheels/Manoir Cavagnal
- Laura McCaffrey, Town Administration
- Joanne B. Keilo, resident
- Dr. Serge Gauthier, resident
- Dr. Richard Guy, resident
- Annik Charron, Carrefour Bienveillance 50+
- Robert Johnson, Councillor District 1 and Committee Co-Chair
- Mireille Youssef, resident
- Daren Legault, Councillor District 6 and Committee Chair
- Kate Woolhouse, resident
- Mariève Paradis, Project Manager (Espace Muni)
- Missing: Gay Elliot, Active Seniors, Émilie Morasse, CISSMO.
What does the Steering Committee do?
The Steering Committee plays an important role throughout the project. Working with Town representatives and community partners, committee members will help:
- identify the needs, strengths and challenges experienced by older adults in Hudson;
- review information about Hudson’s population, services and community resources;
- help guide community consultations and consider the feedback received;
- identify priorities for the renewed Seniors Policy;
- contribute ideas and perspectives from different parts of the community; and
- help shape a realistic action plan for the coming years.
The goal is not simply to produce a policy document. It is to identify practical actions that can help make Hudson an even better place to live and age.
Committee mandate
The mandate of the Seniors Policy Steering Committee is to:
- Contribute to the collection of information and the inventory of services and resources.
- Participate in committee meetings and public consultations.
- Validate the community profile and the issues identified by residents.
- Identify the objectives of the policy and potential actions to be included in the action plan.
- Share information with local stakeholders and the community throughout the process.
- Participate in the review and validation of the MADA policy and action plan.
- Act as ambassadors for the MADA process within their respective networks and communities.
Committee composition
The committee is composed of:
- 2 Elected members of Town Council, one of whom is designated as Chair and presides over committee meetings
- 1 Project Manager
- 2 resident-members
- 2 representatives from community organizations serving seniors
- 1 Public Agency representative
- 1 representative from CISSSMO
- 2 representatives from private-sector organizations
- 1 representative of the town administration
- The Mayor, as an ex officio member (non-voting)
Meetings
The committee will meet 6 times over a 12-month period. Meetings will be held on a Tuesday from 1:30 pm to 4:30 pm and will typically last 3 hours. Meetings are held in person at Halcro Cottage (539 Main Road) but can also be held in hybrid format (in-person and virtual) if necessary. Meetings dates are:
- Tuesday, September 22, 2026
- Tuesday, October 20, 2026
- Tuesday, February 9, 2027
- Tuesday, April 6, 2027
- Tuesday, May 11, 2027
- Tuesday, June 1st, 2027
Process
The process of renewing the Seniors Policy and creating a new Action Plan will take approximately 12 months, see the graphic below.
