FARO │ MEETING COMMUNITY NEEDS ONE PERSON AT A TIME

Community planning and vision for the future = Universal access and a niche market

Faro is how you might imagine all great cities begin: established on a high point of land, overlooking the river valley below, from east to the western and northern mountain ranges, a history and culture with equal parts business enterprise and artistic spirit, and tenacity to stay ahead of change through progressive education and community planning.

Faro’s resident population stands at 420, spiking to 800+ in spring and summer months with seasonal area mineral exploration. The town itself has an infrastructure to support a much larger population of up 2000 residents – a function of its initial design to support this globally significant mining town when it was established in the late 1960’s. The extensive infrastructure includes a fully developed municipal administration and services with a vested interest in ensuring a sustainable community development plan reflects the current and emerging needs of residents.

Faro is unique in Yukon, in that it boasts the highest proportion of seniors amongst its resident population. A new senior’s facility was recently opened, in part as a response to the growing demand for residential facilities sufficiently modern to extend opportunities for independent living.

Faro is in fact a mature town all manners of speaking, in spite of the fact that it is perhaps one of the youngest municipalities in Yukon. Accommodating the needs of individuals with disabilities is considered the norm – adapting buildings, providing programs as needs be. Much like other rural Yukon communities, there is no overarching strategic plan to deliver a universally accessible community and working environment, but there is an underlying commitment to respond to specific issues and needs as they arise.

In our next blog instalment we will explore some of the insights shared with us when we met with key stakeholders in the community regarding best practice, needs, and suggested innovations for the Yukon Disability Employment Strategy.