The Tri-Municipal Region is once again raising awareness of elder abuse this June in honour of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. Residents are encouraged to join the Uproot Abuse campaign to increase awareness of elder abuse and build a strong network to better support seniors in the region.

Community events led by the Tri-Region Elder Abuse (TREA) Coordinated Community Response will be hosted at local libraries on June 15. Events will be hosted at:

• Stony Plain Public Library (5216 50 Street, Stony Plain), 11AM - 2PM
• Spruce Grove Library (35 5 Avenue, Spruce Grove), 11AM - 2PM
• Entwistle Public Library (4916-51 Street, Entwistle), 11AM - 2PM

Each event will include a special opportunity to connect and receive elder abuse resources. Free Uproot Abuse Garden stakes and petunias will also be available for participants to create their own Uproot Abuse awareness gardens. World Elder Abuse Awareness Day comes at a perfect time as the Tri-Region SeniorConnect program also relaunches. This program teaches everyday people who live or work in the community about challenges facing seniors and provides them with the skills to connect at-risk seniors to the supports they need.

“Ensuring seniors are provided with the resources and supports they need to thrive is critical not only for individual health and safety, but also for community well-being,” says Town of Stony Plain Mayor William Choy. “Last year, community members came together to plant nearly 200 Uproot Abuse awareness gardens. The campaign works to honour our elders and demonstrate our community’s commitment to creating safer, more supportive spaces for all.”

“Looking out for one another contributes to a safe and healthy community for everyone” says City of Spruce Grove Mayor Jeff Acker. “It is incredibly important to connect with seniors in our community and learn how to recognize the signs of abuse and who to contact if help is needed.”

“Its vital to work year-round to secure the safety of our seniors in a dignified way, while supporting caregivers with education and resources,” said Parkland County Mayor Allan Gamble. “Seniors are the anchor of our community. Current and future generations can prosper with the foundations seniors have laid for us, and the knowledge they continue to share. By addressing Elder Abuse, this day highlights the importance of our work in growing awareness around the issue, and we can ensure our whole community flourishes together.”

The Uproot Abuse garden project is a joint initiative with TREA members including the Town of Stony Plain, Parkland County, City of Spruce Grove, Stony Plain Public Library, Parkland County Libraries, Spruce Grove Library, and Stony Plain and Wabamun Servus Credit Unions. TREA includes 22 regional stakeholders who work together to address elder abuse through spearheading awareness and education campaigns as well as providing wraparound supports to seniors in the Tri-Municipal Region.

Learn more about World Elder Abuse Day and the Uproot Abuse campaign.