Getting Recognized

Last updated on May 13, 2022

If your community has already completed basic steps towards becoming age-friendly, your Indigenous or local government can apply to have your community officially recognized as an Age-friendly British Columbia (AFBC) community.

The following steps are required to apply for Age-friendly BC community recognition:

  • Establish an age-friendly committee or group
  • Pass a local council, district board or band council resolution       
  • Conduct an age-friendly assessment
  • Develop and publish an action plan

Circuits for Seniors class - Getting Recognized

AFBC Recognition Program

The AFBC Recognition Program is designed to recognize success, and encourage and motivate communities to take action towards becoming age-friendly.

Since 2012, 61 communities have received Age-friendly BC community recognition.

By becoming a recognized AFBC community, your community will receive the following benefits:

  • Age-friendly BC recognition digital seal for website and promotional use
  • Promotion of your community’s achievements in the BC Healthy Communities Society website and e-newsletter
  • Automatic eligibility to receive official Pan-Canadian AFC Recognition, endorsed by the Public Health Agency of Canada and the World Health Organization

For information on how to become a recognized AFBC community, see:

The Age-friendly BC Program strives for inclusion of all Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities. The Ministry of Health welcomes the opportunity to discuss an application process for Age-friendly BC recognition that reflects the practices and ways of knowing within a given community.

To apply for recognition go to the:

For more information on Age-friendly BC or the recognition program, please contact the Ministry of Health's Healthy Living and Health Promotion team by:

Related Information

News release:

Read about the actions of B.C. communities that have already taken action to make their communities age-friendly.