Record number of Indigenous communities receive 2026 Age-friendly Communities grants
The Province and BC Healthy Communities announce 2026 AFC Program recipients.
BC Healthy Communities (BCHC) and the Province of British Columbia are pleased to announce 26 successful grant recipients under the 2026 Age-friendly Communities (AFC) Program — including 10 Indigenous communities, the highest representation in the program’s history.
Delivered in partnership by the Province and BCHC, the AFC Program supports local and Indigenous governments in building communities where older adults can live independently, safely and with connection. This year’s successful applicants span two funding streams: 15 communities received Stream 1 Planning Grants of up to $25,000, and 11 communities received Stream 2 Project Grants of up to $15,000. Seventeen of the 26 recipients are rural or remote communities.
The AFC Program has supported communities across B.C. since 2007. In 2024, 26 communities received funding, including 13 rural or remote communities and six Indigenous communities. The 2026 cohort marks a significant expansion of Indigenous participation, with 10 First Nations and Tribal Council recipients representing communities from the Fraser Valley to the Central Coast, Vancouver Island to the Northern Rockies. By 2041, over 20 percent of B.C.’s population will be 65 or older – a demographic shift the AFC Program was built to help communities meet.
Apply to Become an Age-friendly BC Recognized Community
BCHC is expanding its role in supporting age-friendly work by taking on delivery of Age-friendly Community (AFC) recognition, which recognizes communities that have completed key steps toward becoming age-friendly.
In addition to applying for AFC grants, communities are encouraged to pursue AFC recognition – a provincial designation for communities that have completed key steps toward becoming age-friendly.
Communities that achieve AFC recognition receive:
- A provincial letter of recognition
- Access to the AFC recognition digital seal/logo
- Provincial nomination for national and international recognition via the Public Health Agency of Canada and the World Health Organization
- Entry into a broader network of age-friendly communities and practitioners
To qualify for AFC recognition, communities must:
- Establish an Age-friendly Committee or Working Group
- Pass a Council/Board/Band Council resolution
- Conduct an age-friendly assessment
- Develop and publish an age-friendly action plan
A practical guide for communities provides step-by-step support for completing the recognition process. To find out more or to apply, please visit Become an Age-friendly Community or connect with us by email at agefriendlybc@bchealthycommunities.ca
About BC Healthy Communities BC Healthy Communities (BCHC) is a provincial non-profit organization that works alongside communities to build the conditions for health and wellbeing. BCHC delivers the Age-friendly Communities Program in partnership with the Province of British Columbia.
For more information about this initiative, please read the Ministry of Health news release.