SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
The president of the Yellowknife Seniors' Society isn't surprised nearly half of those intending to retire over the next four years do not plan to stay in the city.

Merlyn Williams, president of the Yellowknife Seniors Society, said he and many other seniors aren't planning to leave town, but a lack of long-term care facilities in the city could be one reason nearly half of those retiring plan to sometime in the next four years . - NNSL file photo Why do you plan to move when you retire? High cost of living: 60 per cent Weather (too cold): 37 per cent Be closer to family: 23 per cent Taxes are too high: 5 per cent Not originally from here: 4 per cent Own property elsewhere: 3 per cent Lack of services for seniors: 2 per cent Travel is expensive: 2 per cent Other: 13 per cent Source: Community survey 2014

"Some people might find it burdensome financially (to stay)," said Merlyn Willams.

Williams echoes a statistic found in a 2014 Ipsos Reid survey, commissioned by the City of Yellowknife as part of its community survey. Of those intending to retire over the next five years, 47 per cent intend to leave, 45 per cent intend to stay and nine per cent are undecided, it shows.

It further found the number-one reason cited by those planning to fly the coop is the high cost of living, reported by 60 per cent of respondees. This is followed by cold weather, at 37 per cent, and to be closer to family at 23 per cent.

"It's not affordable to live here anymore," he said.

"We do have higher cost for utilities, for power and there's a lack of seniors' housing."

City councillor Linda Bussey told Yellowknifer she has no intention to leave the city but has watched numerous friends pack up all their belongings and head south.

"I have six friends that have left in the last 12 months," said Bussey. "And I can tell that within the next year, I will have more close friends leaving."

One of those friends is Gabriela Eggenhofer ­ former deputy minister for the Department of Education, Culture and Employment.

Eggenhofer and her husband fall in the category of those moving to be closer to family. She told Yellowknifer they moved to Ottawa to be closer to her daughter.

For her, leaving the territory had nothing to do with services for seniors. In fact, she said, it's actually been much harder for her to find a doctor now that she's living in a big city than it was when she lived in the North.

But after more than 20 years in the city, she and her husband were on the lookout for something new.

"We were ready for a new adventure," she said.

The NWT's population has increased only marginally over the last decade, with an estimated increase of 687 people between 2005 and 2015. The significance of this is that the territorial government gets federal transfer payments of $35,000 per person, based on population.

But Williams says the territorial government has failed to make seniors a priority.

"They always say we don't have enough money," he said.

"There are lots of senior citizens in this town."

"We don't kick the bucket as much as often as we used to" - Merlyn Williams

In Williams' mind, the shortfall in long-term care beds is a factor in the planned retiree exodus.

Currently, Avens ­ A Community for Seniors has 57 occupied beds, a waiting list of 20 to 40 names and is looking for private funding to help complete a 31-bed expansion.

Mary Murphy House, the city's other seniors' home has 16 beds. Last November, Yellowknifer was told the waiting list was 180 people long.

"There's not a lot of accommodation for them ... Seniors are living longer; we don't kick the bucket as often as we used to," said Williams.

From 57-year-old Rod Kirkwood's perspective, "there's a lot of people who are sticking around that I can tell."

The senior architect and his wife are moving to Pender Island, B.C., where he will continue to work for Stantec.

"About seven years ago I gave the partnership an idea of our timeline of wanting to move south," he said.

"It's really difficult to leave. I love it up here," he said.

The decision is part of the couple's long-term plan, he said, adding he expects the city's long-term-care bed shortage to be addressed.

"One assumes that's going to be addressed somehow," he said.

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