She fought to save the N.L. seniors' advocate office. Now she's retiring
CBC
Susan Walsh — a public servant with more than 35 years experience, including the last four years as Newfoundland and Labrador's seniors' advocate — has mixed emotions as she heads into retirement.
On one hand, she said, she'll get to spend more time with her family and her own aging parents. On the other, she'll miss being a voice for seniors in a province where they can often be left behind.
Walsh took over the position in 2022, after it had been vacant for more than a year. She said she heard rumblings the provincial government was going to axe the job entirely, and decided to apply.
“I knew what needed to be done so I threw my hat in the ring," she said.
Her goal was to make sure nobody could consider closing the office again, so she set off on a road trip to meet seniors across the province. Walsh went to more than 70 communities, meeting with thousands of seniors and taking note of their concerns and priorities.
When she got out into the communities, she said she was surprised to find out how few people knew that her job even existed.
“I couldn’t believe that so many folks throughout Newfoundland [and] Labrador had no idea there was an office of the senior’s advocate and what they did," she said. "And you know what? I really understand it because we were four people in a small, little office in St. John’s. So how would they know?”
Looking back, Walsh said she believes her work was a success and she feels comfortable walking away now, knowing the office is on solid ground.
But there's still more work to be done.
"I think for the most part, we’re not there. We're not finished," she said. "But I’ve succeeded in what I set out to do and it’s made a difference.”
Aging at home remains the biggest concern Walsh has for seniors in the province, especially those in rural communities.
“The critical element that’s really missing is we’re not supporting people in their communities,” she said. “We want to support seniors and seniors want to stay in their communities. They want to age well in the right place, and we’re not supporting communities.”
She hopes to see the next advocate pick up that issue and run with it.
Walsh said she's proud of many accomplishments in her career, including the statutory review of workers' compensation legislation that led to presumptive cancer coverage for volunteer firefighters.
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