For the first time ever, senior citizens will outnumber children by 2021, according to new population projections from Statistics Canada.

The estimates, released Wednesday, indicate the population of over-65s will more than double, from 4.7 million in 2009 to between 9.9 million and 10.9 million by 2036. Seniors will surpass children aged 14 and under between 2015 and 2021.

“The ageing of the population is projected to accelerate rapidly, as the entire baby boom generation turns 65 [by 2036],” Statscan said in a release.

Canada’s changing age structure will affect many aspects of society, from health care to pensions. Indeed, Statistics Canada said the ratio of working-age people to seniors would decrease from five to one in 2009 to about 2.5 to one by 2036.

The national statistics agency said seniors would account for between 23 per cent to 25 per cent of the overall population by 2036, nearly double the 13.9 per cent recorded in 2009. As well, the proportion of the population aged 15 to 64 – the traditional work force – would decline from about 70 per cent to 60 per cent.

Most of our children leave school with few social or work skills. They enter a society where there is little or no work for them. They are on track to remain dependent. Those that do leave school with social and work skills find too that there is little or no work for them. So they leave.

The looming crisis for PEI and for the Atlantic provinces that have the most skewed demographics is partly rooted in our education system but has deeper roots in the structure and nature of our economy.

PEI is like Greece. We have given up any part of a productive economy and offer only a Disney like tourism and the state.

We import all our food, our energy and goods. We export our wages, our taxes and our savings.

Add this demographic picture and we are bound to fail.

So what to do?

We have to create a real local economy that is rooted in local food and local energy. This creates real jobs for all. Creates real hope and aspiration that will itself change our education system. That will in turn shift most of our systems to local and real.

Food I think is the starting place. Here is where the work is and the capacity building that we will need to do other things. I see lots of good will and support here from all over the place. We are ready to try some experiments. School is a great place to start - school food - cooking - horticulture - community kitchens - parents. This will be fun and spark other things. All can be part of this.

Heating is another. A Biomass strategy is under way. This is a high employment high return idea. There is $200 millin on the table that we spend on oil to heat our homes. If we shift to heat all institutions this way, we will have built the capacity to do this for all. Schools are a great way to begin and two already are doing this.

School can be changed and we can be changed.