Today's census data shows that Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick may have the highest proportions of people aged 85 and over in Canada in the next two decades.

The figures indicate that seniors aged over 85 could make up more than six percent of the population in the three Atlantic provinces by 2043.

By comparison, Statistics Canada says that seniors aged 85 and over currently make up 2.3 percent of Canada's total population, although they represent one of the fastest-growing age groups in the country.

Healthcare researchers such as Dr. Samir Sinha, Director of Geriatrics at Sinai Health in Toronto, say that the Atlantic provinces should focus on helping seniors age in their communities rather than investing in long-term care beds.

Sinha said in an interview that community members such as paramedics and postal workers can be trained to regularly check on elderly community members to ensure they are safe and not lonely.

Simone MacDonald, a twelfth-grade student, is one of only four school-age youths in the town of Macaulay, and she says she hopes to return to her town as a healthcare worker after completing nursing studies.