Community activities

There are many ways to learn about cultural, recreational and social activities in your community.

You can begin by contacting your local:

211

Get information and referrals to community, government, social and health services, including mental health resources, across Ontario.

Click on the magnifying glass in the top right and use the site’s search function to find cultural centres, places of worship and other organizations near you.

Public libraries

Ontario’s extensive public and First Nations library services provide many services to seniors and their families in a welcoming, accessible and friendly environment. Along with lending books and other material, libraries provide Internet access and training, reference material and workshops.

Ontario Library Services

Seniors Active Living Centres

Seniors Active Living Centre programs offer social, cultural, learning and recreational programs for seniors. By promoting wellness, social connections and education, these programs can help reduce social isolation and help seniors stay active, independent and engaged.

There are almost 300 programs across the province. Each centre provides different programs to meet the unique needs of local residents, including:

  • arts and culture programs
  • book clubs
  • fitness centre and classes
  • health and wellness services
  • lifelong learning classes
  • multicultural social groups
  • recreation and leisure activities
  • special events
  • travel

Find your local Seniors Active Living Centre.

In response to COVID‑19, many centres are running activities online and over the phone. For example, some centres offer Seniors’ Centre Without Walls, a program that helps isolated seniors take part in group activities and connect with others in their community over the phone.

Older Adult Centres’ Association of Ontario

Sport and recreation

There are many health benefits of being physically active, including improved fitness, strength and well-being. Regular exercise is an important part of healthy aging. Get tips about how you can increase your physical activity, maintain good health and improve your quality of life with the information below.

Staying healthy and active

It is recommended that adults ages 65 or over get 150 minutes of physical activity per week. Learn more about:

Staying mentally and socially engaged is also key to good overall health along with a healthy diet and a good night’s sleep. Learn about:

Ontario senior games

Also known as the Ontario 55+ summer games and the Ontario 55+ winter games, the Ontario senior games include multi-event provincial competitions for older adults with the opportunity to increase social interaction, and maintain and enhance physical and mental well-being through participation in recreational activities and sports. These games allow adults 55 years and older to interact in an environment that celebrates a healthy and active lifestyle.

Ontario Seniors Games Association

Ontario Parks

Ontario’s provincial parks offer reduced camping and day-use fees to seniors 65 years or older and to persons with physical disabilities. Many Ontario parks offer barrier-free facilities, including showers, washrooms, campsites and visitor centres. The Park Locator at Ontario Parks allows visitors to search for parks with barrier-free facilities. Many campsites accommodate recreational vehicles and may also provide electrical hook-ups and trailer dumping stations.

Fishing and hunting

If you’re over 65 years of age or a Canadian resident with a disability, you are not required to obtain an Outdoors Card with a fishing licence tag to fish in Ontario. However, you must still follow all regulations, including catch and possession limits. If you wish to hunt in Ontario, you are required to obtain an Outdoors Card and you must have a licence valid for the species or group of species you are hunting. You are required to carry the licence and any validation tags while you are hunting and show the licence to a Conservation Officer if asked to do so.

Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry
Outdoors Card Centre

Travel

Travelling in Ontario

Many of Ontario’s tourist attractions offer discounted rates for seniors, while some offer programs with seniors in mind. Visit an Ontario Travel Information Centre to learn more about Ontario’s attractions and to customize an itinerary based on your interests.

Destination Ontario

Travelling outside Ontario or Canada

If you are temporarily away from Ontario or Canada, OHIP may cover all or a part of your health care costs. If you are travelling outside of Ontario but within Canada and pay for health services, submit an OHIP claim for reimbursement by filling out the Out of Province/Country Claims Submission form, treatment statement and proof of payment to the OHIP Claims Office within 12 months of the date you received service or treatment.

If you are travelling outside of Canada, OHIP will pay a set rate for emergency hospital and physician services for an acute, unexpected condition, illness, disease or injury that requires immediate treatment. To cover medical charges not paid for by OHIP, you should purchase private health insurance for all trips outside of Ontario and Canada.

If you are enrolled in the Ontario Drug Benefit program and you’re planning to travel outside Ontario, you may be able to get a larger supply of prescription drugs, but you can only do this once during the Ontario Drug Benefit program year – between August 1 and July 31. Keep in mind that prescriptions filled outside Ontario are not covered by the Ontario Drug Benefit program.

Here’s how it works:

  • if you have a supply of less than 30 days, you can get a travel supply of up to 200 days
  • if you have a supply of more than or equal to 30 days, you can get a 100-day supply

To get your travel supply, give your pharmacist either:

  • a letter (that you can write yourself) confirming you’re leaving the province for more than 100 days, or
  • a copy of your travel insurance policy showing you’re leaving the province for between 100 and 200 days

You have to pay the deductible or co-payment amount for the extra supply.

ServiceOntario

To learn more about OHIP or the Ontario Drug Benefit Program, please see the health and well-being section of this guide.

Retirement abroad

The federal government offers information and tips, for people thinking about retiring in another country either on a seasonal or permanent basis. This includes information about tax laws, medical care and security.

Enquiries Service - Global Affairs Canada

Volunteering

The Life Institute

The Life Institute helps adults 50 plus pursue their passion for lifelong learning through a wide range of educational courses and activities offered through continuing education at Toronto Metropolitan University. There are a range of volunteer opportunities available, whether you are interested in teaching or becoming a class host, helping out with administrative work, event planning or working on a committee.

Ontario Trillium Foundation

The Ontario Trillium Foundation invests in projects to make a positive impact in communities across the province. The Foundation relies on volunteers’ local knowledge and expertise to provide transparent assessments of grant applications received from across Ontario.

If you want to apply for a volunteer position or learn more about the current Grant Review Teams, email volunteersupport@otf.ca.

Ontario Volunteer Centre Network

This organization helps to bring volunteers and agencies together and acts as the provincial voice for volunteer centres in Ontario.

Red Cross

The Canadian Red Cross offers a wide range of volunteer opportunities, from helping during emergencies and disasters, to sitting on committees or providing customer service and office support.

United Way

Volunteers can contribute time, expertise and talent to help improve their community. To find the volunteer opportunity that is right for you, please contact your local United Way.

Volunteer Canada

This bilingual, non-profit organization promotes volunteerism across Canada by encouraging community participation and recognizing volunteer efforts.

If you would like to volunteer to help others complete their tax returns, consider the Community Volunteer Income Tax Program run by the Canada Revenue Agency. Please see the finances section of this guide for more information.

Ontario Corps

Ontario Corps harnesses the goodwill and civic pride of Ontarians by pooling volunteers to help communities during emergencies and supports emergency volunteer response efforts by partnering with:

  • provincial ministries
  • municipalities
  • First Nations
  • non-governmental organizations (NGOs)
  • community groups

To register to volunteer, you must:

  1. create an account
  2. complete your profile
  3. complete the criminal record check
  4. complete training

Recognizing seniors’ contributions

Congratulatory messages

Awards honouring seniors

The Honours and Awards Secretariat manages Ontario’s medal and recognition programs, as well as special commemorations and celebrations.

Provincial awards honouring seniors include:

  • Senior Achievement Award recognizing Ontarians over the age of 65 who have made outstanding contributions in any field.
  • Senior of the Year Award is given by a municipality in Ontario to an individual over the age of 65 who has enriched the social, cultural or civic life of the community.

Annual events

Don’t forget to mark these special dates in your calendar.

  • Seniors Month, celebrated every June in Ontario, is a time to recognize the many contributions seniors have made in communities across the province.
  • National Seniors Day, celebrated on October 1st, honours seniors who have helped build our country and continue to make valuable contributions to society. Celebrating Canada’s Seniors Act
  • International Day of Older Persons, also celebrated on October 1st, is a United Nations designated day recognizing the significant contributions of seniors around the world.

Services for newcomers

Ontario is home to the largest percentage of immigrant seniors in Canada. If you are an immigrant senior, there are many programs and services that may be offered in your local community.

Newcomer settlement program

Through this program, provincial funding is provided to community agencies that help newcomers settle and integrate in Ontario. These community agencies help newcomers connect with language, job training and community services, such as health care. Services are free and are often available in multiple languages.

Learn more about moving to and settling in Ontario.

Mouvement Ontarien des Femmes Immigrantes Francophones (MOFIF)

MOFIF works to improve life for Francophone immigrant girls and women and promote their integration and active participation in all areas of society.

Settlement.Org

This website offers information and resources to help newcomers settle in Ontario. Topics include employment, education, housing, health care and recreation. Some of this information is available in multiple languages.

Learning English or French

Classes in English or French as a Second Language (ESL/FSL ) are offered through local school boards. A wide range of training is available, from beginner to more advanced levels. Some school boards offer classes specifically for seniors. For more information, contact your local school board.

Learn about language training for your job, education and language support for children and youth at school.

The Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC) program is funded by the federal government. To find a free LINC class near you, contact a local immigrant-serving organization or Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. You must be a permanent resident of Canada to be eligible for this program.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada

Some universities, community colleges, private language schools and community organizations offer language classes, as well. Contact these groups directly for more information.

For Francophone seniors

The Fédération des aînés et des retraités francophones de l'Ontario (FARFO)

FARFO is the voice for Francophones age 50+ in Ontario. It works to develop and coordinate supports for seniors and retirees, with a focus on health and long-term care, prevention of elder abuse, social housing and issues related to French-language services. FARFO also offers a variety of online workshops and activities for older adults.

For Indigenous seniors

Indigenous artists in communities and schools

This program is part of the Ontario Arts Council’s Artists in Education Program. It helps Indigenous artists and Elders to work with individuals or groups of people from a community on collaborative activities that create a meaningful arts experience and transmit artistic skills and knowledge.

Ontario Arts Council

Creating, knowing and sharing

Creating, knowing and sharing acknowledges the cultural sovereignty of Indigenous peoples and respects the concepts of First Nations, Inuit and Métis self-determination. This program supports Indigenous individuals, groups, Indigenous-led arts organizations and arts/cultural sector development organizations that foster a vital and resilient Indigenous arts ecosystem.

Canada Council for the Arts

For Two-spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual + (2SLGBTQIA+) seniors

Egale

Egale works to improve the lives of 2SLGBTQIA+ people in Canada and to enhance the global response to 2SLGBTQIA+ issues. It is working to achieve this by informing public policy, inspiring cultural change, and promoting human rights and inclusion through research, education, awareness and legal advocacy.

The 519

This downtown Toronto community centre offers a wide range of programs and services, including the 519 Older 2SLGBTQIA+ Adults program, which offers a weekly drop-in program and a monthly book club for men and women over the age of 50.

Senior Pride Network Toronto

This network is an association of individuals, organizations and community groups that are committed to expanding programs and services for 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals aged 50+ in Toronto. There are also resources available for older 2SLGBTQIA+ people with information about programs and services.

For veterans

Royal Canadian Legion (RCL) Ontario Provincial Command

The Ontario Command of the RCL has over 400 branches throughout the province. Legions focus on remembering those who gave their lives for freedom and look after the needs of veterans, their dependents and those still serving in the Canadian Forces.

Royal Canadian Legion (RCL) Manitoba and Northwestern Ontario Command

The Manitoba and Northwestern Ontario Command of the RCL comprises approximately 130 branches, many of which are located in Northwestern Ontario.

The Memory Project

An ongoing initiative from Historica Canada, The Memory Project chronicles Canada’s military participation from the First World War to the modern era. This national bilingual archive houses an unprecedented collection of oral interviews, digitized artefacts and memorabilia that tell our stories of service and sacrifice. If you would like to join the Veterans’ Speakers Bureau, the Institute will coordinate classroom visits for you to share your story with students at local schools.

The Historica-Dominion Institute