Active living
Live an active life. Find programs, services, activities and resources to keep your mind and body strong as you age.
Community activities
This section offers information on how to locate resources, services, activities and libraries in your community.
There are many ways to get involved and take part in cultural, recreational and social activities. Start by contacting your local:
- community and recreation centres
- community museums
- Seniors Active Living Centre program
- Ontario parks
- service clubs, such as Lions Club, Rotary Club, Royal Canadian Legion or YMCA
- cultural centres
- municipal recreation department
- places of worship
Find programs and activities in your area with 211
Use 211 Ontario to find the social services, programs and community supports you need. The phone line operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You will talk to a real person. The service is offered in more than 150 languages.
Get information and referrals to mental health and addiction support.
211 Ontario
Use the site’s search function to find cultural centres, places of worship and other organizations near you.
Visit your public library
Libraries are welcoming, accessible and friendly places for seniors and families. Find your local public library or First Nations Public library.
Libraries:
- lend books and materials
- provide internet access and training
- offer workshops and activities
Discover Seniors Active Living Centre programs
Seniors Active Living Centre programs offer in-person, online and telephone programs that promote health, well-being and connection for older adults. They’re a great way to reduce loneliness and stay active, independent and engaged.
Ontario has over 300 programs across the province. Each provides activities and services to meet your community’s unique needs, including:
- arts and culture programs
- book clubs
- fitness centres 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 program.
Many programs run activities online and over the phone. Some offer Seniors’ Centre Without Walls. The program helps isolated older adults join group activities and connect with others by phone.
Find your nearest Seniors’ Centre Without Walls.
Sports and recreation
This section provides tips about how to increase your physical activity, stay healthy and improve your quality of life.
Regular exercise is an important part of healthy aging. The benefits of staying active include:
- better fitness
- greater strength and flexibility
- sense of wellbeing
Stay active and eat healthy
If you’re an adult aged 65 and up, it’s important for you to get the nutrition you need and be physically active for at least 2.5 hours each week. Learn how to get active and eat well with:
- information and programs from ParticipACTION
- guidelines for staying strong and fit
- 8-week walking program in the physical activity toolkit
- sport clubs (find a club that is a part of a provincial sport organization)
- healthy eating for seniors from Canada’s Food Guide
Take care of your mental health
Staying mentally and socially active is important to your health. You also need to sleep well. Learn more:
- brain health tips to reduce your risk of dementia
- McMaster Optimal Aging Portal
- healthy sleep advice for seniors and the importance of sleep
- programs and services in your area from 211 Ontario, including mental health support and treatment for older adults
- Seniors Active Living Centre program closest to you
- social connections and why they matter
If you need a friendly person to chat with, contact A Friendly Voice. This free, confidential phone line is for Ontarians aged 55 and up. Call
Participate in the Ontario 55+ Games or join the Ontario Senior Games Association
The Ontario 55+ Games are provincial competitions for older adults delivered by Games Ontario. The Games are a celebration of healthy, active living. They offer a fun, friendly opportunity to mix with others and stay active.
The Games host many sports and activities, including badminton, curling, darts, hockey, pickleball, swimming, walking and more. Each Ontario 55+ Games is hosted biennially:
- Ontario 55+ Summer Games, hosted in odd years
- Ontario 55+ Winter Games, hosted in even years
Participation in the Ontario 55+ Games begins with competitions at a local district of the Ontario Senior Games Association. The Ontario Senior Games Association hosts additional opportunities to participate in local district and regional Games.
Ontario Senior Games Association
Enjoy Ontario Parks
You can get discounted camping and day-use fees at Ontario’s provincial parks if you are:
- aged 65 and up
- a person with a physical disability
Veterans and active members of the Canadian Armed Forces who live in Ontario can access provincial parks for free during the day from Monday to Friday (excluding holidays).
Many Ontario parks offer barrier-free facilities, including:
- campsites
- showers
- visitor centres
- washrooms
Use the park locator to search for parks with these facilities.
Many campsites take recreational vehicles (RVs) and offer:
- electrical hook-ups
- dumping stations
Ontario Parks
Go fishing and hunting
You don’t need an Outdoors Card with a fishing licence tag to fish in Ontario if you’re either:
- aged 65 and up
- a Canadian resident with a disability
You must still follow all regulations, including limits on the size and number of fish you can catch and keep.
If you want to hunt in Ontario, you must:
- get an Outdoors Card
- have a valid licence for the species (or group) you are hunting
- carry the licence and any validation tags while you are hunting
- show your licence to a conservation officer, if asked
Outdoors Card Centre
Travel
Find information on travel for older adults.
Travel in Ontario
Seniors get discounted rates and special programs at many Ontario tourist attractions. Connect with an Ontario Travel Information Counsellor to learn about places to visit and plan your trip.
Destination Ontario
Protect your health while travelling
If you have plans to travel to other parts of Canada or internationally, it’s important to plan for the unexpected. Learn about what the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) covers and why it’s important to get private health coverage for your travels in the “Health and well-being” chapter of this guide.
Retire abroad
Are you thinking about retiring in another country? The Government of Canada offers information for people thinking about retiring on a seasonal or permanent basis. This includes information about tax laws, medical care and security.
Global Affairs Canada
Contact form
Email: info@international.gc.ca
Services for newcomers in Ontario
More than half of all immigrant seniors live here in Ontario. There are many programs and services in your local community to support you or your friends.
Help to get settled
Settlement agencies help newcomers and refugees find the services they need to settle and integrate in Ontario. These agencies help newcomers:
- get settled in their community
- find housing
- access English or French classes
- find a job or skills training
- connect to community services like health care and social services
- find an interpreter or translator
Services are free and available in many languages.
Learn more about how to get settled in Ontario and find a settlement agency near you.
Mouvement Ontarien des Femmes Immigrantes Francophones (MOFIF)
This group works to improve life for Francophone immigrant girls and women. They promote the integration and active participation of French-speaking immigrant girls and women in all areas of society.
MOFIF (French only)
Email: contact@mofif.ca
Learn English or French
You can take classes in English or French as a second language (ESL or FSL) in many communities across Ontario:
- If you are a resident of Ontario, you might be eligible for free English or French classes at school boards or other organizations. Classes can help you improve your English or French for everyday life or work. Get information about classes, including eligibility and how to register.
- If you are a permanent resident or protected person, you may be eligible to take the Government of Canada’s free language training program. Learn about and register for the Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC) program.
- Reach out to your local university, community college, private language school or community group to find out about their language classes and how much they cost.
- Learn French and English for free using the Mauril app from CBC/Radio-Canada.
Services for Francophone seniors
If French is your first language, there are services to support you.
Fédération des aînés et des retraités francophones de l’Ontario (FARFO)
This group is the voice for Ontario Francophones aged 50 and up. It aims to:
- develop and coordinate supports for seniors and retirees
- focus on health and long-term care
- prevent elder abuse
- advocate for social housing and French-language services issues
FARFO provides online workshops and activities for older adults.
FARFO (French only)
Contact form
Services for Indigenous seniors
There are many programs and resources to support Indigenous seniors living in Ontario.
Indigenous artists in communities and schools
This grant program is part of the Ontario Arts Council’s Engaging Communities and Schools funding stream Artists in Education Program. It helps Indigenous artists and Elders work with people or community groups on collaborative activities to:
- create meaningful art experiences
- share artistic skills and knowledge
Ontario Arts Council
Email: reception@arts.on.ca
Creating, knowing and sharing
This Canada Council program supports Indigenous:
- people
- groups
- arts organizations
- arts and cultural sector development organizations
Each of these plays a role in promoting a resilient Indigenous arts ecosystem in Ontario. Creating, knowing and sharing acknowledges and respects the:
- cultural sovereignty of Indigenous peoples
- concepts of First Nations, Inuit and Métis self-determination
Canada Council for the Arts
Email: info@canadacouncil.ca
Services for two-spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual + (2SLGBTQIA+) seniors
There are programs and resources to support 2SLGBTQIA+ seniors across Ontario.
Egale
Egale works to improve the lives of 2SLGBTQIA+ people in Canada and enhance the global response to 2SLGBTQIA+ issues. Egale does this through research, education, awareness and legal advocacy to:
- inform public policy
- inspire cultural change
- promote human rights and inclusion
Egale
Contact form
The 519
This downtown Toronto community centre offers programs and services, including the 519 Older 2SLGBTQIA+ Adults program. There’s a weekly drop-in and a monthly book club for men and women over age 50.
The 519
Email: info@the519.org
Senior Pride Network Toronto
The Senior Pride Network Toronto is an association of individuals, organizations and community groups committed to expanding programs and services for 2SLGBTQIA+ people aged 50 and up in Toronto.
Find resources for older 2SLGBTQIA+ communities.
Senior Pride Network Toronto
Email: spntoronto@gmail.com
Services for veterans
The following programs and resources support veterans in Ontario.
Royal Canadian Legion Ontario Provincial Command
The Ontario Command of the Royal Canadian Legion has over 400 branches throughout the province. Legions:
- remember those who gave their lives for freedom
- look after the needs of veterans, their dependents and people serving in the Canadian Forces
Royal Canadian Legion Ontario Command
Email: info@on.legion.ca
Royal Canadian Legion in Northwestern Ontario
The Manitoba and Northwestern Ontario Command of the Royal Canadian Legion includes about 130 branches. Many are in Northwestern Ontario.
Royal Canadian Legion Manitoba and Northwestern Ontario Command
Email: mblegion@mbnwo.ca
The Memory Project
This project tells the stories of Canada’s military participation from the First World War to today. This national bilingual archive houses an excellent collection of:
- oral interviews
- digitized artefacts
- memorabilia
Each tells stories of service and sacrifice. You can join the Memory Project Speakers Bureau to do classroom visits to share your story with students at local schools.
The project is an initiative of Historica Canada.