Seniors Active Living Fairs - OACAO

2024-2025 Seniors Active Living Fair Funding Program

The 2024-2025 OACAO Seniors Active Living Fair Host Handbook, created by the OACAO, is a comprehensive guide designed to support organizations in hosting successful in-person and virtual fairs. It provides essential information on planning, marketing, and executing the fairs, including guidelines on accessibility, event programming, eligible expenses, and partnerships. The handbook also offers resources to help hosts create engaging, educational, and accessible events that promote healthy aging and connect seniors with valuable community services. 
Download the 2024-2025 OACAO Seniors Active Living Fair Host Handbook

 

2025-2026 Seniors Active Living Fair Funding Program

We are thrilled to announce funding opportunities for organizations hosting Seniors Active Living Fairs!

Eligibility Criteria

To qualify for funding, your organization must:

Have been in operation for at least one year at the time of application.

AND

Be a:

  • Current OACAO member in good standing
  • OR a Government of Ontario funded Seniors Active Living Centre (SALC) Program operator.

[Please visit: oacao.org/membership/become-a-member/?tab=categories for OACAO membership categories and fees.]

 

Funding Support

Eligible organizations can apply for the following funding options:

  • In-Person Single-Site Fair Funding (up to $2,500)
  • Virtual Fair Funding (up to $1,000)
  • In-Person Multi-Site Fair Funding (under one administration with more than one older adult program site, with each eligible site located at a different physical address) – (up to $2,000 for each eligible site), maximum 2 sites

 

Funding Guidelines

Before applying, please review the funding guidelines to understand eligibility requirements, allowable expenses, and host responsibilities. View Full Funding Guidelines / Lignes Directrices pour le Financement.

 

Applications and Deadlines

In-Person Single-Site & Virtual Fairs Applications 

Deadline #1: Monday, March 3, 2025, at 5 PM EDT (For Fairs held between June–September 2025)

 

Deadline #2: Monday, June 2, 2025, at 5 PM EDT (For Fairs held between October 2025–March 16, 2026)

  • Fillable Applications (coming soon)
  • Online Application (coming soon)

 

In-Person Multi-Site Fairs Application

Deadline: Thursday, May 1, 2025, at 5 PM EDT (For Fairs held between September 2025–March 16, 2026)

 

For questions please contact the OACAO at info@oacao.org or toll-free at 1-866-835-7693.

Funding availability is subject to confirmation from the Government of Ontario

 

Ministry for Seniors and Accessibility – Supports for seniors

 

A Guide to Programs and Services for Seniors 

 

Guide Cover

French Guide Cover

The online Guide to Programs and Services for Seniors version (Fall 2024): https://www.ontario.ca/files/2024-10/msaa-guide-to-programs-services-for-seniors-fall-en-2024-10-14.pdf

La version en ligne du Guide des programmes et services pour les aînés (Automne 2024): https://www.ontario.ca/files/2024-10/msaa-guide-to-programs-services-for-seniors-fall-fr-2024-10-14.pdf

January 22, 2025 Aging Well In Wilmot – Information & Active Living Fair
Location: Wilmot Recreation Complex
City/Township: Baden
Address: 1291 Nafziger Road
Email contact for information
Phone: 519-664-1900
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January 31, 2025 Seniors’ Active Living Fair
Location: Malvern Family Resource Centre
City/Township: Scarborough
Address: 90 Littles Road
Email contact for information
Phone: 416-284-4184
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February 1, 2025 Adult 55+ Active Living Fair
Location: Burlington Seniors’ Centre
City/Township: Burlington
Address: 2285 New Street
Email contact for information
Phone: 905-335-7888
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February 5, 2025 Aging Well in Woolwich: Information & Active Living Fair
Location: Breslau Community Centre
City/Township: Breslau
Address: 100 Andover Drive
Email contact for information
Phone: 519-664-1900
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February 6, 2025 Active Living Health & Wellness Fair
Location: Deauville Place
City/Township: Toronto
Address: 5 Deauville Lane
Email contact for information
Phone: 416-447-7244 ext622
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February 6, 2025 Seniors’ Active Living Fair
Location: The Boys & Girls Club
City/Township: London
Address: 184 Horton Street
Email contact for information
Phone: 519-434-9115
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February 7, 2025 Senior Active Living Health Fair
Location: Community Support Centre of Essex County - Essex Site
City/Township: Essex
Address: 32 Russell Street
Email contact for information
Phone: 519-728-1435
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February 7, 2025 Retire in Style Information Fair
Location: Evergreen Seniors Community Centre
City/Township: Guelph
Address: 683 Woolwich Street
Email contact for information
Phone: 519-822-1260 ext3366
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February 10, 2025 Seniors’ Active Living Fair: Wellness Edition
Location: Kensington Gardens
City/Township: Toronto
Address: 25 Brunswick Avenue
Email contact for information
Phone: 416-597-0841 ext83620
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February 10, 2025 Senior Active Living Fair
Location: Dryden Go-Getters Centre
City/Township: Dryden
Address: 84 St Charles Street
Email contact for information
Phone: 807-223-5937
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February 11, 2025 Health Fair
Location: First Portuguese Canadian Cultural Centre
City/Township: Toronto
Address: 60 Caledonia Road
Email contact for information
Phone: 416-531-9971
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February 20, 2025 Winter Wellness Fair
Location: Putnam Family YWCA
City/Township: Hamilton
Address: 52 Ottawa St. North
Email contact for information
Phone: 905-522-9922 ext. 541
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February 20, 2025 Seniors Active Living Fair
Location: Caledon Seniors Centre
City/Township: Bolton
Address: 7 Rotarian Way
Email contact for information
Phone: 905-951-6114
February 21, 2025 Bien Vieillir Chez Soi: En Sante, Actif et Engage
Location: Rendez-vous des aînés francophones d’Ottawa
City/Township: Orleans
Address: 3349 chemin Navan
Email contact for information
Phone: 613-834-6808
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February 28, 2025 Aging with Confidence, Seniors’ Information and Volunteer Opportunities Fair
Location: The Village at Canadore College
City/Township: North Bay
Address: 100 College Drive
Email contact for information
Phone: 705-498-7662
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Project Overview and Background

The Older Adult Centres’ Association of Ontario (OACAO) has been gratefully partnering with the Ministry for Seniors and Accessibility (MSAA) on a contractual basis, for over nineteen years, to coordinate the development and operation of Seniors Active Living Fairs (hereafter referred to as “Fairs”) throughout Ontario. We are launching the 2025 – 2026 Seniors Active Living Fairs Funding Program and acknowledge funding from the Government of Ontario.

As we focus on reengaging seniors in their community, adaptability in programming approaches has become essential. Many centres have mastered the virtual program delivery model with strong participation from seniors in their communities; others have shifted towards safe in-person program delivery, or a hybrid model, incorporating necessary health measures as required. With this variety of program delivery in mind, and with funding support from MSAA, we are offering the Seniors Active Living Fairs Funding Program in three formats for 2025 – 2026:
• In-Person Single-Site Funding
• In-Person Multi-Site Funding
• Virtual Fairs Funding
There is limited funding available to fund a set number of projects in each funding formats.

In-person and Virtual Fairs, supported by MSAA and OACAO will provide a great public education forum to reintroduce and reconnect seniors to their Senior Active Living Centre, restoring them as vibrant community hubs. The fairs will showcase programs and service delivery models that the centres have planned to strengthen their communities. It is an opportunity to reconnect seniors to SALCs and get them excited about the next chapter in this journey. In-person Fairs will include a Trade Show as an educational component, highlighting local community services to support seniors as well as the government programs available to them.

Ontario’s seniors have made life-long contributions to Ontario. We know that most seniors want to live healthy, independent lives in their own homes and communities. Seniors also want to remain active and be safe and secure, no matter where they call home. In light of this, Fairs will provide opportunities to support the Government of Ontario’s cross-governmental priorities noted below that will improve the lives of seniors and provide the supports and resources to help them:
1. Continue to live at home and in communities
• Supporting seniors with services and care to enable them to continue to live at home and in their communities.
2. Remain healthy, active and socially engaged
• Remaining active and socially engaged is one of the most important things seniors can do to maintain their independence and quality of life as they age.
3. Be safe and secure
• Promoting the rights of seniors and helping them protect themselves from abuse, including scams (for example, telemarketing, Internet scams) and financial exploitation (for example, misuse of a Power of Attorney, fraud).
4. Participate in the labour market and in the economy as they wish
• Seniors have extensive knowledge, experience and skills, and seniors who are active in the labour force, or as a leader or who volunteers in their communities, make important contributions to the economy and society.

The government also recently reiterated their commitment to seniors through the introduction of the Support for Seniors and Caregivers Act, 2024, including a three-year, $114-million suite of initiatives to enhance the quality of life and care for the province’s seniors. Fairs can play a key role in helping seniors across Ontario learn more about financial security and local health and social services and provide opportunities to stay engaged in their community.

What are Seniors Active Living Fairs?

A Seniors Active Living Fair is a public education initiative, developed in partnership between the OACAO and MSAA. Its objective is to increase awareness about available programs and services for seniors and share knowledge about healthy aging and active lifestyles. This reduces seniors’ social isolation, improves their overall health and wellbeing and helps them maintain their independence. The funding provided by MSAA will help inform Ontario’s diverse seniors, their families and care partners, about the benefits of healthy living and the importance of exercise, nutrition, safety and security.