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 excited to announce funding opportunities for organizations hosting Seniors Active Living Fairs. Three options are available: In-Person Single-Site Fair Funding (up to $2,500), Virtual Fair Funding (up to $1,000), and In-Person Multi-Site Fair Funding (up to $2,000 per site, with a maximum of two sites under one administration). To be eligible, organizations must have been in operation for at least one year and either be an OACAO member in good standing or a Government of Ontario-funded SALC operator.

Application forms and guidelines will be available starting January 8, 2025. Deadlines for applications are as follows:

In-Person Single-Site & Virtual Fairs:

    • Deadline #1: Monday, March 3, 2025, at 5 PM EDT (for June–September 2025 Fairs)
    • Deadline #2: Monday, June 2, 2025, at 5 PM EDT (for October 2025–March 16, 2026 Fairs)

In-Person Multi-Site Fairs:

  • Deadline: Thursday, May 1, 2025, at 5 PM EDT (for September 2025–March 16, 2026 Fairs)

For questions please contact the OACAO at info@oacao.org or toll-free at 1-866-835-7693. Stay tuned and visit this page for updates! 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 7, 2025 Seniors Active Fair
Location: Abbotsford Seniors Centre
City/Township: Ottawa
Address: 950 Bank Street
Email contact for information
Phone: 613-230-5730
PDF icon
January 9, 2025 Active Living Fair
Location: Royal Canadian Legion
City/Township: Rainy River
Address: 319 Fourth Street
Email contact for information
Phone: 807-271-3822
PDF icon
January 15, 2025 Older Adult Information & Active Living Fair (55+)
Location: Garnet B. Rickard Recreation Complex
City/Township: Bowmanville
Address: 2440 Highway 2
Email contact for information
Phone: 905-623-3379
PDF icon
January 20, 2025 Seniors’ Active Living Fair: Wellness Edition
Location: The Second Mile Club of Toronto
City/Township: Toronto
Address: 174 Orchard View Blvd
Email contact for information
Phone: 416-5697-0841 ext83620
PDF icon
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
PDF icon
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
PDF icon

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 eighteen years, to coordinate the development and operation of Seniors Active Living Fairs (hereafter referred to as “Fairs”) throughout Ontario. We are launching the 2024 – 2025 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 2024 – 2025:
• 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.

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.