Ontario Creating New Seniors’ Centre in Brampton Helping Seniors Stay Healthy, Active, Independent and Socially Connected

Ontario is creating more spaces and programs to help seniors stay healthy and active by supporting 40 new seniors’ centres across the province.

The new centres’ will help to better meet the needs of Brampton’s seniors’ population, and will offer social, cultural, learning and recreational programming.

These new centres will add to the existing network of 263 Elderly Persons Centres across Ontario that serve more than 100,000 people. A call for proposals will be issued in early fall 2017 to move forward with the new centres.

Ontario recently passed legislation that, once proclaimed, will rename these centres as Senior Active Living Centres — rather than Elderly Persons Centres — to better reflect the vibrant, diverse and active seniors across the province. This legislation will also help the centres better respond to community needs, build strong partnerships, strengthen their services and act as community hubs.

Supporting healthy, active seniors across the province is part of our plan to create jobs, grow our economy and help people in their everyday lives.

QUOTE

“Ontario will create more spaces and programs that will assist seniors engage in healthy activities and continue to stay active. The new centres and hundreds of programs available throughout Brampton will provide seniors with the resources they need to stay healthy in their daily lives at seniors’ centres in Brampton and across the province.”
— Harinder Malhi, MPP, Brampton-Springdale

“Creating 40 new seniors’ centres across Ontario will help to improve services for seniors who may be vulnerable, including those living in multicultural, Indigenous and rural communities.”
— Dipika Damerla, Minister of Seniors Affairs

QUICK FACTS

• Ontario is investing an additional $8 million over the next three years, allowing for 40 new EPCs by 2018–19.
• Ontario provides $11.5 million in annual funding to support these centres.

• Ontario is modernizing the legislation governing EPCs. The Seniors Active Living Centres Act, 2017 reflects the growing need for activities and services promoting active and healthy living, social engagement and learning for seniors. This legislation will help EPCs to be more responsive to community needs, build strong partnership and strengthen the services they offer, and encourage EPCs to act as community hubs.