Local experts believe the nation’s capital does a good job providing for its elders
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“It’s part of what makes Ottawa special.” Hicks, a volunteer fundraiser at the Glebe Centre’s senior outreach program.
The city does a good job of being age-friendly for seniors, says Hicks, also a former president of the United Way, a former CEO of the National Capital Region branch of Habitat for Humanity and a founding board member of the Community Foundation.
Ottawa, she says, has “a growing population of seniors. Right now, there are more people over the age of 65 than there are 14 years of age and under.”
The LRT has been a boon for seniors to get around and OC Transpo offers free service on Wednesday and Sunday for riders over the age of 65. The city’s kneeling buses help those with mobility issues. Para Transpo also provides service for a reasonable fee, and the city’s audible traffic signals are helpful to those who are visually impaired.
As for community centres, there are many programs aimed at seniors, says Hicks, citing exercise programs and bridge lessons as examples.
“During the summer, there a plenty of free concerts,” she says, “not to mention numerous outdoor markets, the farmer’s market at Lansdowne and the free flea market.”
Abbotsford House at the Glebe Centre caters to seniors as well.
“We have a lunch every week that seniors can attend for a [minimal] cost,” says Hicks. “We’ll even pick people up to attend if they are isolated, so they get a chance to socialize.”
Volunteers for seniors and by seniors make the city special as well. “I volunteer at the Glebe Centre’s Butterfly unit along with my mother, who is 101,” says Hicks. “It’s that sense of wanting to help each other that adds to the city’s uniqueness.”
Bonnie Schroeder agrees.
“We’re consistently in the top 10 or 20 cities to live in,” says Schroeder, the director of Age-Friendly Ottawa at the Council on Aging. Ottawa, she says, is “a great city for retirees.”
Funded by the municipality, the Council on Aging promotes education and advocacy for the city’s aging population.
“The council not only holds the city accountable,” says Schroeder, “but we’re here to develop relations with organizations and businesses to make sure our seniors are well served.”
Through the Council on Aging, residents ages 50 and older receive discounts for a variety of city sponsored programs. The city also supports a seniors’ roundtable three times a year to hear concerns on its Older Adult Plan. More than 25 groups are represented at these meetings.
“From our perspective, the city seems to be doing a pretty good job of making the city age- and senior-friendly,” says Schroeder.
“We have two liaison representatives on city council for seniors, there is a senior program librarian you can find on the city’s website and there are plenty of events focused on our aging population.”
In 2024, Schroeder attended 11 different events and the [Council on Aging] did an audit for the [Canadian] Tulip Festival to make sure it was age-friendly,” she says. Schroeder also points to the many festivals, museums, concerts and fairs that are accessible to people of all ages.
“Pickleball fans are going to love the five new courts just funded by the city for our older adults,” says Schroeder, “and city-run community centres have great exercise and social activities available.”
Although she says more can be done — especially in the city’s outlying rural communities — Ottawa as a whole has many things that make this city special, especially for the senior population. We are moving in a positive direction.”
Para Transpo was started by college students, says Unitarian House’s president of the board of governors Jackie Holzman — a fact that the former Ottawa mayor says not many people know.
Jackie Holzman. Photo Courtesy John Rutherford
“They called it TOAD (Tasks Odd and Diverse) and started it for people who couldn’t get around using regular transport,” she says. “I think it’s pretty special that students saw that need and eventually everyone got on board.”
Holzman says that Ottawa has been a good city for seniors with many places including Ottawa West Community Support, the Olde Forge and community centres around the city providing support with special programming.
Unitarian House, for example, is the only not-for-profit retirement home along with independent seniors’ apartments in the city and completely self-sufficient. “It’s unique,” she says. “We get no government money, and we operate solely on the rents, donations and fundraising.” Part of its uniqueness comes from the volunteerism of all the residents.
Holzman was also involved in creating Compassionate Ottawa.
“There really isn’t anything similar in any other city,” says Holzman. “We started it to focus on palliative care, but it evolved. Now it’s about how you want to live, not how you want to die.”
Reflecting on her years serving the city, Holzman says much of it was done locally.
“That,” she says, “is what makes this city special.”
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Useful websites
ottawa.ca/en/family-and-social-services/older-adults/guide-services-and-programs-older-adults