Seniors’ Information & Active Living Fair promises to be biggest-ever

August 31, 2023 · 0 Comments

If you’re a senior looking for more information on all the community has to offer, including opportunities to stay active, head over to the Aurora Seniors’ Centre on Saturday, September 9, for the Town’s annual Seniors’ Information & Active Living Fair.

Boasting more than 50 vendors and service providers, including York Region Transit and Southlake Regional Health Centre’s Cancer Screening Program, and a full program of seminars and demonstrations, this year’s event promises to be the biggest one yet, says Town of Aurora Seniors Coordinator Karie Papillon.

“We’re really excited that this year will be our largest one ever,” says Papillon of the event, first held in 2016. “We have 52 exhibitors, which makes us bursting at the seams, which is exciting. You always want to get to a place where you actually couldn’t place one more exhibitor, but now we need to think about where to grow and that comes with its own challenges. It’s a really nice mix of businesses in Aurora and York Region, non-profits, which we really have a heart for: reaching out and sharing non-profit information that connects communities.”

The Seniors’ Centre, located at 90 John West Way, will open its doors to the public from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and the interactive program gets underway almost immediately with “Fraud and Scams and Staying Safe” with the York Regional Police at 9.20 a.m.

“We really need to keep people safe and aware of the scams out there, which, unfortunately, there are way too many,” says Papillon. “They want to alert us to some of the trends they see upcoming and sometimes scams are cyclical, the ones we haven’t seen in a while, so when we get those phone calls our memory is jogged.”

Seminars will continue at 10.20 a.m. with Chiro Health & Nutrition with Dr. Dean and Dr. Tina from Elevate Chiropractic, and at 11.30 a.m. with Seniors’ Transportation Options in York Region with the Regional Municipality of York.

“It’s the first time we have had York Region Transit come and speak to our seniors, which is very important,” says Papillon. “As people age, they become less and less comfortable with driving, so we’re really pleased to have them here and to offer that to them. Dr. Tina and Dr. Dean are going to talk about health, nutrition and how alignment in your body keeps you safe.”

Also on tap for the day is a Chair Yoga demonstration hosted by Lucy of the Aurora Seniors’ Centre.

“Chair Yoga is such a special thing you can do to increase mobility throughout your body, but it is shown to lower blood pressure to reduce stress and just help you have peace of mind,” says Papillon. “You walk out feeling so refreshed from that. On the other side of the spectrum, we have a new program called Get Strong with things like stretching and toning. For those who want to take it up just a notch, Lucy is going to be demonstrating her Get Strong class which is meant to take you over to the next step [that is about] functional fitness, making you fit, and keeping you ready to continue to age gracefully.”

Exhibitors booked for the Fair include, in addition to the York Regional Police and York Region Transit, the Alzheimer Society of York Region, CHATS – Community & Home Assistance to Seniors, the Aurora Historical Society, Aurora Cultural Centre, the PROBUS Club, Residences on Yonge, Delmanor, Chartwell, Kingsway Place, Margaret Bahen Hospice, realtors Lenard Lind and Beverley Varcoe, and tables for local lawmakers.

“There should be something for everyone,” says Papillon. “This event is also meant for caregivers as well and we have a lot of people coming here who are really looking to help keep seniors in their homes – and to keep them safe in their homes.”

For more information, visit aurora.ca

By Brock Weir
Editor
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter