City celebrates June as Seniors Month

(Barrie, ON) June is recognized as Seniors Month in Ontario, and this year's theme is: stay safe, active and connected. To celebrate seniors month, the City and its partners are offering special opportunities to support seniors staying safe, active and connected. Key opportunities include:Select free virtual fitness programs for the month of June through the City's Recreation & Culture Services (available starting June 2)Special virtual programming and events hosted by theBarrie Public Library'Art Your Service': fitness, dance, social, art and more offered virtually, free through Seniors Centre Without Walls registration (ongoing beyond the month of June)

“This year will mark the 37th anniversary of celebrating seniors and the tremendous contribution they make to the vibrancy of the City of Barrie," notes Steve Lee-Young, Manager of Recreation and Culture Programs. “Even though our seniors centres are currently closed, the City is committed to supporting the 55+ community in staying active and engaged by safely offering a variety of recreation, education and active living programs, and providing opportunities to develop new skills."

Through the duration of the pandemic and closure of the seniors centres, the City has supported and continues to support the 55+ community through 'Seniors Centre Without Walls'; barrier-free programming that allows seniors to connect and engage with other seniors through multi-person phone calls. Since the program's start in May 2020, it has served approximately 1,700 participants.

The City also offers free transit to adults 65+ on Thursdays throughout the year, with a valid ID.

Learn more about the opportunities offered for Seniors Month atbarrie.ca/SeniorsCentres.

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