Report of the National Seniors Council on Volunteering Among Seniors and Positive and Active Aging

Roundtables on Positive and Active Aging and Volunteering Among Seniors

In 2009, the National Seniors Council held a series of nine roundtables on positive and active aging and volunteering among seniors. Between May and July 2009, eight regional roundtables took place across Canada and the Council’s first ever national roundtable was held in Ottawa on November 26, 2009.Footnote 24 

The National Seniors Council used the following criteria in the selection of the regional roundtable locations: type of community (remote, rural or urban), ethnic diversity, presence of Aboriginal seniors, proportion of seniors in the community, high level of senior volunteerism and regional representation. There were between 9 and 15 participants at each regional roundtable, with a total of 100 participants in all. These roundtables sought to gain a grassroots perspective by hearing directly from seniors and elders as well as representatives from local community and seniors organizations. Twenty-one individuals representing the national or regional organizations with expertise on these topics attended the national roundtable.

The roundtables had three objectives, which were to:

• allow the National Seniors Council to learn more about positive and active aging and volunteering among seniors;
• share good practices; and
• identify areas for possible federal government action.