Spring has sprung, officially, and hopefully soon in our gardens, too!
At the Hamilton Council on Aging, we are excited to welcome spring and share this new edition of our newsletter. There is a lot happening across our community, and we are pleased to bring these updates and opportunities together to help make positive aging visible in Hamilton.
In this edition, we begin with a look back at the Tough Old Broads screening at Sackville Hill, including Mary Tice’s thoughtful review and reflections on challenging ageism. You will also find keys to healthy aging, an accessible way to enjoy nature, news about Hamilton’s next Age-Friendly Plan, information about free tax clinics, and a few ideas to keep you connected this spring.
If this is your first time reading our newsletter, welcome! At the Hamilton Council on Aging, we work together to make positive aging visible in Hamilton. You can learn more about us on our website and catch up on our last newsletter there.
Tough Old Broads Screening at Sackville Hill
A Review by Mary Tice
HCoA was thrilled to be approached by Healthy Aging Canada to host a free advance screening for older adults in Hamilton of Tough Old Broads – a documentary directed, written and produced by Stacey Tennebaum. On March 3, with support from the City of Hamilton and Sackville Hill, we offered two showings and welcomed close to 50 seniors to enjoy the film together- along with some movie snacks! The screening was aptly timed to closely coincide with International Women’s Day annually celebrated on March 8th.
Tennebaum’s inspirational documentary introduces and profiles the lives of three remarkable women activists who made notable contributions to women’s rights and who were the first to break significant barriers in their respective fields:
Kathrine Switzer, the first woman to officially run the Boston Marathon in 1967 which ultimately helped to bring the women’s marathon into the 1984 Olympics;
Sharon Farmer, a photographer and civil rights crusader who was the first woman and first person of colour to serve as the Chief Official White House photographer during the Clinton administration;
Siila Watt-Cloutier, a Nobel Peace Prize nominee and Inuit environmental activist who was the first to frame climate change as a human rights issue and who drove international policy to ban toxic pollutants.
Moving between archival footage and present day moments, Stacey Tennebaum’s documentary commemorates and celebrates three courageous women trailblazers who made their mark when they were young and who continue to lead, advocate and influence today while well into their 70s.
At its core, Tough Old Broads challenges the idea that older adults are on the sidelines. The film recognizes older adults as vibrant and impactful contributors and highlights the ways in which older adults continue to shape communities, families, and public life in meaningful ways. It also reflects how ageism can show up – in assumptions about ability, relevance, and whose voices are heard – and the importance of recognizing the value of lived experience.
Tough Old Broads is a powerful film that resonated with many of us on that March afternoon. The film compelled me to remember and reflect on my past and growing up and coming of age in those turbulent years of the 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s and my own challenges with gender equality and women’s rights.
It behooves us all to remember our history and where we came from and to impart that history to our children and grandchildren. We’ve come a long way but in the words of the poet Robert Frost “we have miles to go before we sleep.”
While the credits rolled, the film ended triumphantly with the up-beat song “We Are Family”. It was time to applaud and cheer these three tough old broads who had grit and stamina and were resilient and feisty and who continue to show up.
Their advice to us: If you show up, change is possible albeit slow.
Their mantra: Be present. Be patient. Be persistent.
Three Keys to Healthy Aging: Move in Ways That Work for You, Reduce Sedentary Time, Sleep Well Contributed
Contributed by: Leah Jambrosich, BScN MPH, Public Health Nurse and Krystn Orr, PhD, Physical Activity Specialist, Hamilton Public Health, Healthy Environments, Chronic Disease Prevention
In Hamilton, physical activity levels tend to decrease with age. Just over half of adults aged 45–64 meet recommended activity levels, but this drops to 33.8% among adults 65 and older (Hamilton Public Health Services, 2024). Because staying active is so important for healthy aging, the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology (CSEP) created the 24‑Hour Movement Guidelines (French, Punjabi) to show what a balanced day looks like for older adults. These guidelines focus on three key behaviours—moving more, reducing sedentary periods, and getting enough sleep—because they work together to support overall health and independence.
Following the movement guidelines is linked to many benefits, including a lower risk of heart disease, diabetes, several cancers, anxiety, depression, dementia, and falls. They also support stronger bones, better memory and thinking, improved daily functioning, and a higher quality of life (CSEP, n.d).
The Role of Active Travel
One simple way to add more movement into your day is through active travel. Active travel includes any form of human‑powered movement, such as walking, cycling, wheeling, or using mobility aids like motorized wheelchairs at a comparable speed (Government of Ontario, 2014). Even short or lower‑intensity trips—like walking to the store or taking a stroll around the block—can help increase overall physical activity. While active travel alone may not help older adults fully meet weekly activity targets, research shows it still provides meaningful physical and mental health benefits (Kelly et al., 2014; Lee, 2015; Canadian Urban Institute, 2017).
What a Healthy Day Looks Like
A well‑balanced day includes different types of movement:
- Aerobic activity: Aim for 150 minutes per week of moderate to vigorous activity, such as brisk walking, cycling, or swimming.
- Strength training: Include activities that build muscle at least twice a week.
- Balance activities: Practices like tai chi or standing on one foot help reduce the risk of falls.
- Light movement: Break up rest times by moving around your home, doing household chores, or gentle stretching all contribute to better health.
Spending time outdoors adds extra benefits: nature‑based activity is linked to improved mood, relaxation, self‑esteem, energy, and overall quality of life, while also helping reduce stress, anxiety, depression, and fatigue (Christiana et al., 2021). To stay active year‑round, older adults should participate in a range of physical activities—both weight‑bearing and non‑weight‑bearing, recreational or routine—in different environments such as home, community spaces, indoor or outdoor settings, and even on land or in water, across all seasons.
Sleep and Sedentary Time Matter Too
Good sleep is essential for healthy aging. Older adults should aim for 7–8 hours of good‑quality sleep each night, ideally with consistent bed and wake times. Limiting sedentary behaviour is equally important. Try to keep total sedentary time to eight hours or less per day, including no more than three hours of recreational screen time. Moving around regularly helps support circulation, mobility, and overall health.
A Note on Individual Needs
These guidelines work well for most older adults, but they may not be suitable for everyone. People living with disabilities or medical conditions may need personalized advice. In those cases, reviewing condition‑specific recommendations (Multiple Sclerosis, Spinal Cord Injury) or speaking with a healthcare professional can help identify safe and appropriate ways to stay active.
Recommended Resources
24-Hour Movement Guidelines
English: Adults 65+ – 24-Hour Movement Guidelines
French: Adultes 65 ans et plus – Directives canadiennes en matière de mouvement sur 24 heures
Punjabi: Punjabi 24H Movement Guidelines Adults 65+ – 24-Hour Movement Guidelines
Adults with Multiple Sclerosis: Multiple Sclerosis – 24-Hour Movement Guidelines
Adults with Spinal Cord Injury: Adults with Spinal Cord Injury – 24-Hour Movement Guidelines
Programs
City of Hamilton Recreation programs for adults ages 55+ years: Older Adult 55+ Programs | City of Hamilton
Hamilton Public Library: Older Adults | HPL
Access Nature with Green Venture’s All-terrain Wheelchairs
Contributed by: Akira Ourique, Green Venture
Tackle trails and paths you’ve dreamed of, with all-terrain wheelchairs built to move people beyond pavement.
Green Venture is an environmental non-profit that operates in the leafy east end of Hamilton. Community members in the city may recognize our name from the numerous school and community workshops, repair cafes, clothing swaps, infrastructure projects, energy audits, tree plantings, and litter clean-ups that our team leads each year. On the education team specifically, we are very dedicated to increasing access to outdoor spaces and providing opportunities for learning about and from the lands and waters around us.
As many of us know, access to nature is unequal in Hamilton. Finances, age, mobility, transportation, place of residence, and other factors all create barriers to people accessing the enriching and health-promoting presence of natural spaces. At Green Venture, reducing barriers to nature and sustainable living is at the forefront of our work. We do this through free after school programs for youth and children, travel subsidies for families in need of financial support to access our programming, accommodating co-op positions for students of differing abilities, in-kind or sliding scale school workshops, and most recently, through the programming around and provision of our all-terrain wheelchairs. All-terrain wheelchairs are simple to use, with phenomenal results: a class trip to the creek on an unpaved and rocky path becomes possible for a student who would otherwise have to sit out; an elderly woman less steady on her feet is able to do laps across the grassy field of a community event; and a world of possibilities opens.
The design of the chairs, complete with mountain bike tires, a 3rd wheel for stability, and crank-powered mechanics, is tough; and built to take you to new horizons. Green Venture has worked the past several months with a team of highly motivated and experienced individuals across several organizations and professions, with the shared goal of filling gaps in Hamilton’s support network for older adults and seniors as well as people of all ages living with mobility limitations and disabilities. Alongside making our chairs available at all Green Venture on-site programming, including our youth and children’s afterschool programs, school field trips, and community events and workshops, we have also brought our chairs out for use at several off-site locations for various purposes including making them available at the Hamilton Regional Indian Centre’s TRC event at Gage Park in 2025, bringing them to Shalom Village care home for residents to take for a spin outdoors, and taking them out to various showcases and fairs geared towards older adults and care providers for visitors to see and try.
The consensus among those who used or tried out our chairs remains consistent: the chairs require some muscle to move, and they unfortunately do not fit all sizes, but they are a massive leap forward in bridging the gap between people with mobility limitations and access to nature and green space. The chairs are equipped with assist bars, allowing a support person to provide some or all of the power needed to move the chair. If you’ve read this far, you might be wondering how you or someone you support can access one of our chairs. Green Venture is eager to loan out our all-terrain wheelchairs to rehabilitation centres, long-term care facilities, hospitals, schools, walking groups, community clubs, and individuals. Waivers are required to borrow and use the chairs, but accessing them is free for unfunded groups, and available on a sliding scale rental model for financially stable groups and organizations.
To make inquiries about accessing our all-terrain wheelchairs, you can contact the Green Venture team at education@greenventure.ca
Hamilton is Getting Ready for Our Next Age-Friendly Plan
For nearly 20 years, Hamilton has been working together to build a community where older adults are respected, included, and able to thrive. This work has been shaped by the voices and experiences of people across our city.
Now, we are getting ready to begin the next chapter. Work is underway to develop Hamilton’s next Age-Friendly and Dementia Inclusive Community Plan (2027–2031), and community engagement will begin soon. Details about surveys and other opportunities to get involved will follow in the coming weeks.
Two simple ways to get involved right now:
1. Share Your Age-Friendly Success Story by April 8 (Age-Friendly Success Stories | Engage Hamilton)
We are asking people to share real examples of what is working well in Hamilton. This could be a program, service, partnership, or change in the community that has helped older adults feel more supported, included, or connected.
Submit your story through Engage Hamilton by April 8.
2. Stay Connected (Newsletter Sign Up)
Sign up for our newsletter or visit our website (www.coahamilton.ca) in April 2026 for updates and ways to get involved.
Grow more than Plants at a Community Garden
Contributed by: Heather Watson
As the ground begins to thaw, now is the time to consider your garden. Don’t have a garden of your own? Not a problem. There are many community gardens throughout the City of Hamilton, and it is easier than ever to find out how to take part.
The first thing to know about Hamilton’s community gardens is that there are different kinds, so you need to know the right kind for you. There are plot-based gardens offering small plots for gardeners to grow and harvest their own flowers, fruits, and vegetables. There is a yearly rental fee. There are 24 plot-based gardens in Hamilton. There are also communal gardens where community members work together and share the harvest. There are several communal gardens in Hamilton to choose from. Next are the donation plots. As the name suggests, the produce grown here is donated to local food banks. You may have noticed tenant gardens which are only open to residents who live or work in the building with the garden. There are some youth/education gardens, and urban gardens that do not fit into any category.
Once you know what type of garden you are interested in, you can search the directory for a garden near you. There is a directory online by clicking the link below (scroll down the page for an interactive map):
Community Garden Networking Program | Neighbour to Neighbour Centre
If you cannot access the website, contact by telephone at 905-574-1334 extension 302 or 905-512-7915.
Many existing community gardens do fill up 2-3 seasons in advance. The Hill Street Community Garden and the Churchill Park Community Garden appear to be full, but you can still get in touch for inquiries about future seasons.
Don’t see a garden right for you? Why not start your own? The Hamilton Community Gardening Network has a guide to assist Hamiltonians in starting their own community garden. They make it as easy as 10 simple steps. This guide is available here.
You can grow more than just plants at a community garden because when you participate in a community garden, you grow the community itself and hopefully a deeper appreciation for the environment and the food that nourishes us.
Government Seniors Benefits – Free Tax Clinics
Information From The Government of Canada Website: Get your taxes done at a free tax clinic – Canada.ca
Free tax clinics are hosted by community organizations through the Community Volunteer Income Tax Program (CVITP). They are offered throughout Canada and are available to individuals who have a modest income and a simple tax situation.
There are a variety of ways eligible Canadians can benefit from these free tax clinics:
Walk-in: A clinic where your tax return is filed during advertised hours on a first-come, first-served basis.
Drop-off: A clinic where your income tax documents are dropped off during advertised hours. Your tax return will be filed by a volunteer, and you will pick it up at a later time. You will have to prove your identity when you pick up your tax return and documents.
Please make sure that you drop off your documents at the advertised tax clinic’s location.
By appointment: A clinic where an appointment is needed to file your tax return. Appointments can be in person or virtual.
- in person: a volunteer will do your tax return at a scheduled time.
- virtual: a volunteer within your province or territory will do your tax return at a scheduled time by videoconference or by phone.
Click here to determine if you’re eligible and find your local available tax clinics here: Find a tax clinic
Save the Date: HCoA Wellness Fair & Walk for Health Saturday October 3, 2026 at Eastgate Square!
We’re excited to share that our annual Wellness Fair & Walk for Health is growing and will take place this year at Eastgate Square on Saturday, October 3!
After a packed house at Bernie Morelli Recreation Centre last fall, we are thrilled to move to a larger venue and grateful that Eastgate Square has welcomed us back to host this special community celebration.
The morning will feature an indoor Walk for Health alongside a lively Senior Wellness Fair, connecting older adults with local programs, services, and resources that support positive aging. With free parking, excellent transit connections, and a welcoming indoor setting, Eastgate Square is the perfect place to bring seniors together from across greater Hamilton!
BE PART OF THE EVENT: Community organizations and businesses are invited to reserve an exhibitor table (10% off Early-Bird Rate in Place until July 1!) or sponsor the event!
Exhibitor tables (Early-Bird Prices!)
• $135 – Businesses (before July 1!)
• $45 – Not-for-profit organizations (before July 1!)
Includes one table and chair.
Sponsorship opportunities
• Platinum Sponsor – $5,000
• Gold Sponsor – $3,000
• Silver Sponsor – $1,500
✨ Early registration is encouraged to secure your spot and be part of this growing community event. Click here to register as an exhibitor or sponsor.