Fall programs

The pandemic is still with us, but we’re learning to live with it. Thanks to vaccines, masks, social distancing and Zoom, there are lots of fitness, recreation and social programs available for seniors this fall. Bear in mind that if you want to attend an in-person program at a community centre, you will have to produce proof of full vaccination, fill out a Covid screening questionnaire and wear a mask inside the building.

Toronto Parks Forestry and Recreation released their fall 2021 program on September 22. There’s no Fun Guide, so you’ll have a bit more work finding programs. You can search by facility name or drill down through their category list. You can also search the Senior Toronto listings on this website to find out which centres are offering which programs. There are fewer options than there were pre-Covid, and almost all their programs are in-person. You’ll find lots of variety, everything from fitness to crafts, sports and games. If you want to attend a drop-in program, you’ll have to reserve a spot online each time you go; this enables the administrators to control the numbers and maintain social distancing.

It’s a bit surprising that Parks Forestry and Recreation are not offering any virtual programs for seniors, considering that many seniors do not feel safe going to in-person programs. But luckily, we have other options. Senior centres, neighbourhood centres, non-Parks Forestry and Recreation community centres and community health centres also provide programming for seniors. This year, most of them are offering a mix of in-person and virtual programs. There are plenty of virtual fitness, recreation and social programs to choose from, and a lot of them are free. They are all listed here on the Senior Toronto website; just search on the term you are interested in, like “yoga”, and they will all come up. As for those organizations which also provide health and social services for seniors, they are maintaining key services like health care, food access and assisted transportation. Health care and social support programs are virtual where possible; otherwise, in-person appointments are available on an urgent basis only.

Should seniors go to in-person programs? There’s a lot to consider. Many seniors have impaired immune systems, so even if you are vaccinated, you may not have good immunity. To find out, you have to ask your doctor for a requisition to get a Covid antibody blood test, which you have to pay for. Even if you have good immunity, you can still get Covid and pass it on to others. Now that we know that Covid is transmitted through tiny droplets in the air, think about the air quality in community centres. I haven’t seen any announcements of grants to community centres for the expensive Hepa filters needed to clear the air. Those centres are full of unvaccinated kids. People are mostly wearing poor-quality cloth masks which don’t fit properly and are next to useless at preventing transmission. We should be wearing N95 masks, but good luck finding any. I’m not saying that you shouldn’t go to in-person classes. Just do your research and decide what’s best for your situation.