National Seniors Day

Today is National Seniors Day, which the federal government instituted in 2011 to pay tribute to seniors. CARP will raise a flag at City Hall. The federal government offers promotional material to download, including an article that suggests baking cookies for grandma. If you look, you can find the odd free lecture on elder abuse or wellness. A few politicians will be photographed shaking hands with seniors. Heartwarming, isn't it? And it hardly costs a cent. Feeling patronized yet?

Here`s what I`d like to see on National Seniors Day in Toronto:

• A Seniors Day dinner discount at local restaurants
• City of Toronto Senior-Friendly awards for local businesses and organizations that make a special effort to welcome seniors. Examples: York University, which waives tuition fees for credit courses for seniors; Hot Docs Festival, which lets seniors attend daytime screenings for free; Ryerson University, with its hugely successful Life Institute; the Toronto Zoo, with its annual Seniors Day featuring free admission; Long and McQuade, which sponsors the New Horizons Senior Band
• Live entertainment at Nathan Phillips Square, with appearances by the New Horizons Senior Band, the Toronto Raging Grannies, Act II Studio, and performers from the Seniors Jubilee
• An annual report card on the status of Toronto seniors: income levels, affordable appropriate housing, liveable neighbourhoods, accessible transportation, affordable nutritious food, opportunities to participate in the life of the city, aging in place, access to health care, progress towards implementation of the Toronto Seniors Strategy, and so on. But who would create this report card? There are too many organizations each focussing on their pet seniors issues, and there is no umbrella group to speak for seniors with one strong voice