Chandler Blokland and John Regier became friends when Blokland moved into Gateway Lodge, an assisted living residence in Prince George, B.C., as part a University of Northern British Columbia project.
Aiming for a future in medicine, Chandler Blokland jumped on the chance to live among seniors while attending university.
He and another student moved into Gateway Lodge, an assisted living residence in Prince George, B.C., in the fall of 2018 as part of The Intergenerational Activities for Growth and Engagement (InterAGE) project through the University of Northern British Columbia in conjunction with the Northern Health Authority. The key aspect of the program involved students living among seniors and being part of their everyday lives to improve the well-being of the residents and the students as well as the community through social interaction. The university also brought a class into Gateway, allowing residents and staff to participate along with the students.
“It was a research project rolled into an independent study course” that also involved weekly meetings and a running journal combined with the residential experience, explained Blokland. “It was fantastic. It was a great experience. It was like having multiple sets of grandparents.
“When we were there, we kind of noticed things seemed pretty segregated, so we wanted to bring people together, join in activities.”
Resident John Regier took advantage of the entire program, joining the class every Friday and developing a bond with the students. Nearly five years on, he and Blokland are still in touch, often through phone texts.
Although it had been decades since Regier, 63, a former farmhand, had been in school, he enjoyed the process and even found himself participating in the discussions. “We talked about what’s out there for seniors, that’s what I learned. We talked to the seniors’ advocate of B.C.,” he recalls. “Usually I didn’t open up to talks like this like I do now.”
Canada is seeing an uptick of intergenerational activities that mix young and old together in various initiatives. Often, they involve bringing students into the homes where seniors live. There are also programs within the community. Some cities and towns have installed chat benches to encourage conversations among people who may not otherwise connect. In Newfoundland, a wide array of arts programs connect generations. In Toronto, a “human library” allowed library patrons to "check out" seniors for 30-minute conversations. In Guelph, a music therapy program provides that connection.
A group of seniors at Colonel Belcher Retirement Residence in Calgary had the pleasure of living among a team of New Zealand curlers who were in Canada between September 2023 and March 2024, before they moved on to Switzerland for the world championships. Cassandra Murray, the retirement living consultant at the home, saw an ad saying the team was looking for a short-term rental and ultimately suggested they offer them two of their spare rooms. The residents were thrilled with the infusion of young blood in their home, and enjoyed sharing their stories of travel to New Zealand and of curling in their pasts.
“They were the cheeriest, friendliest lads and we have quite a few curling fans here,” says Bob Lee, a curling fan and retired air force pilot. He and his wife, Joyce, ate lunch with the curlers and also enjoyed a couple of Friday evening happy hours with them.
“It was like having your grandkids here,” adds Joyce.
“It was like having your young, charming, intelligent grandchildren here,” Bob says.
The team did indeed charm the residents and the feeling was mutual. There were two outings — one for a game between New Zealand and Canada’s team and another for an exhibition match — and residents, including Bob, went to see them play. The curlers also had a good experience.
“I had a ton of fun staying there,” says Brett Sargon, the team’s 32-year-old second, speaking from Scotland, en route to Switzerland for the world curling championships. “It was a very social place and you were always running into people in the hallway and mingling with the residents, which was quite cool.”
Ben Smith, 24, says he was surprised by how touched he was by the experience.
“It really sort of hit home about how much of an effect you can have on someone’s life just by having the time of day for them,” Smith says. “I felt that during our farewell party.”
Sargon says Bob and Joyce were a lovely couple.
“For me, when I got to Calgary, my world was all about curling and that’s all it was,” Sargon says. “But I’ve learned there’s so much more to it. The residents would tell us that they knew we were here for curling, but to also remember to have fun because life goes by quickly.”
Smith agrees.
“We started this journey with a team of four,” Smith says. “But now we’ve got a crew of hundreds who want this for us as much as we want it. That support gives you a bit of extra drive. You want to do more for them.”
The team was set to play a world championship game against Canada in the middle of the night on April 2, and residence staff were going to record it so residents could watch it together in their movie theatre the next day. Canada beat New Zealand 7 to 4, but New Zealand skip Anton Hood received an award for being the player who best exemplified the spirit of curling throughout the tournament.
Making linkages
The LINKages Society of Alberta connected generations in the Calgary area for three decades before it had to close its doors. Its former executive director says intergenerational programming is still in its infancy in Canada. Ruby Lecot says the organization’s experience linking youth and seniors shows enormous benefits to both and that is supported by research.
“When we connect them together in mutual learning that’s where we see the potential come to light,” she says, “not only for shared housing and shared living spaces and community space, I see intergenerational living as rebuilding and strengthening the fabric of society. As we connect folks across generations, they care about each other. I think that’s really important in society. That’s how we ensure nobody gets left behind.
“There’s a ton of promising and emerging practices. I think we’re just scratching the surface.”
The i2i Intergenerational Society is another long-standing organization focusing on the creation of such initiatives. Started by former British Columbia teacher Sharon MacKenzie, its intent is to work toward building bridges between generations.
It could be reading the same book and bringing younger and older adults together to discuss it, planting a garden together or combining youth and senior choirs to encourage that interaction. The idea is to put together a safe and simple activity that is fun and also collaborative so that those involved all have a say.
MacKenzie says these small shifts can result in big benefits, including improved health and well-being for the young and old.
While some programs have been around for decades and others are relatively new, the common challenge is funding, a concern that Lecot at Calgary’s LINKages felt acutely. But MacKenzie isn’t letting up. She’s in the throes of putting together a committee of advocates and interested parties to create a new association with a national focus, in hopes of securing funding to create sustainable programming.
The International Federation on Ageing declared social isolation as the major issue facing Canadian seniors in 2012. That was laid bare during the pandemic with heart-wrenching photos of seniors sitting alone behind windows dotting news feeds. The concern is further heightened with the aging of society. Statistics Canada estimates that by 2036 about 25 per cent of the Canadian population will be over the age of 65. Intergenerational connections is one of the approaches considered to be effective for reducing isolation and helping seniors form meaningful relationships, learn new skills and stay connected to their communities. But it’s considered a two-way street, with the younger generation receiving mentoring and benefiting from the experience and knowledge of the older generation.
Colleges and universities join in
So it’s no surprise that colleges and universities are exploring intergenerational options. Nicole Norris, social innovation manager for Georgian College in Barrie, Ont., has been working with North Simcoe Muskoka Geriatric Services, 211 and the Alzheimer Society to explore weaving intergenerational approaches into the curriculum. They want to find out if building a foundation of awareness now will shape policy later.
The social isolation seniors were experiencing during the pandemic led to the project. The research and testing initiative will be further explored during a design workshop of community members interested in creating inclusive intergenerational communities.
“[Technology] won’t save us, people are going to save us,” Norris says.
Back in Prince George, UNBC professors Shannon Freeman and Dawn Hemingway are getting set to re-launch InterAGE following a pandemic hiatus. The pair set out to not just connect students with seniors, but also to measure the experience and successes to one day be used as the basis to develop work in the future. They began by designing a program with input from students, seniors as well as the community in the “co-created” project.
“We hear lots of happy stories, we see lots of YouTube videos, but what are the actual measurable benefits? Do these programs work and if so, how and for whom?” Freeman says.
The early indications, they say, are positive, leading Hemingway to encourage all facilities for seniors to include some kind of intergenerational programming to provide the residents a connection with the community. The university, she believes, is a good start. There is potential for UNBC to leverage its campuses across the northern part of the province to make those connections.
“That’s the sweet spot for intergenerational programming,” she says. “So everyone is giving and everyone is learning and sharing and benefiting, so it’s not just one-directional.”