Healthy Living
Citizens are living longer, healthier lives. Healthy Living and age-friendly planning aims to ensure people of all ages and abilities have opportunities to thrive in the City of Brantford. There are a number of healthy living and age-friendly programming that the City offers, including:
Financial Literacy Month
The City and its community partners are launching a free financial literacy series for older adults or caregivers to better understand their finances. Financial literacy builds confidence, and ultimately helps you make better decisions about your money.
November 8 – Budgeting with Excel |
Time: 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Brant Skills Centre, 225 Fairview Dr #1, Brantford Join Brant Skills to learn more about budgeting with Excel. In this workshop, participants will use Microsoft Excel to build a budget that works for them, using simple formulas and formatting techniques. To register, please call 519-758-1664 or email elisha@brantskillscentre.org |
November 12 – Survivor Benefits and Taxes after a Loss |
Time: 2:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Location: T.B. Costain – SC Johnson Community Centre, 16 Morrell St, Brantford Wondering what to do following the death of a loved one? Attend a 1-hour information session on survivor benefits within the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) and Old Age Security (OAS) for individuals who have lost a spouse, parent, or common-law partner. Learn about eligibility requirements, the application process, benefit amounts, taxes and receive guidance on claiming these benefits and managing affairs after a bereavement. To register, email partnerships@brantford.ca or call 519-759-4150 ext. 5986 |
November 13 – Meal Planning on a Budget |
Time: 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. Location: T.B. Costain – SC Johnson Community Centre, 16 Morrell St, Brantford Join Brant Skills to lean about meal planning on a budget. In this workshop, participants will learn what a budget is, what a meal plan is, and how to combine both to help them save money on their groceries. To register, please call 519-758-1664 or email elisha@brantskillscentre.org |
November 14 – Canadian Tax Benefits and Credits for Seniors 65+ |
Time: 1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Location: Woodman Park Community Centre, 491 Grey St, Brantford In this 1-hour presentation, participants will gain insights into benefits, tax credits, and services offered by the CRA. Covered topics range from benefit and credit payments to protecting against scams, with a focus on optimizing tax benefits, managing tax affairs effectively, and safeguarding against fraud through utilizing services like My Account and direct deposit. Additional discussions include authorizing a representative for tax matters, posthumous tax affairs, and handling uncashed CRA cheques. To register, email partnerships@brantford.ca or call 519-759-4150 ext. 5986 |
November 18 – Pension Perspectives |
Time: 1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Location: Woodman Park Community Centre, 491 Grey St, Brantford Join our comprehensive 1-hour information session tailored for individuals planning for retirement and seniors, focusing on Service Canada Canadian Pension Plan and Old Age Security. Explore eligibility, application procedures, benefit details, including CPP, OAS, GIS, survivor benefits, retirement planning resources, and more, to empower you in making informed decisions on securing financial support in retirement. To register, email partnerships@brantford.ca or call 519-759-4150 ext. 5986 |
November 19 – RESP’s and Ways to Save |
Time: 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Woodman Park Community Centre, 491 Grey St, Brantford In this workshop, participants will explore ways to save for the future, understand interest and how it grows, and what saving options will work for their goals (such as RESPs and TFSAs). To register, please call 519-758-1664 or email elisha@brantskillscentre.org |
November 26 – Canadian Dental Care Plan |
Time: 10:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Location: Doug Snooks Eagle Place Community Centre, 333 Erie Ave, Brantford Join us to discover how the Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP) supports families with children under 18, individuals with a Disability Tax Credit (DTC), and seniors over 65 in accessing oral health care. Attend a 45-minute session to learn about eligibility, application procedures, and covered services provided by the CDCP. To register, email partnerships@brantford.ca or call 519-759-4150 ext. 5986 |
November 26 – Smart Shopping |
Time 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Brant Skills Centre, 225 Fairview Dr #1, Brantford Join Brant Skills to learn more about smart shopping. In this workshop, participants will gain a better understanding of why we shop, how to make better buying decisions, how to comparison shop to save money, and find new ways to think about their shopping habits. To register, please call 519-758-1664 or email elisha@brantskillscentre.org |
November 27 – Power of Attorney |
Time: 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Brantford District Labour Centre, 1100 Clarence St S, Suite 104, Brantford Join the Community Legal Clinic to learn about easy tools to help you create a Power of Attorney. No registration required. Upstairs Classroom. Signs will be posted. No registration is required. |
November 28 – Be Scam Smart |
Time: 2:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
T.B. Costain – SC Johnson Community Centre, 16 Morrell St, Brantford Protect yourself from scams, especially those impersonating the CRA. Learn common fraud tactics, red flags in communication, and steps to verify legitimacy. Understand current CRA scams and prevention strategies. |
Senior’s Toolkit
The Senior's Toolkit, A Practical Handbook for Seniors provides information about various agencies and service providers that help senior residents in the City of Brantford and County of Brant. Physical copies of the Seniors' Toolkit are now available at the following locations:
- Beckett Adult Leisure Centre, 219 Colborne St.
- Brantford Public Library – Main Branch, 173 Colborne St.
- City Hall, Customer Service Desk, 58 Dalhousie St.
- Doug Snooks Eagle Place Community Centre, 333 Erie Ave
- T.B. Costain - SC Johnson Community Centre, 16 Morrell St.
- Wayne Gretzky Sports Centre – Pool Desk, 254 North Park St.
- Woodman Park Community Centre, 491 Grey St.
- Grand River Community Health Centre, 363 Colborne St.
- Seniors Resource Centre, 783 Colborne St.
- YMCA Brantford, Brant, Haldimand, Hamilton, 723 Colborne St.
- Brant County Health Unit, 194 Terrace Hill St.
Age-Friendly Plan
Healthy Aging: The City of Brantford's Age-Friendly Plan outlines a roadmap to build an age-friendly community. The strategy included an audit of the City's Age-friendly policies and programs and identified best practices with input from older adults, caregivers, community agencies and municipal staff. As a result of the Age-Friendly planning process and significant milestones our community has achieved, the City of Brantford as internationally recognized by the World Health Organization as an Age-Friendly community. Additionally, the Ministry of Seniors Affairs recognized the City with the Ontario Age-Friendly Community Recognition Award.
The City of Brantford recognizes the benefits of collaboration and consultation with community partners –such as Brant Skills Centre, Grand River Community Health Centre (GRCHC), the Grand River Council on Aging (GRCOA), the Laurier Hub for Community Solutions (LHCS) and Victim Services of Brant – to capture the perspectives of older adults and guide ongoing age-friendly planning.