New Brunswick has created a Centre of Excellence in Health, and many of their activities are intergenerational in nature. Check out their ongoing activities and resources for connecting seniors and students.

If you haven’t seen this yet, have a look!

THIS is what intergenerational means to Canada. Link is below. https://prezi.com/view/lnaGxDMNDxu01eFdHTCV/

Thank you to Miriam Bankey of LINKages Calgary (LINK-ages.ca) for her wonderful creative idea to illustrate how Canadians view the importance of intergenerational relationships!

Every day is a GOOD DAY to connect to another generation.

See the world through their eyes and hearts!

CHECK OUT THE ITEMS BELOW. SHARE YOUR INTERGENERATIONAL PHOTOS WITH THE NATIONAL INTERGENERATIONAL QUILT PROJECT!

Hey Canada, what do Intergenerational friendships mean to you? 

(French follows)

Each year on June 1, we promote Intergenerational Day – a celebration of the mutual benefits of building relationships across generations.

2020 marks the 10th Anniversary of Intergenerational Day in Canada!

Now more than ever, we need ways to connect. We need to celebrate. Just because we can’t be together, doesn’t mean we can’t be connected. 

Calling Canadians of all generations – Please help us build a virtual national quilt!

Using your creativity, please answer the question, “What do intergenerational friendships mean to you?”

Send us a high-quality email (as an attachment) of your drawings, photos, inspirational notes, pictures of sculptures, etc. to igday2020@gmail.com by Sunday, May 24th. Submissions will be compiled into a beautiful national quilt that illustrates that we are a diverse and unified country that is stronger together. The IG Day Quilt will be showcased and celebrated across Canada on Intergenerational Day, Monday, June 1st 2020. 

Thank you so much for being a part of this collaboration! 

**If you want to include your name, please only show your first name to protect your privacy.  If you are under 18 years old, please have your mom/dad/guardian write a note giving permission for you to submit, take a picture of the note, and send it along with your art. 

By entering MY submission, I hereby give full consent to use THE photo(S), drawing(S) and/or all artwork (I) submit for the Intergenerational Day Canada Quilt to be displayed virtually and/or printed and displayed. I verify that this is my property to offer.

Hé le Canada, que signifient les amitiés intergénérationnelles pour vous? 

Le 1er juin, chaque année, nous promouvons la Journée intergénérationnelle – une célébration qui souligne les avantages et l’importance des liens entre les générations.  
2020 marque le 10e anniversaire de la Journée intergénérationnelle au Canada! 

Plus que jamais, nous avons besoin des moyens pour être en contact. Nous devons célébrer. Ce n’est pas parce que nous ne pouvons pas être ensemble que nous ne pouvons pas être connectés.  

Voici un appel aux Canadiens et Canadiennes de tous les âges – Aidez-nous à créer une courtepointe nationale virtuelle pour afficher à l’internet!  

En utilisant votre créativité, veuillez répondre à la question «Que signifient les amitiés intergénérationnelles pour vous?
Envoyez-nous un courriel de haute qualité avec vos dessins, photos, petits mots d’inspiration, photos de sculptures, etc. (en pièce jointe) à igday2020@gmail.com avant le dimanche 24 mai. Les soumissions seront compilées pour créer une magnifique courtepointe nationale qui illustre que nous sommes un pays diversifié, unifié et plus fort ensemble. La courtepointe ‘IG Day’ sera présentée et célébrée à travers le Canada lors de la Journée intergénérationnelle le lundi 1er juin 2020. Merci beaucoup de votre participation à cette collaboration!  

** Si vous désirez que votre nom soit inclus, veuillez nous parvenir seulement votre prénom en raison de protéger votre identité. Si vous avez moins de 18 ans, veuillez demander à maman / papa / tuteur (trice) d’écrire une note qui vous autorise à partager votre soumission. Veuillez prendre une photo de cette permission et nous l’envoyer avec votre soumission.
En envoyant MA soumission, j’autorise par la présente, à utiliser LA (LES) photo (s), le (s) dessin (s) et / ou toutes illustrations que (JE) soumets pour la courtepointe de la Journée intergénérationnelle au Canada qui sera affichée de façon virtuelle et / ou imprimer et afficher.  Je confirme aussi que c’est ma propriété à vous offrir.

10th ANNIVERSARY 2020!

2020 marks the 10th anniversary of Intergenerational Day Canada. It’s one celebration that will not be cancelled in these tumultuous COVID-19 times. 

But how do we celebrate when we are isolated and not able to facilitate hand-to-hand, possibly even eye-to-eye, contact between older adults and children/youth? This is the very nature of intergenerational relationships.

We can be creative! Here is a suggestion to get you started:

1. Contact a local food or pharmacy delivery centre.
2. Ask if your children, your school class or your youth community can make cards and/or draw pictures to be sent out with deliveries. Cards can have hopeful messages of spring, greetings for June 1 Intergenerational Day Canada, or share poems, etc.
3. Have cards and pictures sent to you, a teacher, group leader or a parent. Print, put in a bag or envelope, and safely drop off at the delivery centre.
4. Ask that each card/drawing be sent out with each delivery to older adults.
5. Repeat!

  Everything Is Coming Up 9’s!

2019! The 9^th year of celebration of

  June 1^st Intergenerational Day Canada

9 provinces and 3 territories supported the day last year. Manitoba, Ontario and New Brunswick have proclaimed the day in perpetuity so they are already on board for 2019. They have made permanent commitments within their jurisdictions to recognize and support respectful and purposeful relationships between young and old. ALL Age Friendly communities…now that’s resiliency!

99 cities have recognized the day through proclamations, declarations, letters of support, events and parties.

9, a symbol of good leadership and wisdom-Governments must know that bringing generations together is the most powerful move they can make towards better mental, physical and social health of their citizens. Intergenerational relating improves health in both generations. Together they are stronger, together they are healthier. Connecting these age groups socially and emotionally diminishes the devastating effects of isolation and loneliness, our leading health concern in Canada.

So, it’s time to pick up that #9 golf iron, get the ball rolling out of the sand trap and into your Intergenerational Community. It’s time ‘to dress up to the 9’s’ with seniors and kids getting their party on…together. If this doesn’t work for you,  how about hitting a home run in the 9^th, by involving a community team to bring awareness to the wonderful, yet largely unsung, benefits of older adults and kids getting together with purpose?

Check out our IG Day page. Contact us at igday.june1@gmail.com for more information, or let us assist you in sharing your IG Day event or story. We have lots of great, easy ideas to get you started.

Remember these 9 words.  Keep It Simple, Share the Load, and Have Fun!

9^th Annual        June 1^st Intergenerational Day Canada            Embrace it!

Sharon MacKenzie Executive Director     

                           *Check back here for more IG Day start-ups.

Social change is slow in coming. We all know that. It seems to take about a decade for good social causes to actually go from ‘idea’ to ‘accepted practise’– well, that is an optimistic estimate! Mandatory seat belts, the immunization programme and the anti-smoking campaign…all took a good decade to come to fruition and all, interestingly enough, had life and death implications. Was that what made people finally embrace these movements? Was that the sharp poke in the body of social responsibility…people embraced the movements because they did not want to feel responsible for death? Yikes!

Well, what about quality of life and good health? Maybe not as dramatic but certainly has a lot to do with ageing well and staying mentally, socially and emotionally alive.

Intergenerational connecting is a simple, inexpensive, fun approach to defeating one of Canada’s number one health issues, isolation and loneliness, yet it is an uphill battle to get people to move from merely embracing the idea, to taking affirmative action.

Check out this website (intergenerational.ca), especially the four excellent resources showcased on the home page. Each shows not just why intergenerational connecting is a great good health idea, but also show that it is easy, fun and creates empowerment while working together.

To date, the provinces of British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, New Brunswick and the territory of the Yukon have officially proclaimed June 1 as Intergenerational Day Canada. More proclamations are on the way this next month.

June 1st:  Celebrate what you already do that is intergenerational! Make this a day to purposefully and respectfully connect with another generation. Check out the webpage on this site under IG Day for simple and fun ideas that defeat isolation and loneliness of both the young and older.

Get on Board! You won’t regret it. Our goal is to wipe out the need for World Elder Abuse Awareness Day June 15th. Support this initiative with action. See bccrns.ca and cnpea.ca for more resources.

The i2i Social Media Team:

Olivia Meyia-Takoukam-Gatineau, QC

Sarah Hanson – Vernon, BC

Talking About More Than My Generation

http://o.canada.com/life/talking-about-more-than-my-generation

PHOTO: ED GILLIS/FREE THE CHILDREN