​Intergenerational Day June 1, 2024
Ottawa Celebrates Intergenerational Day on June 1st through "Connection, Care and Community"

The City of Ottawa will proclaim June 1st as Intergenerational Day for a sixth year, at the request of iGenOttawa. 
 
Since 2019, iGenOttawa has seen an increase in awareness of the value of bringing different generations together. Here are just a few examples of organizations and activities encouraging intergenerational connections:

• Local schools are fostering relationships between generations, including penpal activities and in-person visits. One example is Immaculata High School's “Caring for Others" program where grade 10 students visit Perley Health weekly to provide companionship and assist with fun activities.
• Andrew Fleck Children's Services is developing a demonstration site of best practices for intergenerational programming in three settings, in collaboration with the Council on Aging of Ottawa and others. More details can be found here, including how to get involved should you be interested in becoming a "grand-friend"!
• To create more social spaces where people of different ages can come together, iGenOttawa partnered with Ottawa Community Housing (OCH) and the Ottawa Tool Library in 2022 to create a sectional Gathering Bench on the grounds of Clementine Towers. Since then, more have been built on other OCH properties!
• Music connects different generations in simple and meaningful ways, including students performing at seniors residences and informal collaborations with family and neighbours. Check out this heartwarming intergenerational video by OrKidstra and Canadian Showtime Chorus! Listen here I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing - Celebrating Intergenerational Day 2021 - YouTube
• Volunteering: Many organizations offer volunteer opportunities that bring different generations together, including the Ottawa Network for Education's Volunteers in Education Program and JA Ottawa.

Wonderful things can happen when people from different age groups come together, including the potential for improved health outcomes, knowledge-sharing, and an increased sense of belonging— in both directions. In addition to participating in organized intergenerational activities, there are many ways to informally connect with someone from another generation. Think about what you could share with someone from another generation—your time, your interests, your talents. Even small acts—a simple hello!—can make a difference and lead to more meaningful connections. Happy Intergenerational Day!

​Kindergarten students from Hopewell Avenue Public School made cards for seniors (see above) attending iGenOttawa’s “Intergenerational Day” presentation as part of the Seniors' Centre Without Walls program. 

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Intergenerational Day June 1, 2022
 
The City of Ottawa proclaimed Intergenerational Day on June 1st after iGenOttawa selected “Coming Together” for this year’s theme. While our community offers many spaces for people of different ages to connect, iGenOttawa wants to promote the potential of benches in creating inviting spaces that encourage social connectedness. To this end, iGenOttawa  partnered with the Ottawa Tool Library and Ottawa Community Housing to build a seating area on the grounds of Clementine Towers. This intergenerational “gathering bench” was officially opened on June 1st in celebration of the day. 
 
As well, students at Broadview Public School created Happy Intergenerational Day cards for seniors attending an Intergenerational Day presentation given by iGenOttawa as part of the Seniors’ Centre Without Walls program. Also, for a second year, students at the Centre d’Excellence Artistique de l’Ontario (CEAO) at l’École Secondaire Publique De La Salle shared arts booklets with the residents of the Centre d’Accueil Champlain. 
 
Collaborators

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ARCHIVED
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Intergenerational Day -  2019, 2020 and 2021

On June 1st 2021, iGenOttawa selected Music to be the theme, for its power to raise spirits and strengthen community no matter the circumstances. As we could not gather in person, iGenOttawa worked with local organizations and musicians and was pleased to support the launch of inspirational intergenerational song recordings on June 1st. 

• A songwriting project led by local musician Craig Cardiff who held virtual songwriting workshops with students in the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and participating older adults, turning their ideas about “good neighbours” into songs. The lead track entitled, “What Makes a Good Neighbour,” captures voices of different generations celebrating the connections between people of different generations.“What Makes a Good Neighbour” song created by students from the Ottawa- Carleton  District School Board, local older adults, and local musician Craig Cardiff and his team. Listen here https://m.soundcloud.com/craigcardiffmusic/sets/what-makes-a-good-neighbour
• A  heart warming virtual musical collaboration between Ottawa's OrKidstra and Canadian Showtime Chorus® to create a special version of the song “I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing (In Perfect Harmony).” Listen here I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing - Celebrating Intergenerational Day 2021 - YouTube
• Students at the Centre d’Excellence Artistique de l’Ontario (CEAO) at l’École Secondaire Publique De La Salle offered 250 arts booklets and online music performances including the annual end of year gala to the residents of the Centre d’Accueil Champlain and Bruyère.

​news_release_igenottawa_2021_final_eng2.docx (live.com)

June 1st, 2020 marked the 10th anniversary of Intergenerational Day in Canada. For the second year in a row, Ottawa joined other cities across Canada in proclaiming June 1st as Intergenerational Day – a celebration of the mutual benefits of building relationships across generations.  
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The pandemic required iGenOttawa to discard plans to have people of different ages gather in person. Instead we put a call out to the community and collected wonderful artwork, messages, jokes, and stories for The Good Companions and Meals on Wheels to share with seniors and adults with physical disabilities in our community. Have a look at some of the artwork here.

Also, a big thank you to Synapcity for featuring Intergenerational Day 2020 in its newsletter, as well as iGenOttawa's open letter to the community.

On June 1st, 2019, Ottawa celebrated Intergenerational Day for the first time after iGenOttawa made a proclamation request to the City.

​Many intergenerational events were held across the city, from picnics and a digital literacy workshop to neighbourhood voting on the best location for a city bench.

As well, a panel was organized by iGenOttawa on “Building Intergenerational Cities.”
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​The discussion explored public spaces, transportation, and housing through an intergenerational lens, and highlighted the importance of building “soft” infrastructure.  The panel discussion was later referenced in an article in the Ottawa Citizen’s "healthy cities" series.
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​Intergenerational Day 2019 also coincided with the Doors Open Ottawa weekend.

Journée intergénérationnelle - 2019 et 2020

Le 1er juin 2020 a marqué le 10e anniversaire de la Journée intergénérationnelle au Canada. Pour la deuxième année consécutive, Ottawa s'est jointe à d'autres villes du Canada pour proclamer le 1er juin Journée intergénérationnelle - une célébration des nombreux bienfaits des liens entre les générations.

Devant les obstacles causés par la pandémie, iGenOttawa a dû abandonner ses plans de réunir en personne des gens d'âges différents. Ainsi, nous avons alors décidé de lancer un appel à la communauté afin de réunir des œuvres d'art, des messages, des blagues et de magnifiques histoires destinés à The Good Companions et à la Popote roulante afin que ces organismes puissent les offrir aux personnes âgées et aux adultes handicapés de notre communauté. Vous pouvez jeter un coup d'œil à quelques-unes de ces œuvres d'art.

​Aussi, un grand merci à Synapcity pour avoir présenté la Journée intergénérationnelle 2020 dans son bulletin ainsi que la lettre ouverte d'iGenOttawa à la communauté.

Le 1er juin 2019, pour la première fois, Ottawa célébrait la Journée intergénérationnelle après qu'iGenOttawa eut fait une demande de proclamation à la Ville.

De nombreux événements intergénérationnels ont eu lieu à travers la ville, tels des pique-niques, un atelier de litéracie, et même un vote pour déterminer le meilleur emplacement pour un nouveau banc offert par la Ville.

De plus, une table ronde intitulée «Bâtir des villes intergénérationnelles» a été organisée par iGenOttawa.
Des discussions sur des sujets tels que les espaces publics, les transports et le logement, se sont déroulées selon un point de vue intergénérationnel et ont souligné l'importance de la construction d'infrastructures «immatérielles». La table ronde a été mentionnée plus tard dans un article de la série «Healthy Cities» du Ottawa Citizen.

La Journée intergénérationnelle 2019 a eu lieu en parallèle avec la fin de semaine Portes ouvertes Ottawa.

There are lots of ways to get involved and
​celebrate Intergenerational Day on June 1st!

Organize and participate in events in your neighbourhood, bringing different ages together!

​Consider doing some small action to connect with someone younger or older than you.
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Click below to see all the events and post your own intergenerational event!* 

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EVENTS PORTAL*

*THANKS TO RANDOM HACKS OF KINDNESS

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