Third Age Network
2026 Symposium
Saturday May 2, 2026
9:15 am – 4:30 pm
Holiday Inn & Suites
2525 Wyecroft, Oakville
$50
Moving Forward Together
We are so excited to invite TAN Members to a fabulous day of speakers, break-out sessions and many opportunities to meet colleagues who are devoted to later life learning in Ontario.
The program will focus on issues that TAN members are grappling with and provide opportunities to share experiences.
Speakers include:
- Dr. Rachel Savage, scientist, researcher and assistant professor of health policy, leading research on social connectedness and aging in place
- Sue Hesjedahl, Executive Director of Older Adults Centres’ Association of Ontario
- Sammy Feilchenfeld, Senior Manager, Learning at Volunteer Toronto
Registration:
Registration link has been sent to Members.
Agenda May 2, 2026:
| 8:30 | Registration and Breakfast |
| 9:15 | Welcome and Opening Remarks |
| 9:30 | Keynote Speaker – Dr. Rachel Savage, PhD, Scientist at Women’s College Hospital Research Institute and Interim Director, Women’s Age Lab. Dr. Savage’s research aims to strengthen social connection in older adults and support aging in place. She will be discussing why what we do is so important. |
| 10:30 | Break |
| 10:45 | Small Group Discussion (Options- Select One) -Audience Engagement and Socialization- What are we doing in addition to lectures to create social connectedness. -Leadership in TAN groups – Share common issues of being in a leadership role and how to work together -Program Committee members – How to ensure a flow of quality speakers |
| 12:00 | Networking Lunch |
| 12:30 | Dessert Speaker – Sue Hesjedahl, Executive Director of Older Adult Centres Association of Ontario, a leader in the development of quality resources, services, and support for over 250 community-based older adult centres across Ontario created to enhance the quality of life of older adults. She will tell us about OACAO and how Third Age learning groups could benefit from local and provincial partnering |
| 1:30 | Small Group Discussion (Options- Select One) – Partnering in the Community – Share experiences of partnering in your community. What works? – Delivery Formats – Share experiences with different delivery formats – peer led, in person, remote. – Marketing, Promotion and Social Media. Share success stories. |
| 2:30 | Break |
| 2:45 | Guest Speaker – Sammy Feilchenfeld, Volunteer Toronto. Volunteerism keeps changing – and today’s volunteer engagement challenges point to uncharted territories. We’ll explore current volunteer trends, practical engagement recruitment tips, and useful advice for succession planning. |
| 3:45 | Small Group Discussion – What works for you when recruiting volunteers. |
| 4:15 | Closing Remarks |
Hotel Details:
If you are interested in arriving on Friday night, we have blocked 10 rooms (cost $169 +tax)
To book: Call hotel directly: 905-847-1000 and quote group code:TSY, or Book online: TAN SYMPOSIUM