Senior's Recreation Services Plan

blue background with the text Senior's Recreation Services Plan and the REC logo in red, blue and green circles behind the letters.
Seniors stand for a photo with HRM staff, with a building in the background

Seniors Recreation Advisory Group & Project Staff

Parks & Recreation is in the process of developing a Seniors Recreation Services Plan. This project is aimed at shaping the municipality's recreation programs and services for seniors for the next five years. Seniors' groups and individuals are actively involved in creating this plan and a Seniors Recreation Advisory Group was established to provide leadership and support to staff during the strategic planning process. 

Project timeline

Where are we right now? 
We are currently in Phase 7. 

PHASE 0: Research (Complete)
Conduct research on senior recreation services in the Halifax region by interviewing local service providers and analyzing national trends.

PHASE 1: Interviewing seniors groups and service providers (Complete)
Do you know of a group or organization that supports older populations (60+)? We want to talk to them! Email your suggestion to seniors@halifax.ca 

PHASE 2: Seniors Recreation Advisory Group (Complete)
The Seniors Advisory Group has been formed. This group will create a survey based on input from the community, service providers and research. They will also interpret the data collected to create the final plan. 

PHASE 3: Public Engagement & Survey (Complete) 
The Seniors Recreation Advisory Group will meet with seniors from different parts of the Halifax region. These meetings will give us feedback on key issues and identify the goals and actions that should be taken to address these key issues.

The Seniors Recreation Survey was distributed to seniors in HRM through various methods, including paper, electronic / online, and in-person engagements.

PHASE 4: Seniors Recreation Services Plan draft document (Complete)
Once all the data is collected, the Senior Recreation Advisory Group will identify the key issues, vision, mission, objectives and action items for the creation of the Senior Recreation Services Plan.

PHASE 5: Final Document, implementation & evaluation plans (Complete)
The plan will be developed and shared with the Seniors Recreation Advisory Group and other community partners and staff, for feedback.

PHASE 6: Final Document is sent to the Community Planning & Economic Development Standing Committee (Completed)

The plan was reviewed and approved by the Community Planning & Economic Development Standing Committee (CPED) of Regional Council on May 21, 2026. Once reviewed by CPED, that committee sends it to Regional Council for final approval. Once this plan is approved, the final document will be posted on this website and shared with the community. 

PHASE 7: Public launch (Fall 2026)
There will be an open house launch event for the Seniors Recreation Services Plan.

Creating the plan: Community Engagement & Public Survey 

To support the development of the Seniors Recreation Services Plan,  we established the Seniors Recreation Advisory Group, bringing together seniors (60+), service providers, and key stakeholders to help guide our public engagement process. With their insight, we carried out a comprehensive engagement program that included a public survey and a series of in-person sessions held in every district during May and June of 2025. This collaborative approach ensured that the perspectives, priorities, and lived experiences of seniors across the municipality meaningfully shaped the plan from the very beginning.
 
Seniors Recreation Advisory Group Information

The Seniors Recreation Advisory Group was a team of residents aged 60 and above from all over the Halifax region. This group is leading the development of the Seniors Recreation Services Plan and ensuring that the key priorities accurately reflect the needs of the senior population in the municipality. This group will help in the creation of a municipality-wide survey, analyze data to determine key issues and guide the recommendations that will make up the final plan. The group met regularly throughout the engagement process. 

Applications to join the Seniors Recreation Advisory Group have now closed.

Public Seniors Survey Information

The survey closed on June 4, 2025. 

The Seniors Recreation Survey is now closed. Thank you to the more than 2,000 people who provided their feedback. The survey was available in both English and French, in online and paper formats, to ensure broad accessibility. Your input will play an important role in shaping the Seniors Recreation Services Plan.

Drop-In Engagement Session Information

All drop-in engagement sessions have now concluded. These sessions offered community members a chance to share feedback on key topics, including recreation programs, social connection, accessibility and inclusion, transportation, and affordability.

Multiple in-person engagement sessions were held in each district from May - June, 2025.  

 

Questions?

Please contact the Community Developer, by emailing at seniors@halifax.ca or calling/texting 902.233.8129.

Senior's Recreation Services Plan / Please contact the Community Developer, by emailing at seniors@halifax.ca, calling 902-233-8129 or visiting our Facebook page @hfxREC