Intergenerational Day Canada Date in the current year: June 1, 2024

Social isolation is an issue that may affect people of all generations, but especially youth and the elderly. Intergenerational programs are considered an effective way to combat social isolation and build stronger communities; they are beneficial for both youth and seniors because they break gown negative generational stereotypes and help people of different generations to focus on the things they have in common while respecting each other’s differences.

For older adults, these programs help to better understand modern culture, give the opportunity to share stories and life experiences, and improve mental, social, and physical well-being. Young people can benefit from intergenerational programs by learning valuable life lessons from their elders and giving back to the community.

Intergenerational Day Canada was the idea of Sharon MacKenzie, a teacher from British Columbia. While working with her students on projects related to World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, she taught them about the respect, care, and love the elders deserve. Together, they realized that the best way to stop mistreatment of people of any age and ageism is to prevent it by building positive and healthy relationships between younger and older people, and that is how Intergenerational Day Canada was born.

The inaugural Intergenerational Day Canada was celebrated in 2010. Its date, June 1, was chosen due to its proximity to World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, which is celebrated on June 15. The observance is coordinated by the i2i Intergenerational Society Canada, an organization founded by MacKenzie in 2008 to help Canadians with building bridges between different generations.

Since its inception, 12 provinces and territories and over 100 cities across Canada have proclaimed Intergenerational Day Canada officially to raise awareness about the power of making respectful intergenerational connections to prevent loneliness and isolation. The celebration helps to build healthy local communities friendly to people of all ages by making small and simple gestures that bridge the gap between children/young adults and older persons.

It is very easy to get involved with Intergenerational Day Canada. All you need to do is find someone from a different generation and do something nice for them: wish them a good day, hold the door for them to pass through, give them a small but thoughtful gift, treat them to a meal, send them a card, etc.

Other ways to celebrate include visiting a retirement home to give its residents company or spending some quality time with elders (or youngsters, depending on your own age) in the family. You can also donate to the i2i Intergenerational Society Canada to support their programs and spread the word on social media with the hashtags #IntergenerationalDayCanada, #IGDay and #intergenerational.