Active Again continues in Fenelon Falls; Bobcaygeon program to start in fall

Active Again — a program that encourages older adults to try various recreational activities in a comfortable environment with other participants who may require an ‘adaptive’ or modified approach to participating — was launched as a pilot project for 2019 in Fenelon Falls.

The Active Again pilot program was born when the Kawartha Cycling Club received a grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation in 2018 to fund the initiative. KLSRC has worked closely with six different sport and rec providers in the area to put together and facilitate the program.

To date, 15 different people have registered for various activities offered through the program. Some people registered for one specific activity while others chose to participate in several. Nordic pole walking and cycling have been the most popular of the sports offered in this first installment of the program.

Patricia and Andrew Staneland are CANBIKE instructors for Kawartha Cycling Club and have been helping to run the cycling sessions. “Andrew and I thoroughly enjoyed teaching the cycling section of Active Again. In a region that has a large population of older adults as well as a number of good bike trails, it only makes sense to put the two together. As CANBIKE Instructors were still able to teach our participants the fundamentals of cycling and how to enjoy the sport while staying safe. The weather cooperated and we were able to end each session with an enjoyable ride on the rail trail. I feel this opportunity has opened the door for these seniors to enjoy their community in ways they may not have known possible,” said Staneland.

Laurie and Terry McKinley, two participants in the program who have tried a number of the activities agree on the benefits of this program. 

“The pole walking was new for us, and the instructor was friendly. We were surprised to get a 1:1 instructor ratio for cycling, and enjoyed the trail riding portion, and the camaraderie. So far; a good experience, and very affordable,” said the McKinleys.

Nordic Pole Walking and Adaptive Rugby were completed in the spring and early summer months.  Cycling is currently ongoing with two more sessions available in August. Yoga is also currently underway with sessions running on Fridays through August. Pickleball will be offered in September and the curling will run  in November.

“With the great interest and success of the Fenelon Fall pilot we are now looking to run another program in Bobcaygeon in the Fall”, added Dennis Geelen KLSRC coordinator.

For more information or to register for an Active Again activity go to https://klsrc.ca/find-an-activity/active-again/

For anyone looking to be a potential sport provider for the Active Again Bobcaygeon program, email Dennis Geelen from KLSRC at