We are thankful to be welcome on these lands in friendship. The lands we are situated on are covered by the Williams Treaties and are the traditional territory of the Mississaugas, a branch of the greater Anishinaabeg Nation, including Algonquin, Ojibway, Odawa and Pottawatomi. These lands remain home to many Indigenous nations and peoples.

We acknowledge this land out of respect for the Indigenous nations who have cared for Turtle Island, also called North America, from before the arrival of settler peoples until this day. Most importantly, we acknowledge that the history of these lands has been tainted by poor treatment and a lack of friendship with the First Nations who call them home.

This history is something we are all affected by because we are all treaty people in Canada. We all have a shared history to reflect on, and each of us is affected by this history in different ways. Our past defines our present, but if we move forward as friends and allies, then it does not have to define our future.

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Speaker Series

Over the course of the pandemic, we hosted several speaker series events featuring the world-class work our faculty members and graduate students are leading here at the university.

If you have questions or would like to request a speaker series on a particular topic, please get in touch with us at agefriendly@ontariotechu.ca.

Previous Speakers

Emerging Embodied Computing, AI, and Our Changing Lifestyle

More and more, personal digital devices—from wearable brain-computers to digital skin tech to implanted computer chips—are being invented, adopted and even celebrated before we have a chance to understand their likely impact on our lives. The rise of Artificial Intelligence is accelerating this process. Dr. Isabel Pedersen explores how immersive embodied technology may change how we act, interact with others, participate in cultures, and understand our identities.

Immersive Technologies for Knowledge and Skills Training for Those Caring for People with Dementia

Within the healthcare field, immersive technologies and virtual reality, augmented reality, serious games, and virtual worlds in particular, are not so much technologies of the future but rather, of the present; this has only been accelerated given the move to remote learning to facilitate COVID-19 shutdowns. This presentation will provide a brief overview of the application of immersive technologies for knowledge and skills training for healthcare providers and family members caring for people with dementia.

Senior Citizens as “Citizen Scientists”: How Participatory Research Can Improve Our Understanding of Lake Health

Environmental challenges such as climate change and habitat destruction require extensive data collection over time to keep track of their impacts. Monitoring large areas can be difficult when researchers are limited by personnel and travel resources. Stepping in to fill important environmental data gaps are seniors, most of whom are retired, but full of motivation and curiosity to serve as “citizen scientists”. In this talk, Dr. Andrea Kirkwood from the Faculty of Science showcases the essential role of seniors as community-science volunteers in lake sampling programs, as well as their key leadership role in stewardship groups. As environmental problems grow, we need “all hands on deck”, and seniors have certainly stepped up to the challenge.

Innovative Technologies for Improving the Quality of Life for People Living with Dementia

This talk will highlight opportunities for leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) and sensory technologies to develop innovative solutions for the early detection and management of neuropsychiatric symptoms in people with dementia. These advancements can guide the provision of personalized and tailored non-pharmacological interventions, and dramatically improve the quality of life of people living with dementia.

Shifting the Narrative Towards Reconciliation (Not Recorded)

Looking up to the sky inside of a tipi. The wooden poles of the structure converge together and a gap in the white canvas shows the blue sky outside.

Ever wonder how to use the proper terms when referring to Indigenous Peoples? Have you ever questioned where Indigenous stereotypes came from, or the damage they cause? In this session, Jill Thompson and Alyssa McLeod from Indigenous Education and Cultural Services at Ontario Tech University will help you explore these questions, and how we can shift the narrative about Indigenous people in Canada, by understanding their perspectives, and then recognize the impact of the Residential School System and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) as a process. The audience will engage in a debrief and discussion with a live Q & A with facilitators. The intention of this workshop is to provide an introductory understanding of Indigenous peoples and shift the narrative as a stepping stone towards reconciliation.

Protect your money

During this pandemic, many people are worried about their finances and the fraudsters are using this situation to their advantage. The Ontario Securities Commission (OSC) is a crown corporation that is responsible for regulating the capital markets in Ontario, and will share information to help you make more informed financial decisions:

Common frauds and scams and warning signs
Questions to ask before you invest
Money tips and resources

Can you out exercise all of that sitting?

While there is a plethora of research to suggest that sitting is bad for your health, most of us are still seated for 10 hours per day. This talk will start with defining sedentary time to help identify activities in your daily life that might need to be modified. We'll focus on simple solutions to overcoming the negative effects of sitting and look into the volume of exercise needed to counteract it. The bottom line is, you shouldn’t feel bad about enjoying some activities that involve sitting but you might need to move more!

Staying Safe in a Connected World

Social media has redefined the ways that we interact with the world - platforms such as Facebook and Twitter allow us to keep in touch with our friends and family around the world in near real time. With nearly 59 per cent of adults over the age of 65 using the internet and being online and 46 per cent of those adults using at least one social media platform, it's safe to say that social media impacts the lives of seniors in an unparalleled way.

However, in our increasingly connected world, there are often conflicting sources of information online, making it hard to know who to trust. From misleading articles to suspicious emails asking for your information, there is always someone out there looking to influence you or try to take your money.