Sarnia community connections expo aimed at residents of all ages

This year’s Age-Friendly Sarnia-Lambton Expo is not just for seniors.

The June 14 event organized by Age-Friendly Sarnia-Lambton will be at the Pat Stapleton arena in Sarnia, where a previous expo was held in 2019 with exhibitor booths mainly aimed at providing information about services for older adults.

“This year, it’s for all ages,” said Amy Weiler, a community engagement specialist with Lambton Elderly Outreach.

“There will be some information for everyone, all ages and stages of life.”

Admission is free and the expo runs from 10 am to 6 pm with about 100 exhibitors expected to provide information on “social and health supports for all of Lambton County,” Weiler said.

“We did it in 2019 and had a great turnout” of about 3,000 people throughout the day but organizers weren’t able to hold the expo in the years since then because of pandemic restrictions, she said.

“We’re happy to be back.”

Organizers have arranged to allow those attending the expo to park for free at the Starlight Casino site in Point Edward and a Sarnia Transit bus will be provide a free shuttle back and forth to the arena all day, Weiller said.

“It’s door-to-door service,” she said.

The exhibition, like the www.agefriendlysarnialambton.ca website relaunched last year, is aimed at helping local residents connect with community services and activities.

“What we learned through COVID” is that “people really do want some face-to-face interaction when it comes to community support and their health,” Weiler said.

“This event is a great opportunity to have that face-to-face time with different organizations and see what they have to offer.”

Weiler said Age Friendly Sarnia-Lambton is working “to ensure people can get connected with what they need.”

The website provides information about transportation, food, clothing and housing, mental health and addiction services, help at home, health care, social participation, active living, equity, diversity and inclusion, Indigenous supports, as well as financial and legal services.

Weiler said there have been about 4,000 visitors to the website each month since it relaunched.

“We’re seeing a lot of service providers using it” as well as “community members, caregivers,” Weiler said.

“It’s great to be able to take that information” and also provide it “in-person for people” at the expo, she said.

“We know that is important. Not everybody likes to navigate a website.”

As well as providing local residents with information about local services, the website allows them to connect with a “community navigator” to help find what they need.

Weiler said expo organizers plan to turn the ice surface at the arena into neighborhoods with trees and benches, along with the information booths.

“If you’re looking just for employment or volunteer options, there’s a whole neighborhood just for that,” Weiler said. “Or maybe it’s family and caregiver supports; we have another neighborhood just for that too.”

Weiler said they are looking for volunteers willing to work a three-hour shift at the expo. Anyone interested can email [email protected].

“We’ve offering the volunteers a free lunch,” Weiler said.

June is seniors’ month in Ontario and Lambton Elderly Outreach also is involved in this year’s seniors’ cruise on the St. Clair River happening June 26 on the Duc D’Orleans from the Sarnia waterfront.

“It has been running for 30-plus years,” Weiler said about the event also paused during the pandemic.

The owners of the Duc D’Orleans are donating the free 45-minute river cruises for seniors through the day, 8 am to 4 pm. Other local sponsors are also involved, she said.

Seniors can sign up, first-come-first serve, for a cruise at the waterfront on the day of the event.

“We have lots to do” while people wait, Weiler said.

“We’ll have a barbecue going, some coffee, there’s going to be music and then, around 18 information tables.”

Weiler said they are also looking for volunteers for the day of the cruise. Anyone interested can reach out by email to [email protected].

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