Third Age Learning Program Enables Lifelong Learning for Seniors

Lakehead University's Office of Community Engagement and Lifelong Learning (CELL) has received a 2026 County of Simcoe Age‑Friendly Business Recognition Award.

These awards celebrate local businesses, organizations, and community members who help create welcoming, inclusive, and accessible environments for older adults across the region.

Above, CELL Director Nicky Locker (third from left) and TALL Coordinator Anne Hilliard (third from right) accept CELL's 2026 County of Simcoe Age‑Friendly Business Recognition Award from Township of Oro-Medonte Mayor Randy Greenlaw, Commissioner of Health & Emergency Services Jane Sinclair, Township of Essa Mayor Sandie Macdonald, and Warden Basil Clarke.

"Third Age Learning Lakehead (TALL) is one of our flagship age-friendly programs, and we are humbled to be recognized in this way," says CELL Director Nicky Locker. "Seniors are central members of Lakehead University's academic community here in Simcoe County, and their passion for lifelong learning is inspiring for all of us."

TALL includes a five-part lecture series that delivers thought-provoking educational opportunities for adult learners over 50, alongside additional learning opportunities. A volunteer committee of seniors chaired by Anne Hilliard—a retired Simcoe County elementary school principal—advises on focus areas and ensures the program meets the needs of its participants.

A meeting of TALL Committee members.

"TALL enables engagement, connection, and lifelong learning." Locker says. "We want to foster social networks and a sense of community."

CELL does this by making TALL, and other programming that seniors can participate in, easy to access. Events are held on Lakehead University's Orillia campus, locations throughout Simcoe County, and via livestream so that people from across the country—including alumni and people in Lakehead University's Thunder Bay and Barrie communities—can attend.

There are also plans to begin hosting in-person events on the Thunder Bay campus soon.

TALL lectures include a 20-minute coffee break to give attendees time to discuss what they've heard and to think of questions to ask during the Q & A session that follows every lecture. Above, a TALL wine-and-cheese event held at Orillia's St. Paul's Church in March 2025. Lakehead professor Dr. Sandra Jeppesen gave a lecture entitled, "Disinformation, deepfakes, memes, and riots in the context of US elections: Is public debate bad for democracy?"

"When I coordinate CELL activities like TALL, the Ontario Master Naturalist Program (OMNP), Professional Development Training courses, and other CELL workshops, seniors and retirees are often among the first ones to sign up," Locker says.

In fact, a local senior leads the OMNP. Bob Bowles, 81, established this program at Lakehead University 14 years ago, which was the first of its kind in the country. OMNP participants can choose the nine-week online certificate program or individual workshops that take place locally to learn about nature and environmental stewardship.

"The presence of CELL in our community allows seniors to network across all generations, learn, and mentor others," CELL Director Nicky Locker says. "They frequently bring their children and grandchildren to our programming." Above, 81-year-old master naturalist Bob Bowles leads participants interested in learning about mushrooms on a three-hour trek through Simcoe Country's Copeland Forest in his "Magical, Mystical Mushrooms" workshop held on September 13, 2026.

Locker notes that seniors who participate in TALL and OMNP are keen to "show up and be part of the solution when it comes to making the world a better place. They don't shy away from complex issues, such as environmental and social justice, and they often express a desire to get their children and grandchildren involved."

The next TALL series faces these issues head-on. October 7 marks the start of the 2026-27 TALL lecture series "A Time for Change: Evolving Our Civilization" with a talk from climate-technology expert Akhil Puri discussing how we can build lives and institutions capable of meeting the challenges of both today and tomorrow—including AI risk, inequality, climate change, and political polarization.

One lecture that will be sure to get people talking takes place on October 21. "Watching Trump from Afar - Elbows Up World," will be presented by Larry Black, an 89-year-old former NATO research fellow and Canadian Security and Intelligence Service instructor.

CELL partners with diverse community organizations like the Orillia Museum of Art and History, the Couchiching Conservancy, and the Muskoka Discovery Centre to host unique events, workshops, and programming. "We're working together to make our region a place where everyone can participate, share their stories, and continue to learn together," CELL Director Nicky Locker says. Above, participants at a September 16, 2026, TALL session held at the Muskoka Discovery Centre. It was led by Lakehead education professor Dr. Gary Pluim and was called "Reading the World: The Case for Geographic Literacy in Education."

Locker is committed to continuing to do the work that led to Lakehead University's nomination for the County of Simcoe award. "Seniors ask us to tell it to them straight, to give them hope, and to show them how they can take action. They want to leave a legacy of care and activism."

"At its core, CELL promotes an age-friendly philosophy by ensuring older adults have opportunities to learn, contribute, participate, and connect," says Lakehead University Orillia Principal Dr. Linda Rodenburg.

The first talk in the TALL lecture series, "How to Build a Self-Correcting Life—and Civilization," is taking place this morning. TALL talks cost $20 per lecture or $80 for the entire series.