A Week in Quebec to Build Connections
Living Longer … and Living Fully: Changing the Way We Think About Age
We are living longer than ever. The number of people aged 60 and over has increased significantly, from approximately 541 million in 1995 to 1.22 billion in 2025. It could reach 2.1 billion by 2050 (UN source). This evolution is profoundly transforming our societies and invites us to reflect not only on the number of years we live, but above all on how we can live them well.
This is precisely the message of the International Day of Older Persons, observed on October 1 under the theme “The Age of Longevity: Rethinking Systems to Live Longer.”
Adapting Society to an Age of Longevity
As part of the United Nations Decade of Healthy Ageing 2021–2030, this International Day reminds us of the importance of creating environments that support older people. The goal is to help them maintain their independence, participate in community life, and live with dignity.
This means promoting health and prevention throughout life, of course, but also adapting services, living environments, transportation, and public spaces. In fact, people aged 65 and over are expected to outnumber children under the age of 18 by 2080.
Longevity therefore raises an essential question: Are our societies evolving as quickly as their populations?
Ageism: Prejudices with Real Consequences
Rethinking our systems also requires changing the way we view ageing. A survey conducted in 57 countries found that one in two people holds moderately or highly ageist attitudes.
These prejudices can lead to exclusion, limit social participation, and influence how older people are perceived or treated. Women may experience these effects even more strongly because of the accumulation of age- and gender-related stereotypes throughout their lives. To better understand this issue, read the summary of the Government of Canada’s Discussion Guide on Ageism.
Sociologist Michel Billé (Journal Le Monde – 02/08/2020) invites us to reflect on the words we use:
“I will need to be ‘taken into consideration,’ not ‘taken care of’—I am not a burden! I will need people to ‘look out for me,’ not ‘keep watch over me’ […] These words clearly illustrate the necessary change in the way we view old age.”
This distinction is fundamental: seeing older people not as “objects of care,” but as whole persons with rights, experience, and a voice that matters.
In Quebec, a Week to Build Connections
This reflection will also continue in communities across Quebec during Seniors’ Week, from September 27 to October 3, 2026. Municipalities and organizations are offering a variety of activities to encourage connections, raise awareness of available resources, reduce isolation, and highlight the contributions of older people. Discover resources from the AQCCA (Association québécoise des centres communautaires pour aînés).
This International Day therefore resonates with the SNJM values of dignity, inclusion, and full participation in community life. And perhaps one of the first ways to mark October 1 is simply to ask ourselves: How do we view ageing and the people growing older around us?