Back to SearchThe Ontario Government on Friday announced an investment in an orientation bus tour led by the Town of Aurora that provides older adult newcomers to Canada with an opportunity to familiarize themselves with key organizations and services across Aurora, helping reduce social isolation and combat issues such as elder abuse and fraud.
The Newcomers Welcome to Aurora Bus Tour is a partnership between the Town of Aurora and the Centre for Immigrant and Community Services (CICS), a non-profit with multiple locations in the Greater Toronto Area. The tour is available to clients of CICS and includes two dates: one for Mandarin speakers and the other for Farsi speakers (Mandarin and Farsi are among the most spoken languages in Aurora after English).
The Ontario Government’s $14,450 investment in the bus tours comes from the 2023-2024 Seniors Community Grant Program. The funding the Town received will help cover multiple program costs, including bus rentals, translation services, food and more.
“I’m so thankful for the Ontario Government’s support of this very important program,” said Aurora Mayor Tom Mrakas at an announcement at the Aurora Seniors Centre, where he was joined by Dawn Gallagher Murphy, MPP for Newmarket-Aurora. “We know that coming to a new country can often be challenging and overwhelming. This bus tour makes that transition a bit smoother by welcoming newcomers to our community in a meaningful way and connecting them to the resources, information and support they need to thrive in Canada.”
The bus tour includes stops at the Aurora Seniors Centre, Aurora Public Library, Aurora Family Leisure Complex, Aurora Town Hall and Fire Station 4-5. Presentations will also be delivered by York Regional Police, Central York Fire Services, Aurora Public Library, and Community & Home Assistance to Seniors (CHATS) on topics such as fire safety and emergency preparedness, fraud prevention, municipal services, recreation programming, and individual support services available in the community.
The Town of Aurora expects as many as 90 newcomers to take part in the two bus tour dates in November.
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