Meet people

Stay active

Be  fit

Have fun!

• increase social interaction

• increase physical and mental well-being

• participate in recreational activities and sports on an on-going basis

• promote fellowship

• develop a positive, active image

• To promote a positive, active image of older adults, 55years plus, through increased participation in biennial sport and recreation activities.

• To have appropriate recreational and sport  activities so that seniors 55+ can meet new people and have opportunities for fellowship and well-being

ALL ABOUT US

London Senior Games - LSG - now known as London 55+ Games, is comprised of a group of volunteers who work hard to promote an active lifestyle for 55+ adults through participation in a wide range of activities in the city of London. They meet once a month throughout the year and plan games that anyone 55 years or older can participate in. LSG represents District 30 London. They belong to the OSGA 55+ - Ontario Senior Games Association - headquartered in Mississauga and are one of 36 districts throughout Ontario.

Click here to see the  present LSG Committee

The London Senior Games Board was established in 1985. Rhoda Neilsen was the Chair for Actifest '90 which was held in London. Jim Martin was the District Coordinator. Jim resigned following Actifest '90 and Bruce Greenaway took over as chair with Bill Salter becoming the new Co-ordinator. Next chair was Barry Fay with Gord Gallagher as the District Coordinator. Barry Fay continued as the Chair and in 2003 Gail Prior took over as the District Coordinator. In 2008 Gail Prior was elected Chair and John Slavin took over as District Coordinator. In 2009 Jack Nichol was elected Chair with John Slavin remaining as District Coordinator. In 2010 and 2011 John Slavin was elected Chair with Doug Anderson as District Coordinator. In 2012 and 2013 Mitch Lupa was elected Chair and Doug Anderson remained as District Coordinator. Mitch Lupa was elected Chair and was also acting District Coordinator in 2015. Barry Fay was elected Chair and Mitch Lupa was appointed District Coordinator in 2016. In 2018, The D.C. job was split between Linda Grainger as Registrar and Kim Benke for scheduling & OSGA liaison. In 2019, Linda accepted a position on the OSGA Board, representing the SW Region. For 2020, Jim Rayner became President and Kim Benke continued on as D.C. All activity ceased in March 2021 due to the Covid -19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns. We will resume when City facilities open again.

Bill Huddleston, representing Hamilton Road Seniors’ Centre, was a member of long standing on the Board. In the beginning, a representative from most of the Seniors’ Centres in London sat on the Board. They brought ideas and concerns from their centres and took information back from our monthly meetings. Barb Vella, from Parks and Recreation, and Kathy Kosatschenko, from Horton Street Senior Centre were key members of the Board providing guidance and facilitating the use of community facilities at our Games. Today their legacy continues with a Board of volunteers currently representing the Kiwanis & Hamilton Rd Seniors’ Centre, the Horton Street Seniors’ Centre, the Huff n Puff Seniors Fitness Association and the community at large; all working in close association with the City of London Recreation Department. Together they schedule & manage all the events, and promote the Games around town.

There is a wide opportunity for seniors to become involved in London. District Games have been held throughout the city since its beginning. At first, we held all of the sanctioned Actifest events in our Games. We have gradually increased these events to include all Actifest events and numerous other events that are of interest to seniors in London and in 2003, we held 23 events in our Summer Games. Winners can then advance to the Ontario 55+ Summer Games (formerly Actifest) . As well as hosting the Provincial Senior Actifest Games in 1990 and 2008, London has sent representatives to Sudbury, Hamilton, Richmond Hill, Ottawa, Kingston, St. Catherines, Hamilton, Oshawa, Brampton, Windsor/Amherstburg, Brampton again, Midland, and Mississauga. The 2020 Summer Games were scheduled for Peterborough in Aug of 2020, but were cancelled due to Covid, as were the Winter 2021 Games planned for Brantford.

Note: Somewhere along the way Actifest became the Ontario Senior Games and more recently OSGA changed its name to Ontario 55+ Games, since our participants aged 55+ are not so keen to be called “Seniors” anymore.

The first Ontario 55+ Winter Games (formerly Winterfest) were held in Collingwood in 2000. Again London sent a full contingent of competitors to participate in the seven scheduled events. London then staged a very successful Winterfest in 2003. Nine sanctioned events were held along with one demonstration sport. London has sent representatives to Barrie, Brockville, Haliburton, Huntsville, Cobourg between 2007 and 2019.

Note: Winterfest is now known as Ontario 55+ Winter Games.

Regional Games are held in the immediate area involving nine Southwestern Ontario Districts in non OSGA 55+ Summer years (odd years). London hosted these games in 1993 and has been involved in the other regional games in Waterloo, Sarnia, Chatham, Kincardine, Oxford-Elgin, St. Marys/Stratford, Chatham-Kent (twice), District 29 - Huron, Perth, Middlesex, London 2015, Sarnia/Lambton, and Grey/Bruce 2019.

Each year OSGA 55+ holds an Annual Convention (AGM) to introduce format changes as well as provide information and assistance to the various districts. As well, the districts of Southwestern Ontario have held semi-annual meetings since 1985. In 1990 following a very successful Actifest in London, the Southwest Regional Games concept was introduced due to the impetus of District 29. The first Southwest Regional Games (which were the first Regional Games held in the province) were hosted by District 29 in Grand Bend in 1991. The main purpose of these games was to provide another level of competition for our districts in non Ontario 55+ Summer Games years. It was not (and still is not) necessary to provide competition in all of the Ontario 55+ Summer Games events in the Regional Games as it is only a one day event.  

The Districts included in the Southwest Region are:

With the start of annual District Winter Games as well as Summer Games we should be able to provide fun, friendly competition for all of London's senior population.

For more about :

OSGA 55+ Historical Summary

Member District of