Shannon Bell is a former QUESCREN research associate and trained journalist with a track record of making research accessible. She has worked for news and magazine publications in her native United States and holds a master’s degree in public administration. She also has extensive knowledge of English-speaking communities around the province, having worked for English-speaking community organizations in Montreal and Trois-Rivières.
A Complex Puzzle: The Realities of English-Speaking Seniors in Quebec
Recorded at a QUESCREN Lunch & Learn webinar on March 6, 2025
Context
Shannon Bell explores the realities and challenges faced by English-speaking seniors living in Quebec, which include managing socioeconomic vulnerabilities, accessing essential services in English such as caregiving, and finding ways to age in place when resources are scarce.
This webinar included a panel discussion with Katia Toimil-Bramhall of Seniors Action Quebec and Erica Botner of the Community Health and Social Services Network (CHSSN).
Key takeaways
- Nearly 50% of English-speaking seniors in Quebec cannot speak French, with bilingualism declining with age and regional remoteness, and women reporting lower French proficiency than men.
- English-speaking seniors are more likely to live below the low-income cutoff (13.5%), than Francophone seniors (9.5%).
- Accessing health and social services in English is a challenge for Quebec’s English-speaking seniors, especially in rural areas. Language barriers, a lack of English-speaking caregivers, and limited health information in English contribute to negative health outcomes and anxiety when seeking care.
- More English-speaking than French-speaking seniors expect to move into public long-term care within the next five years, likely due to a lack of nearby informal caregivers such as family and friends.
Strategic implications
- Creating and funding local support groups and expanding respite services would ease the burden on informal caregivers, particularly in rural English-speaking communities.
- Improving the consistency and visibility of English-language content on government websites and phone systems would make it easier for seniors to access essential information and services.
- Enhancing the user-friendliness of online tools and providing digital literacy support would help English-speaking seniors better navigate health and social service systems.
- Increasing funding for community-based wellness initiatives would strengthen outreach to isolated seniors and support programs tailored to their linguistic and cultural needs.
Read the research
A Complex Puzzle: The Realities of English-Speaking Seniors in Quebec (QUESCREN Research Brief)
Useful links
Additional resources shared during the event
Speaker organizations:
Programs & services serving seniors:
- Cummings Centre
- Initiatives de travail de milieu auprès des aînés en situation de vulnérabilité
- Saint-Antoine 50+ Community Centre
- Radical Resthomes programs:
- Houses with Purpose and ASAP (Another Solution for Aging in Place)
- Radical Resthomes
Other initiatives/organizations mentioned:
Speaker bio
How to cite this video: Bell, Shannon. “A Complex Puzzle: The Realities of English-Speaking Seniors in Quebec” Lunch & Learn webinar produced by the Quebec English-Speaking Communities Research Network (QUESCREN), Concordia University, Montreal, March 6, 2025. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmoC6z3r3s0
Terms of Use: This Lunch & Learn recording is made available to the public under the terms of Creative Commons Licence Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 International.
- The material can be copied and distributed in its original form only and for non-commercial purposes.
- Users must give appropriate credit to the creator(s) of the material and link to the original source.
About QUESCREN Lunch & Learns
QUESCREN is a collaborative network of researchers, community members and institutions that provides opportunities to promote the understanding and vitality of English-speaking Quebec. Our Lunch & Learn series consists of one-hour webinars on research topics related to English-speaking Quebec.
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This event was made possible through the financial support of the Secrétariat aux relations avec les Québécois d'expression anglaise. QUESCREN also received funding from the Department of Canadian Heritage, and Concordia University.
