Galeries d’Aylmer and FADOQ – Outaouais Region unite to celebrate their 50th anniversary with two-day event 

Sophie Demers

Fédération de l'Âge d'Or du Québec (FADOQ) Outaouais Region and Galeries d’Aylmer are coming together to celebrate both of their 50th anniversaries in one major event. The celebration will take place February 3 and 4 at the Galeries d’Aylmer at 181 Principale in Aylmer. The two-day free event will include exhibitors, talks, and a 50+ job fair.

There will also be a draw for a trip valued at $10,000.

There will be exhibitors set up throughout the mall and businesses in the mall will also have the opportunity to participate in the job fair and by offering discounts to event goers. The event will bring citizens and FADOQ members together to discover the businesses in the Galeries. Participants can look forward to various talks, including one by Anne Desforges, the Director General of FADOQ – Outaouais Region.

“It’s rare that two organizations can celebrate their 50-year anniversary at the same time, so we wanted to organize a unique event,” said Desforges. “There are many employers who are looking to hire, and we thought experienced workers could be part of the solution. We thought, why not have a job fair at the combined 50th anniversary event.”

In 2021, FADOQ - Outaouais Region sent out a survey to citizens and received 4,000 responses. The survey indicated that 30% of individuals who were nearing retirement or in retirement felt they would return to the workforce. “They want to participate, stay connected, and contribute to society,” said Desforge. “This is why we are doing a job fair, because there are motivated and experienced 50+ workers who are not yet ready to retire.”

The two-day event will end with a cocktail hour from 5 to 7pm on Sunday at Chez Putters, where the winner of the $10,000 dollar trip draw will be announced.

FADOQ is a network of regional groups and clubs whose mission is to gather and represent people aged 50 and over to maintain and improve their quality of life. They achieve this through advocating for the rights of those over 50, valuing their contribution to society and supporting them through various programs, services, and activities. FADOQ – Outaouais Region has over 24,000 members and fifteen 50+ clubs in the region affiliated with the organization, making them the largest 50+ community in the Outaouais.