A Guide to Retirement Care & Senior Living in Burlington

Burlington is located just off Lake Ontario, an hour from both Toronto and Niagra Falls. The quaint waterfront city offers a high quality of life for its residents, along with a variety of recreational activities, shopping centers, annual festivals, and a growing economy. With more than 580 hectares of parkland surrounding the city, there are tons of opportunities for residents to enjoy the great outdoors. Burlington also holds the 2019 title for “Best Community in Canada” from Maclean’s Magazine. No matter what you have in mind for retirement, let Cared Upon help you find a community in Burlington that suits your unique needs. 

If you’re looking for a well-balanced retirement of urban fun and peaceful living, Burlington won’t disappoint. The city boasts a vibrant downtown full of restaurants, bars, and shops, while the serene residential communities are quiet and surrounded by nature. Since this city is located along Lake Ontario’s shore, you’ll get to enjoy swimming, boating, canoeing, surfing, or fishing when the weather allows it. If hiking is more your speed, you’ll have access to the famous Bruce Trail, and two UNESCO-designated World Biosphere Reserves; the Niagara Escarpment and the Waterfront Trail. Take in even more natural beauty with a trip to the Royal Botanical Gardens to see the world’s largest lilac collection. Each year, you can also look forward to kicking off summer with Burlington’s annual Sound of Music Festival, complete with food trucks, vendors, artists, and local businesses. 

The city’s humid, continental climate means that you can expect the weather to be cool, but temperate. The summers are comfortable, and the winters are cold, snowy, and windy, with partial cloud-cover year-round. Over the course of the year, the temperature typically varies from -8°C (17.6°F) to 26°C (78.8°F) and is rarely below -17°C (1.4°F) or above 30°C (86°F). 

You may find that as you age, your home care and retirement needs will change. From assisted living to adult lifestyle communities, Ontario offers seniors a range of housing options to fit their lifestyle and health needs. Although the location of your retirement community in Ontario will directly affect the cost, you can typically expect the cost of assisted living to start at $2000-$3000 per month.  

Although a large portion of retirement housing is privately owned and paid for, the government allows you to claim the costs of nursing homes or long-term care facilities through the Medical Expense Tax Credit (METC). Depending on the type of care you require and the facility you choose to call home, you can choose to claim for the costs which will be determined by your personal income. To learn more about the Medical Expense Tax Credit, visit the GGFL website. 

In terms of retirement budgeting, you’ll find that the cost of retiring in Ontario will vary depending on the city you choose to settle down in. For example, as Toronto is one of the most vibrant and liveable cities in all of Canada, you may find that the cost of living is higher than the national average. However, seniors living on a low to moderately low income wishing to retire in Ontario may be eligible for various income support programs.   

Ontario Trillium Benefit (OTB): The Ontario Trillium Benefit is a program that provides eligible seniors with payment from a combination of the Ontario Energy and Property Tax Credit, Northern Ontario Energy Credit, and the Ontario Sales Tax Credit.  

Government Funding  

Seniors residing in Ontario may also access several federally provided financial resources to help them prepare and pay for their retirement. If eligible, you may access funding through federal programs such as the Canadian Pension Plan Retirement Pension (CPP), Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS), and the Old Age Security Pension (OAS). For more information on Government contributions and your eligibility, visit our care blog. 

For seniors not eligible or looking for government funding, there are several different ways they can look to fund their retirement.   

Registered Retirement Savings Plans (RRSPs) and Tax-Free Savings Accounts (TFSAs): Using a Registered Retirement Savings Plans (RRSPs) or a Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSAs) you may save up for your post-retirement income, which will be dependent on the amount put into these accounts when you first began saving and the interest you received.  

Investment accounts: Taxable investment accounts, such as stocks and bonds, is a more common form of saving up for a post-retirement income source.   

Employer-sponsored pension plans: You may be eligible for an employer-sponsored pension plan through your employer. This plan involves your and your employer contributing money towards your retirement over the course of your employment.  

To learn more about your post-retirement income source options, visit our resource centre. 

All residents of Ontario must sign up with the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) to receive free health care and health services. As health care is publicly funded, under OHIP residents are entitled to coverage on health services such as visits to your doctor, hospital stays, medical surgeries, dental surgeries, ambulance services, eligible optometry services, and even travel for health-related services. While these are the standard services covered under OHIP, seniors 65 and up receive extended coverage on optometry services and prescription medication. You can find information on extended prescription medication coverage through the Ontario Drug Benefit program (ODB) on the Ontario Ministry of Health website.  

For further information, you can visit and/or contact these sources:  

Ontario Senior Living Guide: A comprehensive guide to all things senior living and program-related in Ontario.  

Telehealth Ontario: Call 1-866-797-0000 Toll-free to get access to a confidential health information line.