Hundreds of Windsor seniors heading back to school

It's not only back-to-school time for students but retirees, too.

The Elder College at Canterbury College a school for seniors was a success last year so organizers have upped the ante for this year. This year, the school will offer more courses and increase enrolment.

Organizers expect to have approximately 700 students participated in roughly 100 courses.

Retiree Joe Stomp will be taking a course for the first time in 50 years. He used to be at the front of the class when he taught phys ed at Walkerville high school.

Since retiring, he decided to take a computer course at Elder College.

"I'd say it's pretty exciting because I haven't done anything like that in 50 years and it's a brand new challenge," he said.

The province says lifelong learning has grown in popularity in recent years. And the Alzheimer's society also says activity and hobbies are key to prevention and dealing with the disease.

Lloyd Brown-John is the director and founder of Elder College. He called the school "brain food" for retirees.

Organizer touts social benefits, too

"It's the kind of thing that stimulates your mind, gives you a social life," he said. "We have all sorts of good social relationships and between you and I I think we have a couple of romances coming out of Elder College courses."

Becky Rundle just moved to Windsor from Toronto. She's a retired real estate agent looking forward to meeting new people.

"I find it's important to keep in touch with what's happening within the community within current affairs and it's also a social outing for me," Rundle said.

Elder college has campuses all over Windsor-Essex.

The college's director says the school received a grant of $100,000 from the Trillium Foundation. That's enough funding for three more years.

It's not just students retiring to the college this year. Instructors are returning to the college, too.

Bob Mitchell turned his hobby on the Windsor-Essex railway into a railway history course last year. It's offered again this year.

"It's extremely exciting to be able to take something that you love yourself and to be share it with other people who are interested in it," he said. "It's fun."