This Therapeutic Recreation Activity Assistant program focuses on the knowledge and skills required to plan, implement, and evaluate individuals or groups in therapeutic recreation and social activities. Program participants will learn to plan and implement supervised activities for older adults with cognitive and physical impairments and gain hands-on experience with supervised practicum experience.
In this Therapeutic Recreation Assistant Program, students will learn how to enhance their clients’ quality of life through leisure activities. The program will prepare students to work with a variety of client groups in different care settings such as hospitals, group homes, assisted living facilities, etc.
This Therapeutic Recreation Assistant Program BC has been reviewed and approved by the Private Training Institutions Regulatory Unit (PTIRU) of the Ministry of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills. This program consists of theory (20 weeks/372 hours) and practicum (3 weeks/90 hours).
Enroll in the Edison College Therapeutic Recreation Diploma in Victoria, British Columbia, and start your healthcare career in Canada.
Therapeutic recreation assistants assist their clients by helping them engage in music, exercises, swimming, and other recreational activities. They assess the requirements of patients according to their personal needs and design a plan that can help recover patients from depression, anxiety, or any other such challenges.
Upon completion of this Therapeutic Recreation Diploma, graduates will be able to:
• Recognize and respond to self-development, learning, and health enhancement needs.
• Develop communication techniques that demonstrate personal awareness, respect, and active listening skills.
• Perform the care provider role in a reflective, responsible, accountable, and professional manner.
• Under direction, assist and lead small group leisure activities.
• Support residents as they learn new techniques that are adapted to encourage participation.
Therapeutic recreation is one of the most personally meaningful careers in B.C.’s health care sector — and one of the most directly connected to the demographic forces reshaping the province. As B.C.’s population ages, the need for trained professionals who can support older adults and people with cognitive or physical impairments through purposeful leisure, social, and recreational programming is growing steadily across every type of care setting on Vancouver Island and throughout the province.
According to WorkBC, as B.C.’s population continues to age, the healthcare and social assistance field will see the largest increase in job openings in the next 10 years — with 54% of those openings coming from the need to replace retiring workers, and an additional 46% arising from expansion in the healthcare system in response to the growing medical needs of an ageing population. University of the Fraser Valley Therapeutic recreation activity assistants sit directly within this expanding workforce, supporting the quality of life and well-being of residents across long-term care facilities, assisted living communities, group homes, and adult day care programs.
The role of the activity assistant is distinct from that of a care aide — where HCAs provide personal physical care, therapeutic recreation assistants focus on the life-quality dimension of health: leading music programs, cognitive activities, fitness exercises, social events, reminiscence groups, creative arts, and other recreational programming that addresses the psychological, social, and emotional well-being of residents alongside their physical health. Most activity assistants are employed by healthcare agencies and work in long-term care homes, with additional opportunities in residential homes, community mental health centres, adult day care programs, hospice care, community centres, and private homes. University of the Fraser Valley
This program has been reviewed and approved by the PTIRU and includes a 3-week supervised practicum in Victoria, B.C. — giving graduates real-world experience inside a care setting before they graduate, with the certifications (FoodSafe Level 1, Standard First Aid with CPR Level C, and Provincial Violence Prevention Certificate) that B.C. care employers require.
Sources: WorkBC — Program Leaders and Instructors, Recreation | Government of Canada Job Bank | University of the Fraser Valley — Activity Assistant Program Context
Graduates of the Therapeutic Recreation Activity Assistant diploma are prepared for activity coordination and recreational programming roles across B.C.’s seniors’ care and community health sector. Career opportunities include:
Direct Activity & Recreation Roles:
Setting-Specific Titles:
With Experience:
Common employer types include healthcare agencies, long-term care homes, residential homes, community mental health centres, adult day care programs, hospice care settings, and community centres. University of the Fraser Valley In the Victoria and Greater Victoria region, employers include Island Health’s residential care sites, private care operators such as CareCorp Seniors Services and Retirement Concepts, non-profit care societies, and community health organizations operating across Vancouver Island.
Therapeutic recreation activity assistants work in some of the most human-centred and relationship-rich environments in B.C.’s health care sector — settings where the work they do directly and visibly improves the quality of daily life for the residents and clients they serve:
Long-Term Care & Complex Care Facilities: The primary employment setting for activity assistants — residential care facilities employ therapeutic recreation staff to deliver daily programming that supports cognitive engagement, physical activity, social connection, and emotional well-being for residents with varying levels of impairment. Victoria and the Greater Victoria area have a strong network of care facilities, operated by Island Health, private operators, and non-profit care societies, all of which employ activity aides and recreation workers.
Assisted Living Communities: Assisted living facilities serve seniors who require some support but wish to maintain their independence — and therapeutic recreation programming is central to the life enrichment model of these settings. Activity assistants in assisted living environments work with residents on a more individualized basis, tailoring programming to personal interests and abilities.
Adult Day Care Centres: Day programs for seniors and adults with disabilities employ activity workers to deliver structured, social, and therapeutic programming during daytime hours — a setting well-suited to graduates who prefer regular daytime schedules and a community-based rather than residential care environment.
Group Homes: Residential group homes for adults with cognitive or physical disabilities employ therapeutic recreation assistants to support leisure participation, social skill development, and community engagement — roles that draw directly on the dementia care, person-centred care, and leisure education components of this diploma.
Memory Care & Dementia Units: Specialized dementia care units within residential facilities require activity staff with specific training in working with people experiencing cognitive decline — skills covered directly in the program’s Practical Approach to Dementia course. B.C. care home employers specifically seek graduates with recreational or therapeutic certification and FoodSafe Level 1, First Aid/CPR, and WHMIS credentials. WorkBC
Hospice & Palliative Care: Victoria has an active hospice and palliative care network, and therapeutic recreation assistants trained in person-centred care and communication skills play a meaningful role in supporting resident quality of life in these settings.
A career as a therapeutic recreation activity assistant in B.C. offers stable health care wages with genuine advancement potential as experience, additional certification, and seniority build over time.
The current page’s salary estimate — $18 to $29 per hour — reflects the realistic entry-to-experienced range for activity aide roles across B.C.’s care settings. At the upper end of this range, recreation aide positions in B.C. long-term care facilities have been actively posted at $29.83 per hour Workopolis — a competitive rate aligned with collective agreement scales for care sector support workers in publicly funded facilities.
The program’s page also cites an average annual salary of $47,117 for therapeutic recreation activity assistants in Vancouver (Indeed, 2025) at an average hourly rate of $24.54 in the Vancouver area — providing a useful national market reference for the role.
Graduates who choose to advance their careers over time have clear pathways available. Activity assistants with several years of experience and additional education in therapeutic recreation or recreation and leisure studies can progress to Activity Coordinator and Recreation Coordinator roles — positions that carry both higher compensation and increased responsibility for programming design, staff supervision, and resident care planning. Moving into a more senior role typically means overseeing multiple service areas, requiring budgeting, human resources, and leadership skills in addition to direct programming expertise. WorkBC
Sources: WorkBC — Program Leaders and Instructors, Recreation | Government of Canada Job Bank | Workopolis — BC Activity Aide Postings
"Graduating from this program as a Mental Health and Addiction Community Support Worker has been a truly impactful experience. The education I received provided me with both the knowledge and practical skills needed to support individuals facing mental health and substance use challenges in a meaningful and compassionate way.
The instructors were supportive, knowledgeable, and brought real-world experience into the classroom, which made the learning feel relevant and applicable. I especially valued the focus on trauma-informed care, cultural awareness, and building genuine connections with clients.
This program helped me grow not only professionally but personally. I left feeling confident, prepared, and motivated to make a difference in my community. I’m grateful for the foundation it gave me and would recommend it to anyone looking to pursue a career in mental health and addiction support
"
"I had a great experience completing my Therapeutic Recreation Activity Assistant program at Edison College. The course was practical, easy to follow, and really helped me feel prepared to work in the field. I would definitely recommend it to others."
"My experience at Edison College Canada has been very rewarding. The Community Support Worker program, especially the Mental Health and Addiction specialization, has helped me build confidence and real-world skills to support vulnerable individuals in my community. I feel more prepared for my future career."
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