Canada's seniors are the fastest growing sector of its population. They have made Canada the best place to live of all the nations on Earth. With proper care and support, most will continue to contribute to Canada's welfare and prosperity. Some will require health and social services to maintain a quality of life appropriate to our society. Research on aging is urgently needed for information to extend their ability to contribute to society, and to maintain cognitive abilities, health, and quality of life. In achieving these goals, that same research can also indicate cost effective means of caring for those seniors who need services towards the end of life. One of our studies found, for example, that medical problems were not accompanied by reduced independence or quality of life given medical and community support. Achieving these aims will require a growing involvement of research in areas ranging from social policy to cell biology.