Senior Living Magazine Island Edition April 2011

APRIL 2011

Vancouver Island’s 50+ Active Lifestyle Magazine

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Romance on the Dance Floor

Making New Friendships...Rekindling Old Ones

Stepping Out!

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FEATURES 6 Romance on the Dance FloorThey came to learn the steps, and they ended up finding romance – couples who bonded through their shared love of dance.

10 Meetup.comTo make friends with similar hobbies and interests, check out this online community.

12 Everyone has a StoryStories come to life when they are shared among friends in this Pender Island writers’ group.

14 Pursuing PastimesJonanco Hobby Workshop in Nanaimo offers both space and machinery required to pursue hobbies.

18 Dipped in ChocolateRuth Justice retired from a lifetime dedicated to chocolate – and she’s learning that retirement can be just as sweet.

20 Thora Howell’s Stone SoupMeet the heart and soul of the Vancouver Island Children’s Book Festival – set to celebrate its 25th anniversary.

28 Another Great Party!With over 3,000 visitors, volunteers, exhibitors and entertainers, this year’s Senior Living magazine’s Senior Expo has been called our best!

DEPARTMENTS24 Classifieds26 BBB Scam Alert

COLUMNS 4 The Family Caregiver by Barbara Small

25 Ask Goldie by Goldie Carlow

27 Courageous & Outrageous by Pat Nichol

Cover Photo: Husband and wife team Neil and Carmen Fleischmann met on the dance floor, where romance bloomed.See story on page 6. Photo: Vernice Shostal

APRIL 2011

Head Office Contact Information:Box 153, 1581-H Hillside Ave., Victoria BC V8T 2C1

Phone 250-479-4705 Fax 250-479-4808Toll-free 1-877-479-4705

E-mail [email protected] www.seniorlivingmag.com

Subscriptions: $32 (includes GST, postage and handling) for 12 issues. Canadian residents only.No portion of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission from the publisher. Senior Living is an independent publi-cation and its articles imply no endorsement of any products or services. The views expressed herein are not necessarily those of the publisher. Unsolic-ited articles are welcome and should be e-mailed to [email protected] Senior Living Vancouver Island is distributed free throughout Vancouver Island. Stratis Publishing Ltd. publishes Senior Living Vancouver Island (12 issues per year) and Senior Living Vancouver & Lower Mainland (12 issues per year). ISSN 1710-3584 (Print) ISSN 1911-6403 (Online)

Publisher Barbara RistoEditor Bobbie Jo Reid [email protected] Editor Allyson Mantle

Advertising ManagerBarry Risto 250-479-4705 ext 101For advertising information, call [email protected] Sales Staff Ann Lester 250-390-1805Mathieu Powell 250-479-4705 ext 104Barry Risto 250-479-4705 ext 101

Senior Living (Vancouver Island) is published by Stratis Publishing.

Publisher’swww.seniorlivingmag.com

March was a big month for Senior Living with about 3,000 people turn-ing out for our 6th annual Senior Expo in Victoria.

Despite weather that went from sunshine to rain and back again, the stream of visitor traffic was steady all day, giving the exhibitors a lot of quality face-to-face time with inter-ested seniors.

Whoever says seniors aren’t a lively bunch hasn’t been to our Expo! There were people literally danc-ing in the aisles as a number of per-formers took to the stage to entertain throughout the day.

In this issue of Senior Living we feature the many ways seniors are finding to socialize. The isolation that can occur as one ages can be quite de-bilitating. Many people notice it most when their spouse dies or is incapaci-tated in some way. Suddenly they are thrust into an arena where they have to make a determined effort to stay con-nected to friends and family. This isn’t always easy, but with a little planning and effort, you can find many groups that welcome single seniors, where you can find people who share a com-mon interest or passion.

Of course, dating is another as-pect that comes into play as one ages. With the death of a spouse or through divorce, seniors can find themselves having to refresh dating skills they haven’t used since they were teenagers.

In this issue you will hear how other seniors are coping in their social lives, and making the most of every day. I hope you are inspired to get out and try some new things.

Happy reading!


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Professional advice and information on a variety of products and services that suit your needs are published on the Senior Living website.

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you and the care recipient opportunities to interact with other people, and will provide you with a break, so you can connect with others.

• It is easy to let friendships and other connections fade away once the demands of caregiving take over. To stay healthy, make time to stay in contact with others – with even a brief email or a quick call. You are there to provide support to your ill family member, but you need a sup-port network too. Doing so will make you a better caregiver.

• Attend events at the activity centres in your community, such as New Hori-zons, Silver Threads or at your local rec-reation centre.

Next month: The Financial Impact of Caregiving

The Family Caregiver column is brought to you by the generous sponsorship of ElderSafe Support Services

THE FAMILY CAREGIVER

Reducing Family Caregiver Isolation

SL

BY BARBARA SMALL

Barbara Small is the Program Develop-ment Coordinator for Family Caregivers’ Network Society located in Victoria, BC. www.familycaregiversnetwork.org

One of the major issues fam-ily caregivers experience is social isolation. Even care-

givers who have strong social networks can feel isolated at times. At workshops, when I tell caregivers there are over 94,000 family caregivers in the Capi-tal Regional District and one million in B.C., they are often shocked. Although they know on one level that they aren’t alone, many feel they are the only one going through these challenges – and no one else will understand.

In the VON Caregiver Risk Factor Report (2008), social isolation was ex-plained as the lack of social activities and relationships aside from that with the care recipient. It was identified as the highest risk factor experienced by family caregivers and the most fre-quently observed.

Some of the factors that contribute to family caregivers’ isolation:

• Not self-identifying as family care-givers, therefore, not accessing services or connecting with other caregivers.

• A lack of knowledge of community resources that could provide support.

• Other family members living at a distance.

• The time devoted to caregiving can cause caregivers to feel isolated from friends, family and a social life and they

are often too tired to go out.• The care recipient’s health may pre-

vent the caregiver from leaving them alone or respite isn’t available.

• The declining health of the caregiver brought on by caregiver burnout.

• Family and friends that don’t under-stand the situation and don’t want to talk about it at length.

• Many caregivers don’t ask for help. They believe they should be able to do everything themselves. When caregivers are isolated, it can also make it difficult for others to know when to intervene.

Below are some ways caregivers can reduce their isolation:

• Sharing your experiences with other caregivers at a support group is a great way to fight the feeling that you are the only person in the world with these problems.

• The Internet provides connection with others 24/7 through online discus-sion forums. You can gain support by linking with other caregivers.

• Attend caregiver workshops and tele-workshops to learn skills and to connect with others in a similar situation.

• Ask family members or friends to help with some of the day-to-day tasks. Contact community organizations that provide respite care and services for family caregivers. This will give both

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“If you want to meet people, take up dancing,” says Neil Fleischmann, who met his wife, Carmen, the night they both signed up for the same class with the Victoria Ballroom Dance Society. Although

Neil found people there were friendly, dancing with Carmen required more effort.

“Carmen had a lovely smile and is a natural dancer,” says Neil, “but used to hide at the back of a group of women,” so he had to “push past” everyone to get her to dance with him. Eventually, they dated, found they were right for each other and decided to marry. Carmen says she led the proposal, while Neil insists he wooed her.

A perennial jock who enjoyed a career in sales, Neil ran marathons, played rugby, tennis and squash, and pole-vaulted in the past. These days, he kayaks regularly. Kayaking and ballroom dancing give him a full-body workout.

An academic, Carmen got her exercise from ballet, Ha-waiian/Tahitian and folk dancing in her youth and jazz as an adult. In addition to her dancing, she likes walking.

The couple dances five or six times a week, meets with their dance friends for lunch after practice on Sundays, and travels with friends to dance competitions in Nanaimo, the Lower Mainland, Seattle and Portland as well as Victoria. “Dancing provides physical, mental and social exercise,” says Neil, and “gives us something to do together.”

Jim Woods and Judit Gosling, who married after a long courtship, met at a Timebenders dance several years ago. Since he was looking for a dance partner, and neither Judit nor the man she was sitting beside were dancing, Jim politely asked the gentleman, “Can I dance with your wife?”

“That’s my sister and yeah, go ahead,” her brother re-plied.

“We danced that entire evening,” says Judit. “I love the

grace, the intimacy and the connection between the dancers. I remember watching my parents have that little bit of their own world on the dance floor and I wanted that, too.” Danc-ing is easy for the local department store gift consultant. All she has to do is follow Jim who says, “The mastery of each style is exuberating as well as a fun exercise.”

Judit and Jim are eclectic music lovers and active outdoors people. Jim, a machine operator who likes big boy toys, goes to the pool every morning and likes to fish when he can. Judit prefers sailing and going for walks.

Married almost a year ago, and recently back from a Hawaiian holiday, where they danced at the Navy club and several nightclubs, the couple continue to dance weekly. On

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Romance on the Dance Floor BY VERNICE SHOSTAL

Dance couples, left to right, Carmen and Neil Fleischmann, Robin Evans and Harry Lepp, Sheila and Garth Pilkey.

Phot

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WWW.SENIORLIVINGMAG.COM APRIL 2011 7»

Sundays, they meet a small group of dance friends for brunch. This same group of friends have taken vacations together, celebrated wedding anniver-saries and birthdays, enjoyed potlucks and danced the night away at Butchart Gardens’ Christmas gatherings.

Sheila and Garth Pilkey met at a Swing City dance at the Edelweiss Hall, a perfect place to meet people who en-joy dancing, says Garth, who asked a friend sitting beside Sheila to introduce him. Six months later, he asked the tal-ented pianist on a date.

The marriage proposal happened at a karaoke night. While Garth sang, “I pulled a diamond ring out of the pocket of my shirt” from Brad Pais-ley’s “We Danced,” he pulled a dia-mond ring out of his own shirt pocket and offered it to Sheila.

Originally, Garth learned country dancing to get over stage fright and to move rhythmically to music. Dancing isn’t difficult with a good instructor, he says.

Sheila’s dancing aspiration came from admiring the beautiful dresses and footwear of ballroom dancers on tele-vision. She also enjoys the socializing aspect of dancing. “There is a unique bond between dancers,” says Sheila, a high school educational assistant in the life skills program. “There is a lot of ac-ceptance at whatever level you are. We have met friends through dancing from all walks of life.”

Last December, the Pilkeys or-ganized a caroling night. The choral evening culminated with a party at the Pilkeys’ who anticipate a repeat perfor-mance in 2011.

A skilled handyman who delivers for a local bakery, Garth says dancing gives him and Sheila “time together as a date.”

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Looking inside, he saw beautiful, graceful dancers and knew immediately he wanted to join. He took lessons and a short time later appeared at a VBDS Friday night practice, where Robin Evans, the evening’s hostess, welcomed new people and made them feel comfortable.

When she saw Harry, “a tall, handsome man,” talking with her friends, she introduced herself and asked him to dance. After practice, Robin invited Harry to another dance. Their friendship led to dating and at the dance group’s annual Christmas Dinner, Robin and Harry provided the entertain-ment: Robin dressed as Santa and Harry as her elf, Tiny.

At the end of the evening, the elf got down on one knee and asked for Santa’s hand in marriage. They tied the knot in a fairytale reception at Spencer Castle.

A Physical Education teacher, Robin has taught dance to thousands of school children in Canada, Germany and Ko-rea. Harry’s only dance experience before lessons was of the “shake and bake” variety, but “From there, it’s not a stretch to take up ballroom,” he says. “Those of us who have discov-ered this activity have waaaay too much fun.”

Linda and Thomas Maxwell met at a dance practice. “We danced under the stars,” says Linda, who loves how dance is romantically portrayed in the old movies of her youth. Hav-ing enjoyed a variety of dance types, Linda enrolled in ball-room in 2004. Thomas’ dancing background was minimal. He took dance lessons to meet new people. An appreciation of the rhythm of music is helpful in learning to dance, he says and one “must be able to count to four.”

For her birthday in 2007, Thomas took Linda to Paris. Pre-paring for the trip, Thomas says, “I knew I was beginning a wonderful journey,” so he packed a diamond ring, which he offered to Linda during their dinner at a restaurant in the Eiffel Tower. Linda said, “Absolutely,” and the entire restaurant ap-plauded. The evening ended with a cruise on the Seine.

Dancing has become a part of Linda and Thomas’ social life. They meet with friends at dances, dinner parties and birthday celebrations. A former government worker and cur-rent seasonal tour guide, Thomas likes the business and com-munity contacts, whereas Linda, a retail sales assistant man-ager, says dance is good exercise, keeps her weight down, improves her balance and allows her to “dress up.”

“Dancing is one of the best ways to prevent the onset of Alzheimer’s,” says dance instructor, John de Pfyffer, who has been teaching dancing for 25 years. Because a dancer has to be in the moment, dancing releases stress and improves men-tal acuity. Most people start dance lessons after their children have left home, he says. An excellent physical workout and a fun way to keep fit, (a two-minute samba has been shown to have the same physical benefits as running a mile), dancing can be done one’s entire life, says John.

Socially, the dance floor is a great place to meet people – even someone who may become a dance partner for life. SL

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A couple of years ago, Louise Ayotte, a retired Vancouver teacher, realized she’d lost several of her women friends. Two had passed way, while two more had moved to far-away cities.

“I thought, ‘Gee, I don’t have anyone to go out for coffee or lunch with any more,’” Louise recalls.

Computer-savvy, she turned to the In-ternet for help.

“I Googled ‘friends’ and an organi-zation called Meetup appeared.” Fol-lowing the straightforward directions at www.meetup.com, Louise created a so-cial group specifically for women aged 50 and better who lived in Vancouver. The response was overwhelming.

“I expected maybe eight or 10 women would join,” she says. “Now, we have 175 members. We could easily have 400, but I limited it to Vancouver city.” Similar groups have since sprung up in suburban areas like Coquitlam and Surrey.

Meetup.com is an online social net-working portal, founded in 2001 by Scott Heiferman, Matt Meeker and Peter Kamali. Not designed as a dating site, Meetup facilitates offline group meetings in various cities around the world. Members seek out and join groups based on a common interest, like politics, books, games, movies, health, pets, careers or hobbies.

Finding a Meetup group in an area is easy. For instance, en-ter “Victoria, B.C.” and “sea kayaking” and find the Victoria Sea Kayakers Meetup. One click brings users to the group’s

“welcome page,” and with another click, a person can become a member with access to a calendar of activities. New members simply show up at the time and place indicated.

There are Meetup groups for almost every activity under the

sun: knitting, movies, walking, cooking and dining out. Meetup groups also exist for owners of dogs of various breeds. And for those who can’t find what they’re looking for, it’s easy to start a group and become an “organizer.”

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LOOKINGforIncome?

Meetup.comBY ELIZABETH GODLEY

Socializing


attend events or a low annual fee of $10 or so.Laura Blumenthal, who teaches English as a Second Language

in Vancouver, belongs to several Meetup groups. Organizer of the Vancouver Walking Meetup Group, Laura says simply that she en-joys walking. “I love to walk and do it a lot, but I find it a lot more fun when there are others to share the route with.”

She adds: “The other thing I appreciate about Meetup is that it has allowed me to discover something I didn’t know about myself. I seem to be good at organizing people and making sure that most people are happy with what’s happening.”

Laura takes pleasure in discovering new places and new things and sharing them with others.

“As one person in my walking Meetup group recently told me, ‘I watch for the meetups that you organize as there’s always some-thing unusual and interesting to see on them.’ This fits in perfectly with my philosophy that a day without learning something new is a wasted day – and if we can do it while stretching our legs, getting fresh air, and even the odd spot of sunshine, so much the better!”

Since the group was founded in 1996, 1,358 recreational walk-ers have signed on. Each week, there are at least three walks, in-cluding a regular Wednesday walk around Burnaby Lake.

Renee Lindstrom wanted to meet some people who would enjoy watching the four-film DVD she receives by mail each month from a U.S. organization called “The Spiritual Cinema Circle.”

“It’s like a book club, but it’s a movie club,” says Renee, a busy single mother who lives in Victoria. Her plan was to set aside some time to see the films by organizing a monthly Meetup group to watch the DVDs. Otherwise, she says, they tend to pile up, un-watched. In addition, “I was looking to find a community that would be interested in these movies and enjoy discussing them.”

Renee started her Meetup group in the fall of 2010, and so far has held five meetings. While 13 people have expressed interest, only about four members have shown up on movie night.

She recoups some of her costs by charging participants $3 for an evening of films that typically includes a feature, as well as a couple of shorts and a documentary.

Tim Campbell, a Victoria computer analyst, began looking for a camera club a few years ago. His brother, who was studying Span-ish and had been going to a Meetup group for Spanish-language students, told him about Meetup. After a Google search, Tim dis-covered a Meetup group of photography enthusiasts in Victoria. When the original organizer of the group bowed out because of time constraints, Tim took over.

The Victoria Photography Meetup, founded in 2007, today boasts 411 members, about 50 of them active. As the organizer, Tim arranges a couple of events each month. One involves a speaker, usually a professional photographer, while the other focuses on an outdoor “photo walk,” where members meet at a designated loca-tion and then take a walk, on the lookout for suitable photographic subjects. He also organized a weekend in Tofino last February. Six members attended and gave the experience rave reviews.

Tim is happy with his Meetup group. “I’ve made a lot of really great friends, and some of them are very talented pho-tographers.” SL

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One of the oldest human social activities is sto-rytelling. It was, in ages past, a way to pass along

information, entertain and keep tribal histories alive.

My dad used to jokingly call our large family a tribe. But he was right. We are a tribe, and our tribe is held to-gether partly by our stories. When we gather, we tell some of our stories again and again; we feel the love and laughter of our history.

Many Canadian families are spread from one end of the country to the oth-er, and it is often impossible to get to-gether regularly to share stories. Pender Island’s Senior Life Story Writing Pro-gram fulfills this need.

The social experience of seniors sit-ting together writing and reading the stories of their lives has brought 13 peo-ple together on Pender Island for two (all too short) hours, twice a month. The ages range from 55 to 96 years.

“The pleasure gleaned from gather-ing to write and read aloud, be it sad,

serious or funny, is such an enriching experience for me,” says member writer Maureen Buck.

During a workshop afternoon, writ-ing exercises focus on events in the members’ lives. The rest of the time is spent reading and listening to one an-other’s written stories. Some bring old photographs for inspiration and they share tea, coffee and cookies (some-thing chocolate!) to keep them going.

The excitement level of the group is high, people sharpen their writing skills, and memories spill forth. Each writer works towards a collection of stories he or she can present to family members. There is even talk of pub-lishing an anthology!

Members agree writing their stories is a rewarding endeavour in itself, but writing together is the spice in the stew. Sure, they could probably set up the workshop online, but only those profi-cient on computers could join. Or they could stay home and write these stories by themselves. But would they? If they did, they would miss the authentic voice

EVERYONE HAS A STORYBY LESLIE MCBAIN

Left to right, Elaine Horvat, Maureen Buck, Kathleen and Gordon Resvick, John Roberts.


SL

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MEETCHARLENE L. CLEARY

Charlene is an Associate lawyer and joined Horne Coupar in 2010.

Her preferred areas of practice are Estate Law, General Civil Litigation, Contract Disputes, and Employment matters.

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of the reader, the tears in the eyes of a member whose heart has been touched, or the frequent laughter at a funny tale.

“This class encourages us to dig into our past. The result is many surprises, original writing and good fun in a friendly and supportive group,” says member John Bryan.

“Working as a group enriches and enhances us all, I think,” says Barb Zacour, a longtime Pender resident. “I expect that we inspire each other.”

Charlotte Woodrow says, “Several years ago, I received a book, a gift from a daughter-in-law, Grandmother, A Record Book of Memories. It has been on top of my dresser collecting dust. I needed something or someone to inspire me and our writing group has done just that!”

As facilitator and editor for this group, I am constantly in awe of the abilities of every person who takes the risk of sto-

rytelling. In class, we don’t worry too much about grammar, style or even spelling, though I find folks of a certain age learned all of that back in the days of strict schooling!

Finally, there are studies galore touting the benefits of sto-ry writing groups: depression can decline, immune health is positively impacted, imagination, and therefore brain activity is revved up. As seniors, we need the physical activity of sim-ply arriving somewhere fun! There is an incalculable positive effect of being seen and heard, for all of us. Our stories are valuable not only to us but also to family members and to our peers. Our stories remind us we are living lives worth telling and hearing about.

Everyone has a story. In fact, everyone has gardens full of stories. The equipment needed is simple – a good pen and a blank notebook – and a group of like-minded individuals to share the experience.

To start a writing group in your community, contact Leslie McBain at [email protected] or 250-629-6490.

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os: L

eslie

McB

ain

Left, John Bryan, right, John Eckfeldt.


Hobbies

A Vancouver Island secret lies at the corner of Nanaimo Lakes Road and White Rap-ids Road in Nanaimo. And

Jonanco Hobby Workshop members are excited for its revelation.

Built in 1974 by John Colwell and oth-er rockhounds (people who collect rocks and mineral specimens), the workshop is a dedicated space for members to pursue their pastime. John lent his name to the workshop: “Jonanco” comes from “John and company.” He and his wife Fern do-nated the land for the building and started the club, which has expanded to include many other hobbies: pottery, carving, lap-idary, stained glass, quilting, silversmith-ing, casting, Danish wool art, woodwork-ing, basket weaving, and knitting. Much of the equipment for these hobbies is housed at the workshop, which makes pursuing them more affordable for members.

Bruce Smyth, 61, has been coming to the centre with his wife since 1998.

“I learned so many things here. The only thing I still do that I could do before is tatting,” he says, referring to an impres-sive display of items he handcrafted: opal necklaces, rings, tatted earrings, decora-tions, faceted jewels, and charms worked in silver. There is a small horse head made of five different materials: petrified wood (horse), nickel silicate (background), du-mortierite (sky), fire agate (eye), and rho-

donite (nostril). He even has a bracelet made from mammoth tusk. Hours of work are represented here.

Bruce is one of more than 50 members who spend time at the self-funded, self-maintained workshop to pursue various hobbies. Members include both highly skilled artisans and beginners who want to learn. A membership fee of $100 per year ensures the electricity and heat can stay on, and provides for the repair and upkeep of equipment; some fundraising offsets whatever other expenses come up. The building is also rented out oc-casionally to a trusted few, usually a related craft or hobby group such as the Vancouver Island Faceters’ Guild.

Although women tend to take part in the textile hobbies more than men do, the gender distribution is pretty even, says Bruce. Many couples take up hobbies to-gether after retirement. The tatting club he belongs to has only 100 members in the entire world, both women and men.

Dave Mulroney is a Pisces, and he has the pendant to prove it. As he shows off the items he cast from silver, pride in his work is evident.

“This is the centrifugal caster,” he says, demonstrating how it works.

Pendants like the Pisces one start out as wax moulds that the members also shape themselves. Almost anything can be the basis for a mould; one member is busy ap-

plying wax to the top of a stir stick shaped like a covered wagon.

“These moulds fit into the caster op-posite the ceramic crucible,” Dave contin-ues. “The crucible holds the liquid metal – either silver or gold. When the machine is set spinning, the liquid metal flies into the small chamber where the mould is.

The metal coats the mould and takes its shape. The wax mould melts, and then the cooling process begins.” After it is cooled, the pendant is cleaned up and prepared to be set as a piece of jewelry.

Dave also carves in soapstone, jade, limestone, and alabaster.

Pursuing PastimesBY CATHRYN GUNN

Phot

o: C

athr

yn G

unnBruce Smyth and Del Bouer

polish a stone on one of the machines available for use at the Jonanco Hobby Workshop.


Many of the stones in Dave’s collection of lapidary projects come from his journeys to Australia. “The Australian government sets aside places for amateur rockhounds to go and collect,” he explains. “Not all places are like that. Open, abandoned mines are another possibility. There is no legislation against entering them in Australia.”

Other stones come from rock and gem shows in Victoria or Arizona. Dave and the other lapidary artists take their hobbies seri-ously, and they all have experience sharing their skills with interested visitors.

People come to the Jonanco Hobby Workshop from all over the area. Dan Mooney comes regularly from Port Al-berni to take part in Jonanco activities and spend time with other people who share his interests. He has a fine collection of wire-wrapped jewelry; all the stones were pol-ished using the machines at Jonanco, set and wrapped by hand. “Many of these hobbies are not hard to do,” says Dan. “They can be learned in an afternoon. You sit down with someone who teaches you.”

Some of the jewelry has price tags on the back. Dan chuckles, “I sell some pieces, but you can’t make a living doing this.” The Jonanco equipment is for hobby use only, in fact. Allowing use of the machines for busi-ness purposes would tie them up, and make them unavailable for hobbyists.

A multitude of activities are featured at Jonanco on different days of the week. Any-body can drop in and receive instruction in the feature hobbies for a fee of $6.

No other club on the Island owns its own building, according to workshop chairper-son Linda Addison. “I originally joined to learn how to quilt,” she says. “I really enjoy going to Jonanco and being involved in the many association activities. We have, in the past, made and donated ‘comfort quilts’ to our volunteer fire departments; designed and made incubator coverlets for the neo-natal unit at NRGH; and donated various items to community fundraising groups.”

Jonanco’s open house is April 16 and 17 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. There will be displays and demos from Jonanco and some other Island clubs. Raffle prizes. Free admission.

To learn more, visit the Jonanco website at www.jonanco.com

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What makes SSC so unique in the marketplace is its goal to promote independence in the familiar home environment where seniors are the most comfortable. The emphasis is on customized care. Services offered are unique and all-encompassing, ranging from personal needs, meal preparation and medication monitoring to housekeeping, transportation and errands. The rates are affordable, with SSC providing a variety of service options — hourly support, live-in or overnight care for any time period requested.

“There are no limitations on what services our agency can provide,” says Shauna Dorko, owner of Sidney Senior Care. “Service is available seven days a week, with 24-hour phone access.”

The overall goal of SSC is to accurately assess individual situations and come up with effective, customized solutions to meet the ever-changing needs of a rapidly growing elderly population. All of SSC’s 100+ community health care workers are

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the corner of Bevan & Third Street, is conveniently located next door to the SSC home support offices. This newest addition to the SSC line of services provides a comfortable and safe environment where seniors can go for a half day or full day program.

With the busyness of life these days, flexibility is critical. “Peoples’ lives are constantly changing on a daily basis,” reminds Shauna.

“Our mandate as an agency is to look after our clients, and adapt at a moment’s notice to each and every one of those changes to provide the very best quality of care. We’re talking about people’s lives here, and we are adamant about treating our seniors with the same dignity, respect and care that we ourselves like to be treated with.”

Every year that passes reminds us that we will all be seniors one day. We can find comfort in the fact that home support agencies such as SSC will make that journey a pleasant one.

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What makes SSC so unique in the marketplace is its goal to promote independence in the familiar home environment where seniors are the most comfortable. The emphasis is on customized care. Services offered are unique and all-encompassing, ranging from personal needs, meal preparation and medication monitoring to housekeeping, transportation and errands. The rates are affordable, with SSC providing a variety of service options — hourly support, live-in or overnight care for any time period requested.

“There are no limitations on what services our agency can provide,” says Shauna Dorko, owner of Sidney Senior Care. “Service is available seven days a week, with 24-hour phone access.”

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9752 Third Street, Sidney BC250.589.0010 • 250-656-7176

the corner of Bevan & Third Street, is conveniently located next door to the SSC home support offices. This newest addition to the SSC line of services provides a comfortable and safe environment where seniors can go for a half day or full day program.

With the busyness of life these days, flexibility is critical. “Peoples’ lives are constantly changing on a daily basis,” reminds Shauna.

“Our mandate as an agency is to look after our clients, and adapt at a moment’s notice to each and every one of those changes to provide the very best quality of care. We’re talking about people’s lives here, and we are adamant about treating our seniors with the same dignity, respect and care that we ourselves like to be treated with.”

Every year that passes reminds us that we will all be seniors one day. We can find comfort in the fact that home support agencies such as SSC will make that journey a pleasant one.

“There are no limitations on what services our agency

can provide. Service is available seven days a week, with 24-hour phone access.”

Sidney Senior Care Home Support Office Sidney Senior Care Daycare

“Our community health care workers are on the front lines and represent us as an agency — they are the backbone of SSC,” says Shauna. “This business is all about client care and satisfaction. Sidney Senior Care is committed to providing 100 per cent satisfaction.”

SSC’s newest phase — Sidney Senior DayCare & Educational Centre — at

www.sidneyseniorcare.ca Email: [email protected]

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During a busy Christmas season in 1958, Ruth Jus-tice began a new job as a night shift chocolate dip-

per at Rogers’ Chocolates – a career that would span 52 years.

“I already knew how to dip choco-lates by hand,” she says. “I just thought it would be a nice job to have because you could make your own hours.”

In the back of his small grocery store, Charles “Candy” Rogers began to make his chocolates in 1885. Six years later, he moved the business to the landmark storefront, where it stands today on Government Street in Victoria – the aroma of decadently delicious choco-lates taking hold of unsuspecting pass-ersby. Ruth remembers the tiny working area at the back of the shop during the Christmas season.

“There was all the equipment, includ-ing 10 people to make the fillings and to dip the chocolates. You couldn’t turn around without bumping into someone,” she recalls. “We all went home smelling like chocolates!”

Ruth later moved to the spacious Factory Outlet in Saanich, where the chocolates are still made, then shipped around the world.

Ruth searches through 52 years of chocolate memories and recalls some of

her favourites: “I remember a lady who special-ordered a chocolate bunny for her wedding. It was three-feet high and dressed like a real bride in white lace. It was only the bride bunny, no groom, but it was a lot of chocolate! Another time, Lorna, one of the chocolate mak-

ers, made and decorated a special order for full-size chocolate footballs.”

But Ruth’s all-time favourite choco-late-covered story happened at Easter. “One year, a young man came in and ordered a customized chocolate Easter egg,” she says. “He wanted to surprise

his girlfriend and asked that we put his engagement ring inside the egg. We did and thought it was very brave of him to trust us with the precious ring.”

In those early years, Ruth confesses one difficulty she had to conquer was the fragile plastic moulds used for shap-

ing specialty chocolates, such as the Easter bunnies. When she “popped” the bunnies from the moulds, there were al-ways broken pieces, until they brought in better-quality moulds.

Ruth recently visited her old work-place. Pausing to watch chocolate maker

DIPPED IN CHOCOLATEBY JUDEE FONG

Retirement

Phot

o: J

udee

Fon

g


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DIPPED IN CHOCOLATELana Zhou tapping the bunnies out of the moulds and setting them on a tray, ready for the wrapping stage, Ruth marvels, “It’s so easy now with perfect bunnies every time!”

As she watches today’s workers busily wrap the popular Victorian creams, Ruth recalls the old-fashioned process of how the chocolates were made.

“There were four cooks who would make up the batches of sweet creams in these great big vats – each one doing a differ-ent flavour. The creams were cooled, cut to size and delivered to the hand-dippers on a large board. The creams were then dipped into 10 pounds of melted dark chocolate, which is al-most bitter. Because the creams are so sweet, it complements the bitter chocolate.”

Today, machines and conveyor belts replace the “Ruths” of yesteryear. However, human-wrappers still wrap and box the famous chocolates.

“It’s not just the act of making chocolates, but the pure delight of knowing so many people are enjoying the choco-late experience from one of the oldest chocolate companies in Canada,” says Ruth.

Rogers’ celebrated its 125th anniversary in 2010. Starting out at Rogers’, Ruth was a single mom raising

four young sons. The starting salary was low, but the hours suited her family’s schedule.

“I had my children to think about, so I stayed a little lon-ger,” she says. “I enjoyed the work, the people I worked with and the years just flew by. Before I knew it, my boys were young men.”

Today, two of Ruth’s sons are married with families of their own. She has five grandchildren, the youngest of which is 14. “One minute they’re babies, and the next they’re grown-up.”

Ruth has learned to enjoy retirement.“At first, I did sleep in, but now I’m up early,” she says.

“You do need a bit of time to adjust to a different kind of schedule. I love to knit and I’m a BC Lions fan.”

Reflecting on 52 years with one employer, Ruth realizes things are different today for young employees. Throughout her career, she held firm to her work ethic: “Always do the best you can at whatever job it may be. It builds self-confi-dence to know you can do the job and do it well.” SL


Thora Howell’s career of bringing people and books together was only preparation for an enter-prising life after retirement. Elementary teacher, children’s librarian in schools and at Vancouver’s

Britannia Centre, and award-winning bookstore proprietor in Nanaimo, Thora continues to extend and expand her book-loving work. She nurtures every kind of activity that supports writers and readers: bringing in authors, talking to libraries, and generally caretaking the local literary landscape.

“This year is an exciting one for people who love children’s books,” says Thora. “On May 7th, we will host the 25th an-niversary of the Vancouver Island Children’s Book Festival. Hey, we’re really going to celebrate!” This remarkable event annually attracts 600-800 children and families to a day of readings, talks and book signings. It’s the only such festival in Canada, and it is loved by three generations of attendees and dozens of writers and illustrators who flock to Nanaimo every year to participate in the event.

“Seeds for the festival were sown in 1986 when Darlene Forest worked with the Parksville-Qualicum School District to co-ordinate a Canada Council reading program to bring eight writers from across the country,” says Thora. That first program enabled every child in the district to meet an au-thor and arranged for five of the authors to read in different Nanaimo locations. “It was a great success, but a bit haphaz-ard that first year,” Thora acknowledges. When it was over, Sharon Luttrell, the festival’s first co-ordinator, said “We can make it bigger and better. I believe we could have a marvel-

lous annual festival.”But who had time to organize such a festival? “Remember the old folktale about stone soup?” Thora

laughs. “A hungry fellow boils up water with a stone in it and invites people to make contributions – a carrot, a tur-nip, a cabbage – and suddenly you have delicious chowder. That’s how our festival began. We had nothing at the begin-

ning, but many people found ways to contribute and make our dream a reality.”

First, the Nanaimo Children’s Roundtable was created to find ways for Canadian authors to read to children. Then the Vancouver Island Regional Library applied to the Canada

Thora Howell’s Stone SoupBY CAROL AND MIKE MATTHEWS

Volunteering

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Attend the next Hazardous To Your Wealth presentation in yourarea to find out how you can avoid these and other costly mistakes.

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To reserve your complimentary seats, please call (250) 479.5554 ext 518

HAZARDOUS TO YOUR WEALTH“The average investor is not merely underperforming the markets...he is underperforming his own investments.” - Nick Murray , Behavioral Investment Counseling

Thora Howell overlooking the crowd of visitors at the annual Vancouver Island Children’s Book Festival.

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Council to bring writers to Nanaimo. The Canada Council for the Arts provided funding. School districts informed children, librarians, teachers and principals about the festival. Thora’s bookstore made up kits that volunteers took into the schools to promote the festival and set up a bookstore onsite at the festival to sell books. Vancouver Island University (formerly Malaspina College) provided the site for the event, advertis-ing and registration – all free of charge.

What a rich soup these collaborators cooked up! Storytell-ers Bill Richardson and Sarah Ellis, authors Janet Munsil and H.J. Hutchins, and puppeteer Michele Carrier were part of that first festival. Hundreds of children were able to listen and talk to authors one-to-one. They lined up to have their books signed, met illustrators, and enjoyed such festival events as bubble-blowing, bookmark-making and musical acts.

And visiting authors do not have to settle for stone soup.

Most years, authors and organizers have wound up the festival with a feast of paella, pulled pork, fanciful salads, cheesecake and other delicacies at the waterfront home of Thora and Jerry Howell on Protection Island in the Na-naimo harbour, where Thora, a tiny titan, is renowned as the hostess with the mostest.

What Thora most treasures about the festival is the co-operative nature of this initiative. “Linda Irvine and Robyn McKay were co-ordinators during the critical years of growth, but it continues to be a flat structure and it’s al-ways been completely voluntary. Nobody is the leader and everyone participates.”

Robyn McKay, a part of the festival since its inception, also admires the collaborative aspect of the organization. “However,” she points out, “Thora is the real heart and soul of the festival. She has always made the initial contact with the writers, and it’s her reputation, her credibility, and her enthu-siasm that attracts people to the event. She has been hosting these artists through the years and Bookfest has become an event that people really want to be part of. We’re rarely turned down – and sometimes writers ask us if they can come!”

This year, a new generation of children will enjoy the festival’s 25th anniversary, and so will their parents and grandparents. “It’s

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a wonderful family event,” says Sharon Luttrell. “Most grand-parents are looking for creative ways of spending time with their grandchildren and this is a great opportunity.”

Presenters this year will include award-winning writers and illustrators such as Robin Muller, John Wilson, Linda Bailey, Andrea Spalding and Marie-Louise Gay. For the first time, the festival moves to Downtown Nanaimo with events at the Nanaimo Museum, the Nanaimo Art Gallery, the Vancouver Island Regional Library, the Port Theatre, the Nanaimo Con-ference Centre, and Literacy Nanaimo. Kerplunks of Gabriola will perform lively children’s music, and there will be plenty of face painting and other activities.

And what will Thora do when the anniversary event is over? Well, Thora’s longtime friend and neighbour Linda Irvine, a volunteer with the festival since its early years, says Thora is never short of activities. She’s on the Board of the Protection Island Neighbourhood Association, and her home is a frequent venue for the Protection Island house-to-house musical concert. She’s a catalyst for new initiatives, a hostess for a great many wonderful activities and, whenever she is involved, fun is sure to follow.

But one thing is for sure: however busy the year ahead may be, Thora’s passion for books and Bookfest will not lessen. The festival will continue to grow and blossom. It’s some-thing to celebrate!

For more information, visit the website at www.bookfest.ca

SL


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your thoughts can be. You have the resources to live a happy and ful-filled life, regardless of its challenges. So, start to concentrate on positive thoughts and you will gradually find happiness. Some psychologists say all you achieve in life is the direct result of your own thoughts.

Dear Goldie:My wife and I are in our 70s, in

good health and socially active. Re-cently our eldest daughter took off on a two-month vacation leaving her teen-aged daughter with us.

Our granddaughter is 19, in second-year university and very active in sports. We really enjoy having her with us but realize it is many years since we had youth in our care. Times have changed!

The problem we are having con-cerns her whereabouts. Sometimes, she is home at 5 p.m., and other times at midnight.

Perhaps we are out of touch, but I really am concerned about her welfare, as well as our promise to her mother to take good care of her.

Your advice is appreciated. –R.O.

SENIOR PEER COUNSELLING CENTRESVictoria 250-382-4331Duncan 250-748-2133Nanaimo 250-754-3331Sidney 250-656-5537Courtenay/Comox 250-334-9917Salt Spring Island 250-537-4607Port Hardy 250-949-5110

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Dear Goldie:While I was working for a living and

very busy, I was forever looking for-ward to retirement. Well, here I am now, retired from daily work, but life doesn’t seem to be any different. My health is good and finances are OK, so why I am in this rut?

I am happily married with four grown children and six grandchildren. I know I am a very lucky man, but can’t seem to shake the lethargy.

What can you suggest? –D.L.

Dear D.L.:Although you comment on being

happy and lucky, you don’t sound very convincing.

Your circumstances are not a prob-lem, so perhaps your thinking should be examined.

When you were engaged in daily work, part of your brain actively con-centrated and planned; a storage vault for information and experience, needed for workplace survival. The other part of your brain dealt with matters of the heart giving you wisdom and content-ment. This is your current problem.

Your mind is not your enemy, but

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Dear R.O.:Well, it sounds like you need a fam-

ily conference with your granddaughter. Regardless of what she may have done at home, she now resides with you and your “House Rules” prevail. She is not living in a hotel, so she should respect your home and the way you live.

It is possible that with her mother away, the girl feels she has no rules or curfew. A little family conference can enlighten her, and make your life easier. She needs to be aware that you have an obligation to her mother, as well as concern for her welfare. Af-ter all, she is your granddaughter and you love her. Have your conference as soon as possible.


BY ROSALIND SCOTT

SCAMALERT

Don’t Get Burned Looking for Love

SL

BY PAT NICHOL

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Online dating and companion service sites are popping up everywhere on the web.

Many new sites target the senior popu-lation and promise to connect you with the person of your dreams. Beware: many people who have gone online looking for love find only headache, heartache or an emptied wallet.

Canadians spend millions of dollars on online dating sites each year. Wheth-er you’re 20 or 75 years old, whether you’re willing to pay thousands for a matchmaker or $50 a month for a web-site membership, it’s important to know exactly what you’re getting into and ex-actly how to get out of it, when it comes to online dating services.

The dating services industry is divided into two categories: personalized match-making companies and online dating websites. The two services take a differ-ent approach to helping people find love and, as a result, the types of complaints to BBB are divergent.

Matchmaking ComplaintsMatchmaking and local dating servic-

es, which can cost thousands of dollars,

promise to introduce people to other area singles that meet specified criteria.

Common complaints for matchmaking services reveal: • Dissatisfaction with the number of ar-ranged dates. • Available singles not up to par. • Poor or rude customer service and high-pressure sales tactics.

Online Dating ComplaintsUnlike matchmakers and local dating

services, most online dating websites pro-vide a forum for users to post information about themselves and offer the opportu-nity to peruse the site for other singles.

Common complaints for online ser-vices include the inability to immediately cancel after signing up, dissatisfaction with the company and its process, and the practice of the company contacting other singles on behalf of the complainant.

BBB offers the following advice on matchmaking and online dating services:

Don’t fall in love with the advertis-ing. Beware of claims such as, “exclu-sive network of people,” “for sincere daters only,” and “beautiful singles just like you.”

Do your homework. Check out the company with BBB (www.bbb.org) to make sure it has a history of satisfying customers and resolving complaints.

Don’t give in to high-pressure sales tactics. Sales associates may tell people that a low price is only good for that day and ask them to sign a contract. People should read the contract carefully and make sure they understand what they are signing up and paying for.

Know how to break up. Consumers should not assume that they will stop be-ing billed once the contract runs out. Many online dating sites automatically renew memberships and there are steps that must be taken, such as calling the company, to keep from being billed again.

For more trustworthy information on matchmaking and online dating services, consumers can access BBB Business Re-views free-of-charge at www.bbb.org

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walk, rather than going for lunch – not an option – we sat and ate an apple. Two bonuses came from this time. We talked while we walked and solved a great many of what previously seemed to be huge challenges. And I lost inches around my waist and hips.

I read an article by Philip Humbert with this quote, “In the long run, your daily systems and habits, your behav-iours are far better predictors of success than a list of goals. It’s what you do. Ev-eryday. Over and over. Until.”

So, whether it is more friends, less stress or a more flexible body – what are you going to do for the next 30 days that will make a great difference in your life?

I plan to travel to Europe in Septem-ber and walk the cobblestone streets. I want to make sure there’s less of me and what there is, is more fit.

Let me know what you would like to do. Until then, keep smiling.

Pat Nichol is a speaker and published author. www.patnichol.com

BY PAT NICHOL

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COURAGEOUSandOUTRAGEOUS

A woman wanted to make a change in her life, so she decided to smile more of-ten each day. Some days, it

seemed that the smile had to be dredged up from a great depth, but she persist-ed and, in just 30 days, her stress de-creased.

Another upside: more people were drawn to her and her community of friends grew.

Her health problems lessened and she felt happier. Just a smile a day; such a small change, but what a difference her smile made. The best part about a smile – when you give one away, you are almost sure to get one back.

What could you do differently each day? How about walking each day for five minutes or for five minutes more?

A number of years ago, my hus-band and I had financial difficulties. We didn’t sit around and feel sorry for ourselves or vegetate in front of the TV; instead, we walked.

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Esquimalt Legion’s pancake breakfast served with Ron Cera’s rollicking music opened Senior Living Magazine’s 6th An-nual Senior Expo. From there, it never lost

its momentum. Victoria’s Barry Bowman emceed the event for the first time.

“I’m happy to support this wonderful event,” he said. “It’s such a great crowd. I’m meeting many of my former C-FAX listeners who stop to say ‘Hello!’”

The swinging sounds of the “Dixieland Dudes” shook the rafters, followed by Elvis tribute artist Rory Allen. As Rory sang, surrounded by a spirited audi-ence, he enthusiastically shook hands with many, was hugged by a few and brazenly kissed on the cheeks by one lady, causing him to respond, “You’re a wild one!” amidst much laughter.

Victoria’s Pastimes contin-ued the musical energy with a medley of country and western favourites. Barbershop quar-tet Victoria Village Squires delighted the audience with an a cappella harmony down memory lane. Wrapping up the exciting day, Bob Meikle sang an amazing repertoire of country, folk, Broadway and Celtic songs. With 120

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“Dixieland Dudes” shook the rafters, followed by Elvis tribute artist Rory Allen. As Rory sang, surrounded by a spirited audi-ence, he enthusiastically shook hands with many, was hugged by a few and brazenly kissed on the cheeks by one lady, causing him to respond, “You’re a wild one!” amidst much laughter.

ued the musical energy with a medley of country and western favourites. Barbershop quar-tet Victoria Village Squires delighted the audience with an a cappella harmony down memory lane. Wrapping up the exciting day, Bob Meikle

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exhibitors and entertainers, over 3,000 visitors and volun-teers, Pearkes Recreation Centre was jumping.

According to Ted, Annie, George and Maisie from Na-naimo, this year’s Senior Expo surpassed previous years.

“We’ve been coming for four years and it keeps getting better!” exclaimed Maisie, as she and her friends enjoyed the ’50s diner-style hamburgers, hot off the grill. In keeping with the ’50s theme, Senior Living Magazine’s Publisher Barbara Risto and Sylvia Warnke were two of the women swishing about in poodle skirts.

The constant stream of visitors – and a surprising number of families with mixed generations – found enough to cap-ture the interests of everyone. Young Paxton Castonguay was fascinated by the miniature trains set up by Engineer Glenn Cottrell and his assistant Bill Stephenson.

First-time visitors Jean Knowles and her mother, Phyllis Manson, were amazed at the number of products and services available to keep seniors independent longer in their homes.

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First-time exhibitors included Engage, owned by Carey Adams, who has a small group of physiotherapists treating clients in their homes.

Adapt Alterations was kept busy as Ken Miller was plied with questions on how simple changes like doorknobs, grab-bars and pull-out shelves can make day-to-day living much easier for seniors.

Waterdown offered in-home bathing and footcare for individuals needing this service. Home support agencies, independent living accommodations, health and wealth in-formation, plus volunteer services such as Seniors Helping Seniors had steady streams of people wanting to hear what was available for their parents or themselves.

Photos: Page 28, left, Senior Living magazine Publisher Barbara Risto captured the spirit of Senior Expo 2011 in her pink poodle skirt. Page 28, right, Couples took to dancing in the aisles. Page 29, Elvis tribute artist Rory Allen delighted the crowd. This page, top left, One lucky fellow gets a smooch in the audience. Left, Senior Expo 2011 packed the house at Pearkes Arena.Above, Little visitor Paxton stares wide-eyed at Bill Stephenson’s model trains.Opposite page, Irish folks celebrated St. Patrick’s Day a few days early by wearing green and dancing up a storm.

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Hobbies and recreational activities included Nordic pole walking, lawn bowling, horseshoe pitching, barbershop singing, ballroom dancing and quilting, to name a few.

There were several travel groups geared for seniors, as well as a few focused on tranquil settings and a qui-et refuge. Hobbies brought smiles to visitors’ faces, like Danielle St. Pierre’s cheerful pottery and Glenn Cottrell’s miniature trains.

BC Senior Games representative Betty Clarke explained the physical and non-physical team sports available at the August games, such as bridge, cribbage and one-act plays. Feeling sore and achy? Healing Hands Vitality Plus pro-vided a nice massage.

Michael Cook and his twin Harrison sipped coffee and tapped their feet to Rory Allen’s energetic performance. “He’s very good isn’t he? We use to wear black leather jack-ets and wow the girls on the dance floor with those same moves!” Michael chuckled.

Jimmy Morrison admired the 1962 classic white Cadil-lac parked on the stage floor. Wistfully, he confessed, “I always wanted a Caddie, but mine would have been a ’55 back then.” Dewane Ollech, President of the Cadillac Club of BC, Vancouver Island Chapter, told him there were sev-eral more parked outside – three from the ’50s.

Long-time friends Mary Hopkin and Mavis Purdy make the Senior Expo their salute to early spring. “We went to our first one three years ago and have made it a tradition ever since,” says Mary. “We like to see what’s available to help us stay in our homes longer. And, of course we have a good time!”

It was not only the exhibitors, entertainers, volunteers and organizers who contributed to another successful Senior Expo, but all the people who came to discover new things, meet with friends and be royally entertained. SL

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Music, drama, dance...Discover Plenty to Do at an Amica Community

What’s your pleasure? A calendar full of entertainment, culturaland local activities for you to choose from is just one of the manypleasures of living at one of our all-inclusive rental retirementcommunities. Our Wellness & Vitality™ staff are much like cruiseship directors, planning and arranging activities that appeal to awide variety of tastes. Yet if heading out to your favourite shoppingspot or visiting friends is in your plans, you can do that too!

It’s always your choice.

Call today to book your personal tour andcomplimentary lunch at one of our communities.

11-0156 WR Plenty To Do-SeniorLiving.qxp:SL 3/11/11 2:09 PM Page 1

Reflections,Reflections,��

and Other Breakfast Foods

A Collection of Published & Unpublished Writings by Senior Living Columnist Gipp ForsterMAGAZINE

Limited Edition

128 pages REDUCED PRICE

$10.00

Name_____________________________________Address___________________________________City______________________________ Prov ____ Postal Code____________ Ph _________________ ____ BOOKS @ $14.92 each = $_______ (incl. $3.95 shipping & taxes)

“Reflections” MAIL-IN ORDER FORMReflections, Rejections, and Other Breakfast Foods

by Gipp Forster

Please allow two weeks for shipping.

Make cheque payable to Senior Living MAIL TO: Senior Living 153, 1581-H Hillside Ave., Victoria BC V8T 2C1

A collection of Gipp’s humorous and nostalgic columns. A wonder-ful read for yourself, and a thoughtful gift for friends and family members.

It truly takes a community to host an event like the 6th annual Senior Expo we

held in Victoria on March 15th at Pearkes Rec-reation Centre. We have many people to thank.

We’d like to first acknowledge our gener-ous event sponsors – the Good Samaritan So-ciety and Hayworth Communities, and Rog-ers Wireless for sponsoring the entertainment stage. Also, Saanich Recreation for allowing us the use of the Pearkes Recreation facility once again – a big thank you!

This year, we were able to give away a lovely Leisure Package including two nights at Poet’s Cove on Pender Island, afternoon tea for two at the Fairmont Empress, two tickets to Butchart Gardens, and two tickets to the IMAX. We wish to thank each of these sponsors for their gener-ous contribution to this prize package.

Thank you to Master of Ceremonies Barry Bowman, who did a great job keeping the enter-tainment rolling. To Elvis Presley tribute artist Rory Allen and his team, Pastimes, the Dixie-land Dudes, the Victoria Village Squires, Ron Sera and Bob Meikle – each of your musical talents brought something unique to the day.

To our volunteers – especially Jim and Tove Gahr, Angela Provost, and our Senior Living staff – a big thank you! Also, Saanich Volunteer Services – Heather and her team have helped us every year and we so appreciate it.

Thank you to event planner Jill Stefanyk of Jill Ryan Consulting for keeping all the pieces together these past months.

Thank you to media partners CFAX 1070, Shaw, A Channel, and the Times Colonist.

Thanks to the Vancouver Island Cadillac Club for your willingness to bring a number of classic vintage cars to our event.

We have the Esquimalt Legion to thank for kicking off the day with a tasty pancake break-fast, followed by a ’50s café offering hotdogs and hamburgers throughout the day.

Thank you to the Greater Victoria Eldercare Foundation for including and promoting us with your Embrace Aging events.

Thank you also to Wilson’s Transport for making it possible for our readers to come for the day from the north island communities. As well, Bill Cove, who did the organizing and planning for this day trip – thank you for doing this every year!

And to every visitor who honoured us with your attendance – it’s you that brings the event to life!

We hope we’ll see you all next year.

SL

If you are a senior who has been wondering lately whether you should consider moving - either because you find the maintenance of your current home more difficult due to dimin-ishing ability or energy, or you simply want a lifestyle that allows you more freedom and less responsibility - then this is the book that can help you ask the right questions and find the solution that is right for you.A handy reference guide for seniors and their families wrestling with the issues around whether relocation is the best option. This 128-page book provides helpful, easy to read information and suggestions to help seniors and their families understand the decisions they need to make.

Published by Senior LivingJanuary 2009�ONLY $9.95

A Helpful Guide for Seniors Considering Their Residential Options To Move or Not to Move?

Books may be also purchased at these Island locations:

(Please call first to confirm availability) • Falconer Books, Nanaimo (250-754-6111) • Home Instead, Victoria (250-382-6565)

• Medichair, Victoria (250-384-8000) • Medichair, Nanaimo (250-756-9875) • Medichair, Duncan (250-709-9939) • Munro’s Books, Victoria (250-382-2464)

• Pharmasave Campbell River ((250-287-3222) • Pharmasave Comox (250-339-4563) • Pharmasave Cook St (250-386-6171) • Pharmasave Duncan (250-748-5252)

• Pharmasave Esquimalt (250-388-6451) • Pharmasave Hillside Ave (250-595-8106) • Pharmasave James Bay (250-383-7196) • Pharmasave Ladysmith (250-245-3113)

• Pharmasave Quallicum (250-752-3011) • Pharmasave Sidney (250-656-1348) • Pharmasave Tuscany Village (250-477-2225) • Pharmasave View Royal (250-881-8887)

• Pharmasave Westhill Centre Nanaimo (250-740-3880) • Pharmasave Mill Bay (250)743-9011 • Tanner’s Books, Sidney (250-656-2345) • Volume One Books, Duncan (250-748-1533)

• Crown Publications (250)386-4636

BC

EDITION

___ Cheque (payable to Senior Living) ___ CREDIT CARD # _________________________________ Expiry ___________

Name on Card ____________________________________Mail to: Senior Living 153, 1581-H Hillside Ave., Victoria BC V8T 2C1

ORDER FORM - “To Move”Name______________________________Address _______________________________ City______________ Prov ___ Postal Code____________Phone ____________________

___ BOOKS @ $14.60 each (includes $3.95 S&H plus 5% GST) = TOTAL $____________

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Documents

Senior Living Magazine Island Edition April 2011