SEPTEMBER 2009
Vancouver’s 50+ Active Lifestyle Magazine
KEEPING TERRY’S DREAM ALIVE
Betty Fox
SFU Seniors Program
A campus of Care.
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SEPTEMBER 2009
MAGAZINE
(Vancouver & Lower Mainland) is published by Stratis Publishing. Other publications by Stratis Publishing:
• Senior Living (Vancouver Island) • Senior Lifestyle: A Housing Guide for Vancouver Island
FEATURES
Publisher
Despite losing their son nearly three decades ago, Terry Fox’s family forges ahead to keep his dream alive.
Barbara Risto Editor
Bobbie Jo Reid editor@seniorlivingmag.com
4 Supporting the Dream
8 A Picture and a Thousand Words
Proofreader
Photographer/writer Joan Winter focuses on retirement through her camera lens and the written word.
Advertising Manager
12 Living Longer, Learning Longer
Allyson Mantle Barry Risto 250-479-4705 Toll Free 1-877-479-4705 sales@seniorlivingmag.com Ad Sales Staff
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No portion of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission from the publisher. Senior Living is an indepdendent publication and its articles imply no endoresement of any products or services. The views expressed herein are not necessarily those of the publisher. Unsolicited articles are welcome and should be e-mailed to editor@seniorlivingmag.com Senior Living Vancouver & Lower Mainland is distributed free in Vancouver, North & West Vancouver, Burnaby, New Westminster, Richmond, Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, Port Moody, Delta, Twawwassen, White Rock, Surrey, Cloverdale and Ladner. ISSN 1911-6373 (Print) ISSN 1991-6381 (Online)
More and more mature adults are hitting the books and going back to school.
14 Anchored in the Heart of Vancouver
Viewing the vibrant city from the water.
18 Gogo Jesse
Canadian grandmothers raise money and awareness for their African counterparts.
22 The Passion Within
Senior Games athlete Cam Varcoe looks forward to competing at three events this month.
26 Finding a Place of Stillness
DEPARTMENTS 27 Classifieds 28 Crossword 30 BBB Scam Alert
COLUMNS 2 The Family Caregiver by Barbara Small
11 Forever Young by William Thomas
17 Between Friends by Doreen Barber
29 Ask Goldie
by Goldie Carlow
32 Reflections: Then & Now by Gipp Forster
Mindful meditation offers both physical, mental and emotional benefits.
31 Let’s Talk
Senior Living magazine launches a Discussion Forum where readers can chat about interests and issues important to them. Cover: Betty Fox at the Terry Fox Library in Port Coquitlam. Photo: Kevin McKay
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1
THE FAMILY CAREGIVER
V
arious resources exist in your community to help alleviate the demands placed on family caregivers, reduce caregiver burnout and allow the person being cared for to remain at home longer. The types of services vary dependent on the community, and the costs range from free to a fee-for-service. Below is a list of some of these services: Home support (community health workers) can provide assistance with bathing, dressing, grooming, hygiene and toileting. Subsidized home support is available through local health authorities and is based on the income of the care recipient. Private home support agencies also provide these services on a fee-for-service basis. Medical Equipment and Aids A variety of aids and equipment are available for purchase or loan to help individuals with communication, mobility or specific personal care needs. These include medical equipment, incontinence supplies, specialized clothing, mobility aids, vision aids and hospital beds. Community loan cupboards may exist from which you can borrow medical equipment. These services charge either a small fee, operate by donation or are free. You can also contact your local Canadian Red Cross. RY ECTniO zations SBuSsineDssIR E es & Orga BUSIN ed us -Foc Senior
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Help at Home
Several businesses focus solely on selling medical aids and equipment, such as local pharmacy chains that operate specialized Home Health Care outlets or you could try ordering products via a medical supply website. Volunteer organizations may provide home visitors, walking companions and volunteers to assist with odd jobs, gardening, reading, letter writing and driving to appointments or shopping. Meal programs Some seniors’ centres and residential care facilities provide meals to seniors on a drop-in basis. Meals on Wheels and some catering businesses deliver prepared meals to your home. These businesses may offer senior’s discounts and cater to special diets. Grocery delivery services Volunteer-based services exist to assist with grocery shopping. Customers can place orders by telephone or online. The grocery service selects the items and makes a home delivery. The delivery service often is free for grocery orders above a minimum amount. Check with your local grocery store. House cleaning services are a very useful resource for family caregivers. Some house cleaning companies
Check out the Business Directory
on the Senior Living website
HERE
IT TO VIS
ITE]
WEBS
www.seniorlivingmag.com
Information and access to a variety of businesses and organizations whose appreciated customers include the 50+ consumer. 2
will provide additional services, including laundry, moving furniture, taking out garbage and doing garden work. Rates and senior’s discounts, for these companies, vary significantly. Private home support agencies may also offer some of these services. Emergency response and medical alarm/alert systems are 24-hoursa-day/seven-days-a-week monitoring services for frail elders and people with disabilities. The system typically hooks into a person’s phone system. Installation costs vary from company to company, as do monthly monitoring fees. Some systems can also provide automatic medication reminders. Other support services may be available in your community to provide help in the home and improve the quality of life for both the family caregiver and the care recipient. For resources, check your local Yellow Pages, contact the Home and Community Care division of your regional health authority, visit the senior’s centre in your community or look under “Resources” on the Family Caregivers’ Network’s website at www. SL familycaregiversnetwork.org Next month: The Financial Impact of Caregiving
R LIVING
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BY BARBARA SMALL
SENIOR LIVING VANCOUVER & LOWER MAINLAND
Barbara Small is the Program Development Coordinator for Family Caregivers’ Network Society located in Victoria, BC. www.familycaregiversnetwork.org
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Purchase these items online at www.seniorlivingmag.com GST and Shipping Costs will apply. Please allow 2 weeks for delivery
SEPTEMBER 2009
3
Supporting the
DREAM STORY AND PHOTO BY KEVIN MCKAY
Betty Fox stands with a statue of her son by artist George Pratt.
I
n March 1977, Doctor Piper invited Betty Fox and her family to a room down the hall to speak to them privately. Gathered there along with Betty were her husband Rolly, her four children, a friend of Terry’s named Doug Alward, the doctor and a nurse. Betty wipes a tear from the corner of her eye as she recalls, “The doctor said to Terry, ‘I have bad news. I wish I could tell you that you have suffered a sports injury, but what you have is a malignant tumour called an osteogenic sarcoma. You will have 4
SENIOR LIVING VANCOUVER & LOWER MAINLAND
some treatment, but before that treatment can start we’re going to have to amputate your leg because that is what is going to save your life.’” “Terry cried quite hard. Then, just like that, he straightened up and he said, ‘I’ve always tried hard. But I’ll have to try harder than I ever have before because I’m not ready to leave this world.’ And with that he never looked back.” Terry Fox was four months shy of his nineteenth birthday. For his mother, the news was devastating. She remembers of
that time, “It was pretty tough to deal with. You didn’t get upset and feel sorry for Terry. He wouldn’t allow it. And when he was with us, we were supposed to act like nothing had happened. But when you were by yourself was when you had to feel it had just ripped your heart out. It wasn’t easy.” Nothing could have prepared Betty for this, certainly not her upbringing in rural Manitoba. Betty was born in 1937, the third and middle child of five. “I was a true middle child,” she says. “I fell into that category very well.” Though they lived in a farming community, they were not farmers. Her father worked for the Manitoba Highways Department while her stay-at-home mother was well known in town for the bread, cinnamon buns and pies she made. “She was a great mother.” Betty had no real career aspirations, though she did find some part-time work at a bakery before moving to Brandon and working for a short time in a mental hospital. From there, it was off to Winnipeg and hairdressing school. It was
while there that she met a young man working for CN Rail named Rolly. After a whirlwind romance, the two wed in October 1956. The next year, their first son Fred came along. “In those days, we didn’t have a car so we called a cab but it didn’t come,” Betty recalls. “In the end, I had to walk five blocks to the hospital and I wasn’t there long before Fred was born.” Terry followed the next year, and Darrell and Judith completed the family a few years later. Rolly had long wanted to move to British Columbia and, in fact, had been contemplating it at the time he met Betty. She was not so keen on the West Coast, preferring Atlantic Canada. “I loved the East Coast better,” she says. “I felt the mountains here had far too many trees on them.” Years later, in 1966, Betty agreed to let Rolly ask for his transfer to B.C. When CN said no, Rolly told them he would go to work for BC Rail instead, so rather than risk losing him they approved his transfer. He left nearly at once,
driving to the coast while Betty looked after their four children and packed up the household goods. The railroad gave them a ride out west while their possessions were loaded on a boxcar. After a two year stay in Surrey, the Fox family bought their first British Columbia home in Port Coquitlam in October 1968. Once the children were all established in school and their various activities, Betty took a part-time job working as a manager of a greeting card and gift store in Westwood Mall. All of the Fox children were active in sports, competing for their various school teams, as well as joining other teams. Judith played softball and ringette. Darrell played soccer. Terry played baseball and rugby, while Fred was into softball and soccer. “Our children had a good life in Port Coquitlam,” says Betty. “All of them played sports and they all graduated from Port Coquitlam Senior Secondary.” Betty remembers, “Darrell was good in school. We say Terry was good at
» SEPTEMBER 2009
5
school because he had a good memory, but he was not the best. “watching out the window. There was nothing on television and Rolly was busy with work, so I pretty much raised the kids. I look nothing on the radio about this amputee running in the race. I back at some of the things Terry did that he got scolded for, and was so angry at them that I called a couple of the radio stations I can see they helped make him into the young man he became. and told them off. The car drove up and I went out and asked He always worked hard. He wanted to be No. 1, which wasn’t a him how he made out. “He said, ‘Mom, it was the biggest day of my life. I wish good thing. But it wasn’t bad, either, if you do it the right way. you had been there.’ Well, I wasn’t and that is a sorrow that will And he loved sports.” When he entered Mary Hill Junior High, Terry joined the bas- never leave me. That we weren’t there for him.” It was the next day that Terry came clean with his mother ketball team, though his coach advised him to take up track or about his true intentions; to run across Canada to raise money something else. But Terry was determined. “He practised and practised,” says Betty. “In the beginning, for cancer research. “I was absolutely angry. ‘How stupid can you be?’” she said he wasn’t any good. He was the last player. I used to get upset at him because he would get up early in the morning, take his to him. “‘You’re a smart guy. This is not a smart thing. Can’t you lunch, and get to school so he could get into the gymnasium, as just run across British Columbia?’” Terry’s response was that not only people in B.C. get cancer. soon as it opened, so he could practise.” All that practise paid Betty had the chore of breaking the news to her husband. off. By the time Terry graduated from high school, he and his “A week later, I went to Rolly and friend Doug Alward shared the Athlete told him to just sit there and listen to of the Year Award. “All of our dreams can me. I told him, and his only question From there, Terry moved up to Siwas, ‘When?’ We both knew that there mon Fraser University where he made come true, if we have the was no way we could stop him. Nothing the Junior Varsity basketball team. Betcourage to pursue them.” would have worked. He was so deterty recalls the coach telling them Terry made the team not because he was the mined.” –Walt Disney What would soon be known as The calibre of player that they wanted, but because he worked so hard, always givMarathon of Hope started out in St. ing 100 per cent. There was no way he would cut him because John’s, Newfoundland on April 12, 1980, thanks to the generosevery team should have a gutsy player like Terry. ity of several sponsors, including Ford Canada, who provided the van Terry and Doug, would live in. The pair travelled alone Then came the sore knee and the tragic news that followed. His rehabilitation at home, learning how to walk again with until Betty and Rolly met them outside Dartmouth, Nova Scotia in Preston. All four of them had dinner in a woman’s house, his prosthetic leg, was hard. “It was difficult to be there for him, to do things for him,” where they talked about some of the hardships the two young says Betty. “I’m sure there are many patients out there today, men were facing. when they read this, will agree that they know just what I am “A week before, Terry had called me sobbing because he and talking about. Because when someone is very ill, they always Doug were having some disagreements,” says Betty. “I asked take it out on the person they love. And though he also asked him to hold on for a week until we got there. We discussed what things of his father and siblings, it was his mother he always they were doing in such a tiny space, all day every day. It was wanted to do things for him.” a huge commitment. I couldn’t have done it. I told them it was Terry read about cancer in an attempt to better understand it. like being married and they both came to terms. It all worked One discovery was that not enough money, in his opinion, was out for a while.” Darrell joined Terry and Doug in Saint John, New Brunsbeing spent on cancer research in Canada. “He was extremely upset about this,” recalls Betty. “Terry wick, but Betty didn’t see Terry again until she and the family never forgot the people he left behind in the cancer ward – the surprised him in Whitby, Ontario. They lined up at an intersecones who didn’t make it.” tion and waited while he approached. When he got close, he saw In February 1979, Terry started 14 months of intense training, them and did a double take. only taking one or two days off during that entire time, when he “It was a magic moment,” Betty recalls, “but it was tough for was too ill to go out. me to be with him anyway. I couldn’t watch him run. The traffic “We would ask him not to go, especially when it was cold or was horrendous. I have no idea how he kept on his feet and runicy or wet, but he said he had to go because he was going to run ning while the trucks rumbled by.” the Vancouver Marathon the next May,” says Betty. “That was Terry averaged a marathon a day for 143 days, only stopping his story and that was what we believed.” on September 1 in Thunder Bay when the cancer returned, this In September of that year, during the Labour Day weekend, time in his lungs. He wanted to get better so he could finish his Terry went to Prince George with Doug to compete in a 27-kilo- run but was too sick and the treatments weren’t working. Terry passed away June 28, 1981, one month before his 23rd birthday. metre run. He came in last place, but he did finish. “When they came back I was waiting for them,” Betty recalls, While Terry was still fighting, Isadore Sharp, who wanted to 6
SENIOR LIVING VANCOUVER & LOWER MAINLAND
The Terry Fox Run takes place on September 13. For information on local events, visit www.terryfox.org
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continue Terry’s fundraising efforts, approached him and suggested a Terry Fox Run. Terry liked the idea and agreed. Betty left her job at the card and gift shop to meet with a couple of Toronto businessmen to help plan these annual events. The first run was held in 1981, and they are still going strong today. Before he died, Terry raised nearly 25 million dollars for cancer research. Today, more than 550 million dollars has been raised in his name, and his parents and family have stayed heavily involved. “I always operate by thinking about Terry, first, before making a decision and that is important,” says Betty. “It has to stick and stay that way. Terry is the guiding light we follow. People like the honesty and integrity of Terry, and of the Foundation in his name. We have strict guidelines. Our fundraising costs are virtually nil due to our volunteers and the support from each community.” Recently, Terry was voted the second greatest Canadian of all time. Betty was proud of the honour, but says that’s not what he was about. It was cancer research, never for him. He was a young man who raised more than 20 million dollars that year and yet he didn’t have two nickels to rub together to buy Christmas presents, she says. “We were an average family. When Terry died, in a way it took over, but not for the glory. We wanted to help his dream mature and become reality. People wanted speakers, schools asked us to come, and we did because that was our way of saying thank you to the wonderful public. We never asked for it. We didn’t want anything for ourselves. We just wanted to be there for him while he was with us and to help support his dream. We certainly weren’t there for any ego trip.” “I truly believe it was all meant to be, the cancer, the marathon, everything. I truly do. But you know, I still miss him terribly. No parent should ever outlive SL any of their children.”
• Luxury Independent Rental Retirement Living • All Inclusive • Full Service Fine Dining • Wellness & Vitality™ Programs • 24-Hour Concierge • Resort-Inspired Amenities www.amica.ca SEPTEMBER 2009
7
A Picture and a Thousand Words I
look pointedly from my new camera, perched on its tripod, to the grey, uninspiring sawn-off tree stump it’s positioned towards, to my husband, busy connecting the remote control cable. “So, what exactly is going to be the subject here?” I inquire. “Wildlife,” he says confidently. “Squirrels or chipmunks. I’m going to sprinkle trail mix on the log.” I glance around our silent campsite. Apart from a few birds scratching for breakfast, it is devoid of any kind of creature, wild or otherwise. I laugh. “Sure,” I tease, “they’re all lined up in the trees waiting for the photo shoot.” Incredibly, no sooner did he place some trail mix on the tree stump than a squirrel bounded down a tree, leapt onto the log, grabbed a peanut and sat perfectly still, tail raised, coat and ears shining, eye sparkling, portrait-posed for a stunning picture. Wow! I was impressed. The laugh was on me, but that adorable budding Cary Grant or Rudolph Valentino of the squirrel world sparked what was to become an all-absorbing interest in wildlife photography. As a single mom for many years, I devoted all my time and financial resources to my children. But once they left home, and retirement loomed, I needed a diversion to occupy my time and thoughts. So, I used my Christmas bonus to splurge on a camera: telephoto lens, macro lens, flash attachment, remote control, tripod – the works. I was ecstatic. I had never owned an adjustable camera before; my cameras in the past had been of the simple point-and-shoot variety. Now, able to set various settings and work with different lenses and films, I took a night school beginners course in photography to improve my knowledge and skill. Later that spring, I joined a singles group and met, Bruce, my best buddy and future husband. A shared interest in photography, together with a passion for the outdoors, provided a bond early in our relationship. He was more knowledgeable than I was about photography, having bought a similar camera and taken photography courses the year before. When we weren’t working at our day jobs, or taking care of aging parents and assorted family responsibilities, we spent the summer hiking, biking and photographing just about everything. I am naturally curious, and admire 8
SENIOR LIVING VANCOUVER & LOWER MAINLAND
STORY AND PHOTOS BY JOAN W. WINTER
beauty in any shape or form, so the natural world is a constant source of fascination and provides a smorgasbord of visual delights. Snow-capped mountains, lakes and rivers, landscapes, seascapes, bugs, butterflies, creatures of all shapes and sizes soon found their way into my viewfinder. Merrily snapping away on our camping (tenting, and later RVing) forays, Bruce nicknamed me The Happy Snapper. Photography was not as easy as I thought. There was so much to learn, and so much that could go wrong: an incorrect shutter speed; poor composition or an image out of focus; too much or not enough light; a cluttered background or blurring because of subject or camera movement. Taking pictures was easier said than done! But I had fun. Trying to capture, on film, creatures going about their daily business became a favourite camping activity. We used up many rolls of film, often with unexceptional results, but every once in a while one of us would produce a picture we both loved. There was the unidentified bug wearing the smart black suit with red headgear Bruce photographed in Oregon; a dramatic sunset picture I took in Hawaii on our honeymoon; an interesting black-splodge pattern on a dragonfly’s wings repeated in a background of green. Photographing moving objects is more challenging than shooting still ones, and creatures are always on the move. Trying for a clean, crisp shot is made more difficult by movement of the subject, movement of air and camera shake. Tripods, whenever possible, are a valuable tool, but are sometimes cumbersome to carry. Built-in image stabilizers in present-day digital cameras help cut down camera shake, as does resting the camera on a rock, fence or similar stable support. Creatures in their natural habitat, without human “managing,” are the ones we like best. And, strictly speaking, certainly in photo contests, using “props” such as trail mix is discouraged, as is feeding wildlife. One would not want to be too close to many of the larger ones anyway, photo op or not. When photographing large animals, we keep a respectful distance. However, magnified with a macro
»
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lens, or drawn closer with a zoom, seeing creatures up close and personal is a revelation. The amazing perfection and minute detail of the natural world comes alive; the intricate patterns of butterfly wings, rich, vibrant colours of bugs, tiny perfect paws and sleek body formations, gleaming fur, feathers, whiskers and tails. Magical animal moments can appear anywhere to an interested observer. Like the blissful “Mmm – that feels soooo good,” look on a goat’s face pictured at a children’s petting zoo, when his friend, the big orange cow, provides an all-over grooming. “WHAT WAS THAT?” I exclaimed, one morning late last fall. Shore side, a huge white bird the size of a winged dinosaur thundered past. It flew out to sea and circled in a wide arc over the ocean before flying by so close we could almost touch it. Gracefully, its pure white likeness reflected in the water, it landed on the small lake beside our campsite. It was a magnificent Mute swan, our field guide told us, a rare and very beautiful bird – the biggest waterfowl in the world. Jumping on the digital bandwagon and investing in small, lightweight cameras with optical zoom lenses, Bruce and I added wings to our hobby – bird’s wings. Mockingbirds, mourning doves, guillemots, and grebes – identifying the many different species of birds we see on our travels is a fascinating offshoot of photography. So much so, we have become avid, if accidental, birdwatchers. When travelling in unfamiliar territory, we often purchase field guides to help identify local species. If we’re unable to make a positive identification at the time, we take a picture, record time and place, and identify later. The colourful, elongated duck that looks like it’s having a bad hair day is a Common Merganser; the mini-variety, with tidy bouffant, is the Hooded Merganser. A Bufflehead is cute and compact, a tiny duck with a huge, black head and white wedge. Safe in a tree, eating fresh-caught fish for supper, the large bird with dark wings, white undercarriage and watchful eye is an Osprey, or fish hawk; white heads and tails gleaming, a pair of Bald Eagles, roosting high in an evergreen, rest from the hunt. With retirement, life took a strange and exciting new turn. Always a reader, but never writing anything longer than a letter, I unaccountably developed an irresistible urge to become a writer – a children’s writer. It was an itch I absolutely had to scratch. A completely new wonderful world opened up after I was accepted at an accredited writing school for kids. I took writing courses, bought how-to books, market books and, like a sponge, slurped up all the information I could about writing and publishing – an incredible learning experience. Soon, as a freelance writer, I submitted children’s and, later, adult stories and articles to magazines for publication. As an added bonus, I’m able to supply supporting photos. Photography, and learning about a variety of animal and bird species and their habitats, helped immeasurably in writing nature pieces for children. Likewise, writing has created a use for photography. Together, the two work hand in hand as rewardSL ing, creative partners.
FOREVER BY WILLIAM THOMAS
I
Feeling Unlucky?
magine a group of 11-year-old boys in Gimli, Manitoba 25 years ago, doing wheelies on the end of an abandoned runway at an airport that’s been closed for years. Unfortunately, the guy who gassed Air Canada 767 jet in Montreal that morning for a flight to Edmonton, failed Metric Conversion 101. He’s barrelling down at the group because he filled the tanks by litres instead of gallons and the plane just ran out of gas at 12,000 feet. The boys stop to look because they’ve never seen an airplane that big before. Suddenly, they’re all screaming and pedalling for their lives as the passenger plane plunges to the tarmac at the spot where they stood seconds ago. The metal behemoth skids sideways towards them and grinds to a deafening halt in a shower of sparks. That was Kerry Seabrook’s neardeath experience with the Air Canada jet, now known as the “Gimli Glider.” Gimli celebrated the 25th anniversary of the event last summer. So, a month after the anniversary, while Kerry is still enjoying the notoriety of being the kid who cheated death by a rogue airplane, he’s driving his pickup truck, when: “Hey! Get away from me!” Kerry has to drive into a ditch near Selkirk, Manitoba in order to avoid a head-on crash with a Cessna 207 airplane! The small plane with four on board was coming in for an emergency
landing on the same rural road as Kerry. The vehicles missed each other by five feet [1.5 metres]. Kerry, who still believes he had the right of way, said he heard the wheels of the Cessna touch down beside his truck and escaped a second death-by-airplane experience. He’s like an airport weather beacon with a bull’s-eye on his back.
Then there’s Roy, a U.S. park ranger, and the most attractive man in the entire United States of America – to lightning. Then there’s Roy, a U.S. park ranger, and the most attractive man in the entire United States of America – to lightning. Now, the chances of the average American being hit by lighting in his or her lifetime is one in 600,000. Between 1942 and 1977, Roy Sullivan was struck by lightning seven times, earning him the title of the Human Lightning Rod. Roy became an American legend. He could roast a marshmallow by holding it out the window during an electric storm. Roy could start a campfire without matches. He could light up a room by just walking into it. And then there was the guy who became paranoid about the Cold War between the U.S. and the Soviet Union, believing that with the election of Ron-
ald Reagan to the presidency, a hot war was about to break out. He was living in Alaska, which would be the firing line for an exchange of nuclear warheads over the ice cap. So, he sold his small cattle ranch, took the money and his family to a place far from the rising storm of Soviet/American hostilities and bought a small sheep farm in the most peaceful and isolated islands of the Atlantic: the Falklands Islands. That would have been early in 1982. Argentine forces occupied the islands in April. The Falkland Islands’ War with Britain broke out in May. Quite likely he moved off The Falklands when the shooting started and probably bought himself a poppy farm in the highest, remotest mountains he could find – in Afghanistan, arriving just ahead of the dust cloud kicked up by the invading Soviet tanks. So, for those who are feeling a little unlucky because the toast hits the floor jam side down, a fingernail gets broken in the car door, or a pet leaves a present on the lawn to step in – think of Kerry Seabrook, Roy Sullivan and a man who used his favourite sheep as a bulletproof vest. Those guys are unlucky. Everyone SL else is just unco-ordinated. William Thomas is the author of nine books of humour including Margaret and Me about his wee Irish mother. www.williamthomas.ca SEPTEMBER 2009
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Living Longer Learning Longer
F
or over 60,000 older adults across Canada, the phrase “back to school” has become a lifelong motto. Enrolling in a wide variety of undergraduate, graduate, and non-credit programs, more seniors than ever are looking for dynamic and intellectually stimulating learning opportunities from coast to coast. Like most other provinces, British Columbia has a thriving older adult population. By 2036, the province will be home to over 750,000 seniors. Aging baby boomers are a big part of this emerging trend, with an estimated 1,000 boomers turning 60 in Canada each day. Despite rising obesity rates, older adults still enjoy far greater longevity than past generations. According to Statistics Canada, men and women can expect to live well into their seventies and eighties respectively – at least 15 years longer than those retiring in the early 1950s. Ottawa also suggests that the rise of the knowledge-based economy has resulted in more seniors entering their golden years in better physical condition – ready to take on new challenges in later life. Health research reveals that lifelong learning may be one of the best ways for seniors to stay healthy. Mental Fitness for life: 7 Steps to Healthy Aging, for example, links lifelong learning with improved memory function, increased alertness, and enhanced creative thinking skills. It is also credited with reducing loneliness and anxiety in seniors. Some have even suggested that learning can boost immune systems. Since the 1980s, the federal government has been examining the leisure activities of Canadians, and the results suggest that seniors are often more engaged in learning than younger people. 12
BY JULIAN BENEDICT, SFU SENIORS PROGRAM CO-ORDINATOR
Published in 2005, Aging Well: Time Use Patterns of Older Canadians found that older men and women, on average, enjoy about twice the amount of daily social, physical and cognitive leisure as opposed to those aged 35-44. Whereas younger Canadians devoted about 2.5 hours per day to active leisure pursuits, including reading and educational activities, men and women over the age of 65 enjoyed about 4 hours per day.
Yet, despite the proven health benefits of lifelong learning, government policymakers still focus most of their energy promoting physical exercise and healthy eating habits. To be sure, with heart disease, diabetes, stroke and cancer on the rise, such approaches make sense – but if healthy living is truly about promoting overall wellness, governments ought to invest more in lifelong learning programs. For 35 years, the SFU Seniors Program (now located at Harbour Centre in downtown Vancouver) has been dedicated to providing intellectually stimulating, academically oriented courses to lifelong learners 55 or better. In addition to its daytime non-credit courses, the program offers a variety of community outreach services, including free forum events and a unique series of educational DVDs covering topics such as Multiculturalism, elder abuse, democracy, the afterlife, and 21st century grandparenting. Over 2,000 older adults enroll in classes annually, which span a wide variety of topics, such as Psychology, History, Opera, English Literature, Po-
SENIOR LIVING VANCOUVER & LOWER MAINLAND
litical Science, and Art History. Students range in age from 55 to 94, with the largest cohorts between the ages of 61-69 and 70-79. Carolyn Maclean, a long-time student in the Program, has completed 96 classes since 2000. She contends that part of the program’s success is its excellent instructors: “There are so many intriguing experts who contribute their time to teach us – they encourage us to see things in new ways each day,” says Carolyn. As part of its 35th anniversary preparations, the Seniors Program conducted a series of surveys to learn more about the diverse backgrounds of students participating in the program. Perhaps not surprisingly, the surveys suggest that older adults have different expectations of the learning experience compared with younger people. For example, while students 18-24 are increasingly trending away from liberal arts programs in favour of business, mathematics and science programs, seniors attending credit and non-credit courses overwhelmingly enroll in liberal arts courses. Equally important is the student-instructor relationship in the classroom: seniors say they want instructors who value and integrate their expansive experiential contributions into classroom discussions. Learning “what they have always wanted to” is perhaps the most common refrain of seniors, with about half of those surveyed agreeing that course topic is the most important factor influencing their registration choices. Even more crucial is class size, however. About three quarters of seniors surveyed said they prefer smaller classes (no more than 40 seats), with only 16 per cent expressing no preference. Contemporary lifelong learners have also embraced the Internet like never before. Three-
quarters of those polled confirmed they regularly surf the net, with about half of all registrations now processed online. Web-savvy seniors have also tripled the program’s annual website visits since 2007, showing that the Internet is no longer an obstacle to learning. Seniors Program students are also incredibly cosmopolitan, with the vast majority saying they regularly attend arts and culture activities in and around the city. Some of their favourite activities include attending the Vancouver
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cent of American community colleges say they are actively developing more courses for older adults, while over half of these same colleges are launching senior-specific marketing campaigns. Investing more in innovative lifelong learning programs today will ensure meeting the growing demand for servSL ices in the coming years. For more information on the SFU Seniors Program, visit www.sfu.ca/seniors or call: 778-782-5212.
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Symphony, Playhouse, Recital Society, various Opera events, as well as film, jazz, and Shakespeare festivals. They are also a bookish crowd. Students listed over 50 different international magazines and newspapers on their regular reading lists. More can be done to support lifelong learning programs. Although senior programs across Canada report a steady increase in their enrollments, few have the necessary funding support to meet the growing demand. By contrast, 89 per
SEPTEMBER 2009
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Anchored in the Heart of Vancouver BY MARY ANNE HAJER
F
Photos: Mary Anne Hajer
or me, the best way to enter Vancouver is by boat, preferably on a warm and breezy day like today. With the wind at our backs and a following sea, our sailboat, the Zephyr, is on the run, the most comfortable point of sail. We don’t have any sense of movement, yet the speed indicator says we are travelling at an astonishing (for us) seven knots an hour (13km/h). At this rate, we will soon reach our destination, False Creek, where we plan to anchor for the night. We left our home port of River Rock Marina on the Fraser’s North Arm at noon. The tide was against us in the estuary, but today that didn’t matter. We still made a comfortable five knots, and we have all the time in the world. The trip downriver was relaxing, not too many tugs pulling barges or log booms. We ate sandwiches and watched the familiar landmarks slip past – McDonald Beach, the crumbling pier at the old Celtic Shipyards, the golf courses and finally, Coward’s Cove. The water at the mouth was a bit lumpy, but we’d seen worse. We made our way out past the shallows, then raised the sails and cut our engine. I set a course north towards Point Atkinson, and Frank trimmed the sails so we were on a beam reach with the wind coming over our port side. We were running parallel to the waves – not very comfortable since we rolled continually from side to side, but we had to put up with it until we cleared Point Grey and Spanish Banks. Once the red buoy marking the beginning of deep water was behind us, I turned to starboard, towards the head of English Bay. Frank adjusted the sails for the change in wind direction and the Zephyr is now gliding with the waves. Heaven! Today, English Bay is crowded with boats of all kinds. Pleasure craft predominate – sailboats and powerboats. But there are working boats as well – tugs, water taxis, one or two fishing boats, a rail ferry, even a pocket cruiser, perhaps on its way to Princess Louisa Inlet. Giant deep sea freighters ride at anchor, waiting their turn to proceed to the docks in Burrard Inlet to load or unload cargo. We can see one now, coming through the First Narrows under the Lions Gate Bridge, heading west towards the Strait 14
SENIOR LIVING VANCOUVER & LOWER MAINLAND
of Juan de Fuca and the Pacific Ocean. A glance at our electronic chart reassures us that we are far from the designated shipping lanes, well clear of the freighter’s path. A vessel that size needs a lot of room to manoeuvre, so small boats must give way to them. Frank takes over at the tiller, and I am able to sit back and look around. From this perspective, it is easy to see why Vancouver has so often made the short list of the world’s most beautiful cities. The North Shore Mountains are an impressive backdrop to the office and residential towers of the downtown core. Beaches and parks encircle the bay, and the streets behind them are shaded by huge maple and oak trees and lined with multi-million-dollar homes. Crowds of tanned and fit people of all ages are out enjoying the fresh air and sunshine. This urban paradise is a far cry from the wilderness that existed here two centuries earlier when the first Europeans dropped their anchors off-shore. The Spanish were the first to arrive in 1791, followed by Captain George Vancouver and his men in 1792. The names Spanish Banks and English Bay commemorate Vancouver’s meeting here that year with the Spanish explorers, Valdez and Galiano. Although aboriginal tribes such as the Musqueam and Salish peoples had lived in the region for millennia, the new arrivals immediately claimed it for their distant monarchs and set about naming islands, points, bays and waterways after
themselves, their friends and prominent people of the time. Vancouver named the Gulf of Georgia (now called more accurately the Strait of Georgia) after his king, George III, while Point Atkinson, Point Grey, Burrard Inlet and Howe Sound all bear the names of high-ranking officers in the English Royal Navy. Other names recall more recent history. Towers Beach at the tip of Point Grey refers to the searchlight towers built there during the Second World War. Just east of Spanish Banks lies the area known as Jericho. The name is believed to be a corruption of Jerry’s Cove, named after Jerry Rogers who first logged Point Grey. The house he built for his family later became the Jericho Country Club. But before Rogers’ arrival, a whaling station occupied the site. Still farther east, the English Bay Cannery operated in what is now Kitsilano (named after Chief Khahtsahlanogh of the Squamish people), processing all kinds of fish and turning the waste into fertilizer. Fish were abundant then in English Bay. There were huge runs of smelts so thick that people could wade into the water and scoop them up by the handful. Nearby, residents found the smell from the cannery offensive, however, and it closed in 1906. Kits is now an upscale residential area, and, on a sunny day like today, the beach is crowded with sunbathers. Young men and women play beach volleyball, and all shapes and sizes of dogs take their owners for walks along the seaside paths. The Zephyr glides past the Maritime Museum, the Space Centre and the Vancouver Museum, and then we find ourselves off Vanier Park, a popular spot for kite-flyers. Today is perfect for flying kites, and colourful paper birds, butterflies and airplanes swoop and soar in the air currents. By now, we are almost at the entrance to False Creek, so we reluctantly start our engine and furl our sails. As we chug slowly eastward under the Burrard Street Bridge, the waterway becomes more congested and we need to be alert to avoid a collision. Small, brightly painted ferries carry passengers between the north and south shores. Paddlers explore the Creek in kayaks and canoes that can be hard to spot until we are almost upon them. And, of course, a constant stream of sailboats and power cruisers enter and leave the marinas that occupy every available bit of space along the edge of the narrow inlet. On our starboard side, we pass the fishermen’s terminal, now quite empty since most of the boats are at sea. Just past the public market, we see the docks where boaters can tie up temporarily while they restock their galleys with seasonal fruits and vegetables, freshly baked bread, cakes and pies, and an assortment of meats and seafood. We pass a clutch of float homes and another marina before we reach our destination, a small indentation on the south shore called Charleson Bay, where we anchor for the night. A number of other boats are there before us, but we
»
AUGUST 2009 VANCOUVER
Senior Living Special Housing Edition Contains articles pertaining to senior housing. Find out more about
• senior housing options and alternatives • how to determine what kind of housing is right for you • how other seniors are managing their housing • professionals, services and products available to seniors who are living independently (aging in place) • and much more
TO ORDER a copy... Please mail a cheque for $5.25 ($5 plus GST), along with your name, phone number and address, to Senior Living, 153, 1581-H Hillside Ave., Victoria BC V8T 2C1. We will mail you a copy of this special housing edition upon receipt of payment.
VIEW ONLINE for Free... You can view the complete special housing edition on our website -- look for the Vancouver August 2009 Edition at www.seniorlivingmag.com
SEPTEMBER 2009
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finally manage to settle ourselves in a spot that gives us room to swing with the tide without danger of bumping one of our neighbours. Not long ago, this area would have been even more crowded by boats anchored year-round, many occupied by live-aboards. As of August 2006, a city bylaw prohibits anchoring in False Creek for longer than two weeks in the summer (during a 30-day period) and three weeks for the rest of the year (during a 40-day period), so that all boaters who wish to enjoy the Creek may do so. The controversy surrounding the displacement of the live-aboards is reminiscent of the times groups of squatters lived below the high-tide line here and in other parts of Burrard Inlet, the most famous being novelist Malcolm Lowry who lived in a shack in Dollarton. The squatters erected small cabins on pilings, and some of the homes were brightly painted and had flowerpots on their windowsills. These residences may have been primitive, but they were considered greatly preferable to crowded, squalid tenements or rooming houses. There were problems, however, mainly in regard to the disposal of sewage and garbage, and eventually the cabins were torn down and their inhabitants forced to move. One such community still thrives, however – Finn Slough in Richmond. False Creek is now considered a highly desirable place to live, work and play, but, until the 1960s, it was zoned for industry. Shipyards, sawmills, brickyards, cement works and other businesses lined its shores, dumping pollutants into the water and killing the fish and waterfowl. The inlet was an open sewer and the surrounding area was close to becoming a wasteland. Then, in the ’70s, the federal, provincial and civic governments joined forces to redevelop False Creek into a major attraction for tourists and locals alike, with a mix of residential space and businesses catering to the arts, to boaters and to the public. Because the Zephyr swings in a 360 degree
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SENIOR LIVING VANCOUVER & LOWER MAINLAND
circle with the tide, during our stay we will have an ever changing view from our cockpit of the high rise towers, the parks, restaurants, and specialty retail stores that occupy the shores of False Creek today. The inlet is encircled by the sea wall, a path full of walkers, joggers, cyclists and rollerbladers. With much of the pollution cleaned up, birds and sea life have returned. Tonight, we are tired from our long day on the water and decide to remain on board. By the time the boat is secure, the sun is definitely over the yardarm, so we pull the cork on a bottle of Merlot. We take our glasses into the cockpit and settle back on the cushions to watch the working day of the city wind down. As the shadows lengthen and street lights start to come on, we light the barbecue to grill the rack of lamb we have brought along. I cook new potatoes and green beans from our garden, and as we dine, we watch the shimmering reflections of the lights on the water and listen to the hum of the city, muted by distance. As Vancouver’s clubs and bistros come alive, we tidy the galley, and then snuggle into our berths, pulling up our duvets for warmth because it is always cool at night on the water. The gentle waves rock us to sleep, in our boat, right SL in the heart of the city.
Between Friends INTERWOVEN LIVES
D
r. Izzadin Abu Alaish is a Palestinian advocating for peace between Israel and his fellow Palestinians despite losing three of his eight children in his war-ravaged neighbourhood. His loss has not changed his heart. He has remained forgiving, kind and focused on achieving peace in the region. All humanity, whatever the society or culture, has a common thread of pain, loss, disappointment and tragedy. How we handle adversity determines the kind of person we become.
BY DOREEN BARBER
awareness are available to those who strive for it. Coincidence has no place in finding deep inner peace. “Life is just a chance to grow a soul.” –A. Powell Davies
Trouble abroad, in our own country, province or neighbourhood can now be seen around the world in minutes. We are inundated with information through a multiplicity of technological devices. It is important that we proc“You must not lose faith If anger and resentment are allowed ess and react to the flood in humanity. Humanity is of predominately negative to remain in our hearts, they alter an ocean; if a few drops information in an approof the ocean are dirty, the priate manner. Keeping our perception and lead to hatred, ocean does not become our heads above the flood revenge, hostility and isolation. dirty.” of negative information is –Mohandas Gandhi a challenge, but it’s worth the effort. The choices we make impact our lives and the world If anger and resentment are allowed to remain in our hearts, they alter our perception and lead to hatred, re- around us. It begins with our families, friends, neighbours venge, hostility and isolation. Our inner peace slips away – and beyond. and our sense of connectedness is lost. “In every community, there is work to be done. In evePeople who rise above personal tragedy bring hope to those who observe their triumph. Tenacity and resolve ry nation, there are wounds to heal. In every heart, there are notable characteristics common to those who over- is the power to do it.” –Marianne Williamson SL come difficult challenges. Inner peace and a high level of
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GOGO JESSE BY JOAN W. WINTER
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Photo: Joan W. Winter
A
frica holds a special place in the heart of Ladner resident and grandmother Jesse Pringle. She lived there as a young mother in the 1960s, and again in the ’80s. So, when she heard that in August 2006, the Stephen Lewis Foundation was bringing 100 African grandmothers to Toronto to meet with 200 Canadian grandmothers, I’m going, she decided. Stephen Lewis, the UN SecretaryGeneral’s Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa, had been travelling in Africa for over two years. He was devastated when he saw that, across the continent, millions of people – individuals, families and communities – were struggling with the ravages of the HIV/AIDS pandemic. More than 60 per cent of all people in sub-Saharan were living with HIV. 13.2 million AIDS-infected women and girls were sick and dying. Over 13 million children had been orphaned. Lewis launched the Stephen Lewis Foundation, an organization to provide relief to the suffering people of Africa. Assisting those most in need by funding grassroots projects and putting money directly in the hands of communities and front-line organizations, the Stephen Lewis Foundation raised more than 10 million dollars in the first three years. But it was not enough. A continent of orphans had emerged, millions of children whose parents had died of AIDS. Displaying amazing reserves of courage, resilience and love, setting aside the grief of their own losses, Africa’s grandmothers stepped into the breach. With little or no support or financial resources, they offered their hearts and homes to the children, sometimes supporting as many as 10 to 15 in one household. To raise awareness and mobilize
Jesse Pringle at the Ladner Village Market
support for the struggling grandmothers of Africa, in March 2006, Lewis issued an appeal to Canadian grandmothers to help their African sisters and launched the Gogo (Grandmothers to Grandmothers) Campaign. Gogo, in Zulu, means grandmother. Jesse sat in the Toronto auditorium waiting for the 100 African grandmothers to appear. They’d be subdued, she thought, tired, jet-lagged maybe, overwhelmed at being in a strange country. But suddenly, with a joyful hooting, hollering and singing, accompanied by thunderous applause from the Canadian delegation, the African grandmothers appeared – happy, smiling, relaxed. For Jesse it was a breathtaking moment. “It was absolutely amazing,” Jesse recalls, “the positive spirit, enthusiasm and optimism of those grandmothers was awe-inspiring. I knew right then I wanted to do something to contribute to their cause; I wanted to give something back to the Africa I had visited and loved.” On her return home, Jesse con-
SENIOR LIVING VANCOUVER & LOWER MAINLAND
tacted Barbara Clay, current Chair of the Greater Van Gogos, whom she’d met at the gathering. Barbara encouraged Jesse to start a new Gogo group south of the Fraser River. Pleased to give it a try, Jesse contacted a Delta Optimist reporter. He interviewed her and wrote an article about the Stephen Lewis Foundation’s Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign and invited local grandmothers to reach out to their African counterparts and join the South Fraser Gogos. There was a good response, and the group has never looked back. Like the other Gogo groups across Canada (now numbering an amazing 230, with more than 5,000 members), the South Fraser groups’ mandate is to support the Stephen Lewis Foundation in its efforts to provided African grandmothers with their immediate needs of food, housing, medical care, transportation, clothing and school supplies for the orphans. To facilitate Gogos’ goals, all groups participate in a three-arm programme of Fundraising, Advocacy and Awareness. Fundraising Gogos organize Scrabble and Bridge tournaments, hold book exchanges, fashion shows, pub nights; they make handsome handmade gift items, jewellery, sew aprons and pot holders; some create beautiful wallSouth Frase r Gogos will be at the Ladner Villag e Market on September 13, 2009 . Further info rmation ab out the Stephen Lew is Foundatio n and the Grandmoth er’s Campai gn can be found at: www.stephe nlewisfound ation.org www.grandm otherscamp aign.org E-mail: gogo jess@telus.n et
art, quilts and the ever-popular, colourful tote bags. The work of the Advocacy group takes the concern for grandmothers and AIDS orphans into the public or civil sphere, meeting with elected officials, and working with the media to see that helpful policies, those that will most benefit the African grandmothers and the AIDS orphans in their care, are created, reformed and implemented. As co-ordinator and member of the Awareness team for the South Fraser group, Jesse finds herself busy. As the “public face” of the group, she is also the publicity person, advising local media of upcoming events. Besides attending national conferences, Jesse is much in demand for speaking engagements to local community groups and organizations. FILL YOUR DAYS WITH LAUGHTER. When you live at Shannon Oaks you’ll have more time to smile and do the Her goal is to raise public awareness about the seriousness things that matter to you most. of the AIDS pandemic in Africa, about the difficulties faced An independent seniors living community, you’ll live well in by the grandmothers and orphaned children, and about the your beautifully appointed suite and enjoy amenities and work of the Stephen Lewis Foundation and the Grandmothservices that provide for your every need including: delicious er’s Campaign. meals, daily activities, weekly housekeeping and 24-hour Jesse takes her role as co-ordinator seriously, generatemergency response from our resident managers. ing passion and enthusiasm for their cause, also networkCome see why you’ll want to make Shannon Oaks your home. ing with team members to train others interested in starting groups of their own. “I try to encourage members to experiVANCOUVE R V ICT ORI A ence a variety of roles within the group,” she says. 6 04 .3 2 4. 62 57 25 0 .5 95 .6 2 57 Summer Sunday mornings, 8 a.m. on Ladner Village ww w. sh an no no a ks. co m Market days, Jesse and her team are already erecting the Gogos booth canopy, setting up tables and planning the Baptist Housing | Enhanced Seniors Living | Since 1964 day’s strategies. Tote bags arrive from the “Bag Ladies” (creative ladies who make the attractive Gogo bags), and they are added to the display. Sales are brisk. Jesse, having organized the schedule, visits each group of volunteers throughout the day. Proof 3 In the three years since her group was formed, Jesse and SENIOR LIVING MAGAZINE: HOUSING GUIDE her 40-member South Fraser grannies have donated more JUNE 2009 than $82,000 to the Stephen Lewis Foundation, $62,000 of A Care Giver’s Storycolour Size: 1/4 Page, 3.5” w x 4.75”h, which came from the sale of tote bags. Together, the Stephen Lewis Foundation and the GrandGreen’s personal story as a care Rep: RaeLeigh Buchanan | Tel: Valerie 250.479.4705 | rbuchanan@seniorlivingmag.com mother’s Campaign have donated many millions of dollars giver to her elderly parents is the most rel($6.1 million from the Grandmother’s Campaign alone) to evant book on “aging in place” I have read fund special projects in 15 African countries, with only 10 to date. It provides a powerful insight into per cent of funds donated used for administrative costs. the challenges faced by every care giver. “There is so much that is rewarding in being part of the It unveils the challenges, heartaches, Gogo organization,” says Jesse, “but I think, primarily, it is struggles and agonizing decisions that thinking that we are doing something concrete to make the often need to be made along the way. If lives of African women a bit easier. Also, being involved 96 pages you are currently a care giver, or anticipate Softcover with the Canadian grandmothers willing to give of their being one in the near future, this book is a 5.5” x 8.5” time, considerable effort, experience and skills is awe-inmust-read. Price $14.95 spiring, as has been being part of a growing and expanding - Publisher Barbara Risto, Senior Living magazine group effort. Thanks to all this, I feel that I have grown and To order, please send cheque for $19.84 ($14.95 plus $3.95 S&H & GST) expanded too!” payable to Senior Living. Please include your clearly written shipping address and phone number. Due to the efforts of women like Jesse Pringle and her South Fraser team, Grandmothers’ groups in British CoMAIL TO: Embrace Book Offer lumbia have won the prestigious Rosemary Brown Award c/o Senior Living 153, 1581-H Hillside Ave., Victoria BC V8T 2C1 for Women for 2009, an award recognizing outstanding Allow two weeks for shipping. achievement in promoting equality and human rights. SL
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The Passion Within BY KEVIN MCKAY
T
Photos: Kevin McKay
his month the British Columbia Senior Games will be held in Richmond, and Cam Varcoe, a long time resident of the city will compete for Zone 4. Though Cam excels at a number of different sports and would ideally like to be able to compete in more than one during the Games, the rules stipulate people are only allowed to participate in one sport or activity each year. In addition to competing, Cam hopes to take part in all the Games have to offer, including the opening ceremonies, which will be held in the new Olympic Speed Skating Oval. “Since the Games are going to be in my backyard, I feel like I might as well march in with the other Zone 4 athletes for the opening ceremonies so that I can savour the moment and create some special memories,” says Cam. The Games offer three different cycling events and Cam plans to try his hand at all three, just like he did at the first Senior Games he attended in 2003 in Chilliwack. At that time, he did not win any medals, partially due to equipment deficiencies, but hopes for better results this time around. “When I raced in those first games,” he says, “I was still using a much older steel bike. Many of the guys I was racing against not only had better equipment, but some of them even brought three different bikes with them, one for each race. Most of the guys are pretty even from a fitness standpoint, so often having the right bike can make a big difference. I now have a carbon fibre bicycle, which only weighs around 17 pounds [7.7 kg] – at least eight pounds [3.6 kg] less than my old bike.” In only one of the three Senior Games cycling competitions do the cyclists race directly against each other on the same course. That event is called the road race and it consists of a 60-kilometre race pitting the cyclists against each other for the duration of the race, like spectators might see in the Tour de France, though on a much smaller scale. The second type of race is called the time trial. In this competition, participants challenge themselves by trying to complete a 16-kilometre course as fast as possible without any competitors nearby. Cyclists are racing the clock rather than their competition. The third race is called the hill climb and, like the name implies, has cyclists each take turns going up an incline, again 22
SENIOR LIVING VANCOUVER & LOWER MAINLAND
racing against the clock. For each of these races the cyclists are divided by gender and into five-year age groupings. Though Cam loved sports while growing up, cycling is not the activity he thought he would be enjoying competitively. Raised in the Toronto suburb of Weston where he was the eldest of four children, he was the son of a schoolteacher father and a mother who left nursing to raise her family. Though his parents were not notably athletic, his maternal grandfather was an Allan Cup winning goaltender, so Cam surmises that the athletic genes in his family may have skipped a generation and settled in him. Of the city he grew up in Cam remembers,
“Weston was a hockey mad town. The Toronto Maple Leafs were everything to young boys in that part of the world and Weston was the home of their Junior B team, the Dukes. Many of the Leafs prospects came to live in Weston and went to high school with us while they were on their way to the NHL. Players like Dave Keon, Bob Nevin and Ron Ellis lived in Weston while playing there. I used to go down to the arena two hours before game time to wait in line to buy a standing room ticket to a game.” Cam played hockey and baseball while growing up, but the sport he most enjoyed was golf. He took up the game and wound up working summers at the local course as a caddy. The pay at the time was two dollars for a round but the paycheque was nothing compared to a couple of unforgettable experiences. In 1955, the Canadian Open Golf Championship came to Weston Golf and Country Club for the first time and, in those days, the caddies were paired up with the golfers by having their names pulled out of a hat. Thirteen-year-old Cam was thrilled when he was picked to caddy for a 25-year-old golfer who had won the US Amateur Championship the year before, a young professional named Arnold Palmer. A few days later, Cam was congratulating Palmer on his first-ever victory on the PGA tour! “Most people had not really heard of him at that time,” Cam remembers. “I knew who he was, but he hadn’t really made too much of a name for himself yet. I had to walk the entire course all four days of the tournament prior to us going out for his round, so that I would know all the pin placements. After the win, he gave me two dozen balls and 200 dollars, which was a lot of money for a 13 year old in those days. Following the tournament, I walked around on Cloud 9 for at least a couple of weeks.” On one other occasion, during his caddying days, luck smiled on Cam. The club decided to bring in one of the most famous hockey players in the world for a round of golf, and Cam was drawn to caddy for Maurice, “The Rocket” Richard. “He was a real good golfer but he was very serious and didn’t talk to me at all,” says Cam. “I was very intimidated by him and had no problem believing that opposition players were in awe of him. At least I got his autograph, something I had failed to do with Palmer.” Following high school, Cam found work as the assistant golf professional at a local club, which allowed him to golf free at courses all around Toronto. He enjoyed this life for a couple of years, and even took up tennis during this time, but eventually he realized that this was not how he wanted to make his living. “I did not have university marks, but I wanted to go as far as I could, so I signed up for a Business Administration course at Ryerson College,” says Cam. “It was a good course and took three years to complete. Once I finished, I found a job managing a restaurant near Windsor for a year before moving on to a job selling educational films to schools across the country.” It was while doing this work that Cam discovered two things
»
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Oct 15-18th. WOW! What an explosion of color we experienced last year on this trip. We enjoyed the serene beauty of the resort at Lake Chelan so much we decided to add an extra day and take a cruise up the lake and explore the Stehekin Valley and Rainbow Falls. The Oktoberfest will still be in full swing on our last night in the Bavarian town of Leavenworth where you can take in the activities and browse the many European shops. $855 Cdn PP based on Dble Occ. No GST - 7 Meals
Dec 10-13, 2009. 4 Days. We have taken your favorite Christmas tours and combined them into one fabulous Christmas experience. This itinerary is guaranteed to lift your spirits and send you into the Christmas season with joy in your hearts. We have included; a Dinner Theatre at a camp covered in dazzling light displays and holidays sounds of Victorian Carolers, a horse drawn sleigh ride, the lighting festival of the Bavarian town of Leavenworth, Washington with a traditional Bavarian dinner. Lots included.
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SEPTEMBER 2009
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he would fall in love with: Vancouver, when he travelled to the city, and his future wife when they met on a blind date in Toronto. The couple was married and moved west to Calgary when Cam accepted a position as the sales manager for Western Canada with the leading film distribution company in the country. A year later, their young daughter accompanied them to Vancouver in 1975, the city they would call home until moving across the Fraser to Richmond in 1980. The ease with which he sold their first house impressed Cam so much that he decided to go into real estate. He studied for and took the exam in short order and still has his licence today. For the next several years, he stayed active in his spare time with tennis and golf, primarily for recreation. A little more than 10 years ago, a friend introduced Cam to cycling by inviting him to join the Cross Country Cycle Touring Society. “When I started cycling, I really enjoyed the camaraderie and the feeling of freedom in being out in the fresh air,” says Cam. “There was a great feeling of freedom in being able to talk to people and travel around at your own pace. I enjoyed cycling with the club and I still do go out with them sometimes, but I wanted more. My whole life has been about competition and I have always wanted to be the best I can be.” “A few years after joining the Society, I hooked up with the Velovets, which is a group of seniors from their late 40s to their early 80s. They are a lot more disciplined when they go out. You have to go at the same speed as the rest of them and you have to keep up. Everyone takes a turn leading the group and you learn to cycle in a peloton, which is a group of cyclists. The racing part of it appeals to my competitive nature.” About a year and a half ago, Cam was struck by a car while riding his bike and he wound up needing surgery on the rotator cuff of one shoulder. He is undaunted as he continues to enjoy his sport and anticipates taking part in the Seniors Games. 24
“I am looking forward to the fact that some friends from the Velovets will be competing in the Games this year since they do not have to travel. The territory is familiar and that should be an advantage for us. I will also know some of the tennis and golf competitors and will be able to catch up with them.” Many people enjoy playing team sports, but Cam is not one of them. “I really thrive on being on my own,” he says. “When I play individual sports no one is pushing me and telling me what to do. I really like the fact that the total responsibility for how I do falls on my shoulders, just like in real estate. If I do well, I can pat myself on the back. And if I do poorly, I have no one to blame SL but myself.”
SENIOR LIVING VANCOUVER & LOWER MAINLAND
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youon thinksuccessful of the story ofone David and Goliath, • inspiring ar�cles re�rement of“Ifyou. David needed only slingshot and Goliath the problem in front felled hisisproblem. Thenyou he have got tocurrently go onto other Aposted PROFESSIONAL New articles this month: of you. David needed only one slingshot •ASK seasonal recipes • computer, gardening travel �ps problems. The point is that each one and of usand needs felled his problem. Then he got to go onto other to focus that magnifying glass of attention on one Article 1 by Advertiser A month: New articles posted this • a new Sudoku puzzle every month problems. Thesolve pointit,isthen that go each onenext of usthing.” needs specific thing, to the Article 2 by Advertiser B to focus that magnifying glass of attention on one Article 1 by Advertiser A - Mark Victor Hansen Article 3 by • Advertiser C updates on changes to our magazine or website specific thing, solve it, then go to the next thing.” Article 2 by Advertiser B Article 4 by Advertiser D - Mark Hansen Article 3 by Advertiser • surveys toCsecure your input • contests toVictor enter for prizes Article 4 by Advertiser D YOUR HEALTH - Herbal Remedies For Anxiety And • lists of our most recent senior-focused adver�sers Stress WELCOME NEW ADVERTISERES YOUR HEALTH - Herbal Remedies For Anxiety And This has something on wellness, health, may be pharma• lists ofnew our mostto recent advice ar�cles on our website. Stress WELCOME NEW ADVERTISERES We welcome these businesses ceuticals, cosmetics, herbal options, etc. Put article on This has something on wellness, health, may be pharmaSenior Living. It’s because of their supwebsitewebsites to track We that welcome these new to access tomagainteres�ng port we• can bring youbusinesses this ceuticals, cosmetics, and herbal online options, etc.videos Put article on
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Senior Living. It’sWe because of their supzine every month. encourage you, portreader, that we bringknow you this magathe tocan let them through zine every month.ofWe encourage YOUR patronage their business you, that the appreciate reader, to let them you them asknow well. through YOUR patronage of their business that Advertiser A you appreciate them as well. Advertiser B Advertiser A Advertiser C Advertiser B Advertiser D Advertiser C Advertiser D
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[READ MORE] more ways to stay in Senior Living con�nues to develop HOME REPAIRS (POST-WINTER) We will doJoin a section that’s related to growing home renovations, touch with our loyal readers. rapidly HOME REPAIRSour (POST-WINTER) repairs, etc. Handyman tips, etc. We will put these articles We will do a section that’s related to home renovations, membership today. on our website to track them. repairs, etc. Handyman tips, etc. We will put these articles
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[READ MORE] on our website to track them. [READ MORE] HOW FULL IS YOUR LIFE? This is an inspirational, motivational article designed to be HOW FULL IS YOUR LIFE? uplifting but thoughtful at the same time. We will put this This is an inspirational, motivational article designed to be article on our website to track it. uplifting but thoughtful at the same time. We will put this [READ MORE] article on our website to track it. [READ MORE] YOU’LL WANNA SEE THIS! Something really extraordinary -- like the sand on the YOU’LL WANNA SEE THIS! ocean, or this month, a car that plunges over an embankSomething really extraordinary -- like the sand on the ment in Arizona missing a drop into a ravine by inches. ocean, or this month, a car that plunges over an embank[READ MORE] ment in Arizona missing a drop into a ravine by inches. [READ MORE] COOL WEBSITES TO VISIT (in addition to ours!) Will find interesting places readers can go on the web -COOL WEBSITES TO VISIT (in addition to ours!) starting with www.iserenity.com and www.howisitmade. Will find interesting places readers can go on the web -com starting with www.iserenity.com and www.howisitmade. com A CHANCE TO WIN ANDRE RIEU CD OR DVD No entry necessary - this month every newsletter recipiA CHANCE TO WIN ANDRE RIEU CD OR DVD ent will be entered in the draw for several CDs and DVDs. No entry necessary - this month every newsletter recipiMore details about prizes. Draw date: April 15/09 ent will be entered in the draw for several CDs and DVDs. More details about prizes. Draw date: April 15/09 TRAVEL ARTICLE We have an article to put in this issue - RB TRAVEL ARTICLE [READ MORE] We have an article to put in this issue - RB [READ MORE]
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25
FINDING A PLACE OF
STILLNESS W
e breathe every second of every day but how often do we really pay attention to our breath? The in-breath and the out-breath; the intake of energy and the expelling of energy. We gasp, we hold, at times, we hyperventilate; however, these are all times when our breath has our attention. In those moments, when we stop and pay attention, we can easily bring our breath back into the normal round of in and out. I have always used the phrase “take a breath” when someone was having a moment of hysteria or becoming exceedingly stressed out. All these years later, I now realize that, at any moment, the correct answer is always TAKE A BREATH. Just relax, take a moment and breathe. One of the ways people can incorporate a state of mindfulness into their lives is with meditation – a practice that has been used for centuries by wise men and women. A time to be still, quiet the mind and just breathe. The benefits of mindfulness meditation are found in all aspects of our busy lives. Deep breathing, which is the backbone of any meditation practice, eases muscle fatigue and tension because 26
BY KATRICE BALMER
of increased oxygen to the muscles. Meditation has been proven to lower high blood cholesterol due to its stress-reducing benefits and, with the decrease of stress, our immune system is subsequently strengthened. The physical benefits alone are realized almost immediately with unlimited energy. Emotionally, people will first no-
tice a sense of calm as they embark on a meditation practice. Where, in the past, they may have reacted with anger and confusion at yet another stressful situation, now, with a daily practice of stillness, they are able to see these situations with a clearer perspective. From this place of clarity, confidence emerges knowing that a positive resolution can be found, in the end, with a sense of effortless ease. Meditation enhances the senses. Learning to integrate all the senses
SENIOR LIVING VANCOUVER & LOWER MAINLAND
into one’s daily life, through meditation, will bring a myriad of emotional benefits and fullness to life. Those who meditate start to “respond” to situations and people, instead of “reacting” from a place of stress. Creative juices can flow more freely as focus and concentration are enhanced. The mental benefits of meditation, if practised regularly, are long-lasting and eventually become permanent. Meditation seeks to bring harmful and counterproductive thoughts and feelings to the surface of the consciousness, quell them and help one gain the necessary perspective to deal with the challenges. Meditation is the healthy replacement for drugs and alcohol, and is the ultimate anti-addiction medication. Along with all the benefits to one’s physical, mental and emotional well-being, meditation also brings with it a greater sense of selfawareness. Those who practise meditation notice a feeling of being more “connected” to the world around them. They find that they develop a heightened sense of purpose and with that comes a greater feeling of acceptance. A multitude of desirable benefits come with regular meditation practice. For some, meditation allows
them to discover aspects of their personality they had previously been unaware of. Issues that may have been causing distress for years seem to magically resolve themselves as they allow those unconscious thoughts and feelings to rise to the surface while in a quiet, still place. Meditation is not a destination but a fascinating journey where those who practise become awakened to life. We are all continually changing and evolving and, with regular meditation practice, these changes simply flow as we evolve into the person we are becoming. We never stop growing and, as we age, it is even more important to allow for these changes in our lives to be as stress-free as possible. Through meditation, people can discover and uncover an entire new world of interests or talents. In my case, I discovered that I love to put thoughts down on paper. My work is now my passion. I have those quiet still moments during meditation
choose peace
to thank for bringing me to my present life; a life that is full of purpose imbued with a deeper understanding of who I am and how I can give back to others. Writing works for me. For others, it may be painting, singing, or simply creating a beautiful backyard oasis. There are many meditation facilitators in the community. Local community centres may already have meditation classes listed in their schedules. Check them out. Local metaphysical bookstores will have listings of practitioners who offer a variety of different
s d e fi i s s Cla TACTIC PROFESSIONAL SERVICES. An Independent Marketing Contractor Telemarketing, home-based. Generates revenue for businesses. Call 778-397-9330, or e-mail pdaisley402@gmail.com with your orders.
RESOURCE DIRECTORY RESOURCE DIRECTORY RESOURCE DIRECTORY RESOURCE DIRECTORY RESOURCE DIRECTORY RESOURCE DIRECTORY RESOURCE DIRECTORY
meditation practices. And, of course, check for meditation circles online by entering Meditation and the city in a search engine. Life can be busy and hectic, but we have the ability to shield ourselves from all the noise and find that still, quiet place deep within. So, take a moment and discover meditation, and SL learn to breathe consciously. Katrice Balmer works as a holistic healing practitioner and has been facilitating meditation circles for 20 years.
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27
Mind GAMES
Crossword PUZZLE Across 1. Semitrailer 5. Disparaging term for WW1 German soldier 10. Split 14. (Babylonian) god of storms and wind 15. Gold (Latin) 16. Female horse 17. Liquid secreted by the liver 18. Shoulder scarf of fur 19. Egg-shaped 20. To set upon 22. Military aircraft 23. Capital of Tibet 24. More recent 28. Lyric poem 30. Encouraged 34. Ballyhoo 35. Cuff 37. Securing with a noose
38. Meddler 39. Shut 40. Evening 42. Enthusiastic 43. Not on 44. Effeminate boy 47. Meeker 52. Ornamental ower garden 56. Feminine 57. Gelling agent 58. Enthusiastic 60. Frozen treats 61. Capital of Fiji 62. Frighten 63. Having a sound mind 64. Ooze 65. Twill-weave fabric 66. Hit sharply
Down 1. American dwarf fan palms
2. Female name 3. Mediterranean island 4. Notions 5. Expose to warmth 6. Not in 7. Packed 8. Hawaiian native dance 9. Very hard mineral 10. Young salmon 11. Molten rock 12. Republic in SW Asia 13. Transmission of data 21. Encrusted with sugar 25. Earnings 26. Flowers 27. Altar boy 28. Exclamation of mild dismay 29. Musical composition for two 30. Surround 31. Ball game 32. Blunder 33. Shaped like an S 36. Male and female name 41. Impure acetic acid 45. Leash 46. Attire 48. Wrong 49. Parrot 50. Female given name 51. Set again 53. Malarial fever 54. Talk irrationally 55. Speed contest 56. Gratis 59. Unit of energy ANSWERS
28
SENIOR LIVING VANCOUVER & LOWER MAINLAND
Photo: Jason van der Valk
Dear unsigned: It sounds like you have experienced a full life raising your family, teaching and now enjoying the role of grandparent. You must be looking forward BY GOLDIE CARLOW, M.ED to your retirement. The relationship with Dear Goldie: your sons and grandson I am 59 years old and have led a will certainly be a plus in your future. very active life. I have been separated In your letter, you seemed perturbed for 20 years and raised my younger son that you initiate and pay for most soby myself. My older son was in high cial contacts with them. I can assure school when I separated. My life was you this is not unusual, unless you dedicated to my family, studies and bring the matter up when you are towork. I am a faculty person at a post- gether and make a definite plan for fusecondary institute. My boys are now ture outings. In any case, do not lose grown and have their own lives. I find contact. Family is very important. that I have no social life and no comMy advice on buying a house is for panionship. I did not need this when I you to contact the Victoria Real Estate had my boys at home. I see them every Board and obtain a list of their comtwo weeks or so even though they live panies and agents, or look for realtor in the same town. ads in Senior Living . Discuss informaIt seems the only time I see them is tion on listings with a friend or relative when I initiate a lunch or supper I pay who has knowledge and experience in for or when the older one wants me to the housing market. You are starting babysit his sweet little boy. I know I well in advance of your retirement so have to give my head a shake and de- you will be aware of prices and locavelop a life of my own. I plan to re- tions when you visit the Island. tire in approximately three years and I Senior Living publishes a Special want to move to Victoria. Edition Housing Guide. You would Can you give me hints on housing, certainly benefit from the informasenior activities and things I should be tion it contains. The magazine can also aware of when planning a move. supply you with pen pals. Look in the I am a very healthy person with no classified section under Personals. And limitations for pursuing any activity I visit the website online at www.seniorshould choose. Do you know of any livingmag.com/discussion websites for pen pals my age on the I hope your move is successful and Island? Thank you. –unsigned
ASK
Goldie
Senior Peer Counselling Centres (Lower Mainland) New Westminster 604-519-1064 North Vancouver 604-987-8138 Burnaby 604-291-2258 Richmond 604-279-7034 Vancouver West End 604-669-7339 Coquitlam – Tri-Cities 604-945-4480 Vancouver Westside 604-736-3588
Goldie Carlow is a retired registered nurse, clinical counsellor and senior peer counselling trainer. Send letters to Senior Living, Box 153, 1581-H Hillside Ave., Victoria, BC V8T 2C1.
you enjoy your retirement. Dear Goldie: I have been a widow for 20 years and have lived independently until my mid-eighties. Many of my friends have lost their husbands in the last few years. It amazes me that none of them want to keep their independence as I have. They are all in Senior Care residences. I visit them often and they seem to be happy. It seems sad to me that some of them did not try living on their own. Keeping my independence is so important to me. I look after my diet, exercise and walk daily. –K.H. Dear K.H.: Maintaining your independence is an important part of life. However, there are many reasons for giving it up. Life of an individual is different than that of couples. Your friends had husbands to consider and care for much longer than you. They may have felt weary of cooking, cleaning and shopping to keep up their homes. In later years, illness may have added to their strain. Doubtless, you too had problem days, but they became widows at a much older age than you and possibly looked forward to a little care for themselves. You are fortunate to be well and independent, and I urge you to keep up your routines. Meanwhile, continue to visit your friends in their new homes. They need SL old friendships more than ever.
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Mail to: Senior Living 153, 1581-H Hillside Ave., Victoria BC V8T 2C1 SEPTEMBER 2009
29
BBB Better Better Better Better
W
Business Business Business Business
Bureau Bureau Bureau Bureau
SCAM ALERT
BY LYNDA PASACRETA
Smart Estate Planning
hether wealthy or not, everyone needs to think carefully about estate
planning. Typically, death isn’t a comfortable topic for discussion, and thoughts about what will happen to your belongings after death can be overwhelming. By taking the time while you are alive and well to think through some of these difficult decisions, you can help to reduce the chances that your family will be taken advantage of when it comes time to deal with an emotionally charged issue like your estate. No matter how great or how few your assets, creating an estate plan (which includes items such as a will, living trust and living will) will help you organize and distribute your money and belongings to the right people and places. BBB offers the following guidance on the basic components of an estate plan:
Will At the very least, anyone who has assets they would like to pass on to
specific individuals should create a will. A will can allocate assets as well as establish guardianship of children. Most wills have to go through probate after the individual’s death. In probate, a court oversees the payment of any debts and distributes inheritances – the process can last several months.
Living Trust While a trust might sound like something only wealthy people need, it’s actually a tool for anyone who would like to set conditions on how and when their assets are distributed. A trust can also help reduce the amount of taxes paid on the inheritance and does not have to go through probate – unlike a will. Examples for creating a trust include wanting to give a child their inheritance over time, rather than in a lump sum, and restrict how the money can be spent.
Living Will A living will provides a way for an individual to communicate their desire for life-saving measures in case they are incapacitated. In addition to a liv-
ing will, individuals can also assign medical power of attorney to someone they trust, who can further ensure that their wishes are fulfilled. Be cautious when you decide who will be involved in the creation of your estate plan; this process involves a great deal of personal and financial information. You need to have confidence and trust in the lawyers, estate planners, accountants or others who will be involved in organizing your needs. BBB advises researching any estate planning companies or lawyers first at mbc.bbb.org before paying for SL their assistance. For more advice you can trust from BBB on managing personal finances, visit mbc.bbb.org
Lynda Pasacreta is President of the Better Business Bureau of Mainland B.C. Contact the BBB to check a company report or Buyers’ Tip before you purchase or invest. www.bbbvan.org or 604-6822711. To contact Lynda Pasacreta, e-mail her at president@bbbvan.org
Senior Living Vancouver is available at most Recreation Centres and Libraries in the following municipalities: • VANCOUVER • BURNABY • NEW WESTMINSTER • WHITE ROCK • NORTH VANCOUVER • LADNER / TSAWWASSEN • PORT MOODY • COQUITLAM • PORT COQUITLAM • SURREY • RICHMOND • WEST VANCOUVER • LANGLEY • ABBOTSFORD • PHARMASAVE STORES THROUGHOUT BC
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Call 1-877-479-4705 for other locations. 30
SENIOR LIVING VANCOUVER & LOWER MAINLAND
H
Senior Living launches Discussion Forum
ave you ever said, “I would really like to talk to other people about…”? We’ve heard this often from our readers, so out of that was born the idea to create a Discussion Forum on our website where readers could interact with each other, talk about issues and interests that don’t necessarily find their way into our printed publication, but are of informational value just the same. This month we are officially launching the Discussion Forum section of our website. We invite you to visit www.seniorlivingmag.com/discussion and join in on an existing conversation, or start a conversation yourself on a topic of interest to you. This is your place to express yourself, ask for advice, give advice, share your opinions, meet people of like interests, and much more. Do you want to talk about the latest books you’ve read and hear what others are reading? Are you dissatisfied with a government decision? Are you looking for some travel information? Are you searching for a particular recipe? Are you having trouble finding home care resources? Would you like to join a club or activity group, but don’t know what’s out there? Would you like to know how others are managing their retirement? Whatever the subject, you can raise it in the Discussion Forum and see who responds. The more people get involved in these discussions, the livelier, and more informational this area of our website will become. We already have a number of conversations started… here’s a selection of what you will currently find in our Discussion Forum: 1. Home Safe Home During Vacations – share some tips on what you do to make your absence less visible. 2. Travel and Foods in Central Europe – have you ever enjoyed goulash in Hungary, pasta arrabbiata, Italian pizza, or Ristorante Acqua al 2 in Italy? If you know a recipe for any of these, please let us know. 3. Riding Bikes Through Europe – Germany, Czech Republic, Germany, Austria, France – share your experience with these other biking enthusiasts and or plot your next trip with the help of someone who’s been there, done that! 4. Downsizing in a “hot” real estate market – are you having success or challenges finding a new place? 5. Computers – would you like a place to post your questions and get answers? 6. Books – what have you read recently? Jack Whyte,
Simon Scarrow, Lindsey Davis…? Add your favorites to the list and find out what other readers are recommending. 7. Social Seniors – want to connect socially? Get to know some people here… 8. Structured Debt Notes – someone wants to know if they are a good idea…? We are currently looking for volunteer moderators. These are people who we assign to be the facilitator of a particular conversation. Their “job” is to start a conversation on a topic of special interest to them and then monitor the responses periodically. They are ready to jump in with comments, and carry the conversation along – much like a host at a dinner table would with a group of guests. You can find out more information about this on the Discussion Forum page. Hope to hear from you soon!
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EVENTS IN YOUR AREA
Do you have an event to tell our readers about? Senior Living’s website offers an ideal place to post your event for FREE, or find out what’s happening around the Lower Mainland.
www.seniorlivingmag.com/events SEPTEMBER 2009
31
Reflections THEN & NOW
BY GIPP FORSTER
I
used to take my legs for granted. My eyes too and my hearing. I actually needed a comb and I could shop for clothes in a normal men’s wear store, and not a big and tall store. (I’m still not tall.) I could run up and down stairs. I could get by with a few hours of sleep after burning the candle at both ends. And I could eat what I wanted and never put on a pound! Of course, that was three or four hundred years ago. When milk came in glass bottles and Elvis Presley hadn’t discovered Brylcreem yet. I was not only slim then, I was taller. I’ve lost two or three inches in height over the past 25 years or so. I haven’t actually lost the inches, I’ve just relocated them to my waist. When my wife is asked how tall her husband is, she answers: “four foot seven.” But, of course, that’s when I’m lying down. Boy! What an exaggerator she is. Four foot, maybe, but not four foot seven. Now that I’m a senior, each day, I seem to discover something missing that I once took for granted. It doesn’t take me long to brush my teeth because I don’t have as many teeth as I used to. But I have spares, so I guess I shouldn’t worry. I don’t have the mobility I once had and always took for granted. But, I have a walker to help me walk and a scooter to ensure that I can scoot. But it’s not really the same; I can’t do stairs with either of them! I can’t take the newspaper for granted anymore either. Home delivery, I mean. Two or three times a month, the paper doesn’t arrive in the morning like 32
it should. When I phone to complain, I get a recording telling me the press is down or another excuse. On any one of those days, the heading could have read: “World Ends Today” and I would have missed it! I’m ashamed to admit I take my wife for granted. I don’t give it much thought when I put on a clean shirt – a shirt that was dirty and wrinkled a few days ago, and now is clean without a single wrinkle. My wife does tons for me that I don’t really notice or take as my due. Still, she lets me stay. I guess I take that for granted too! I take tomorrow for granted. I make plans for tomorrow. Save for tomorrow. Talk about tomorrow like it’s already here. I sometimes live for tomorrow, but there’s no guarantee I’m going to arrive there. My wife says if I continue to leave my clothes lying around, she can guarantee I won’t arrive there. When I fly in an airplane, I take it for granted that I will arrive at my chosen destination. I’ve never met the pilots of the plane. I could pass them on the street and not even know them. I put my life in the hands of total strangers, which means I take strangers for granted too. When a light turns red, I take it for granted the traffic will stop so I can go forward on the green. I even take for granted that my car will start each time I turn the key in the ignition. And I’m indignant if it doesn’t! I guess living in the free world, and especially in North America, we take life for granted – or at least what we consider life. Three meals a day with snacks in between; Gas, oil or electric
SENIOR LIVING VANCOUVER & LOWER MAINLAND
Photo: Krystle Wiseman
TAKEN FOR GRANTED
heat, a refrigerator, a stove with an oven, a television, a radio and a stereo; And now there’s the Internet, fax machines, voicemail, cellphones and digital cameras! It’s hard to keep up with what we take for granted these days. But it sure is good to have so much to take for granted. In other parts of the world, starvation and privation are taken for granted. So are disease and suffering. I think we should stop each day and thank the good Lord for the many things we take for granted and make our lives easier. But, then again, perhaps we take Him for granted too. Well, I guess we’ll all keep moving along taking all the new things that seem to pop up every day for granted. But we can’t take all things for granted for all time. For instance, I went in search of the old chip wagon recently. You know, those carts that went from corner to corner selling hot-to-touch fries, shaken into a cone of brown waxed paper and then showered with vinegar and salt. There wasn’t one to be found! They say the good die young. SL Pity!
BC EDITION
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9.95
To Move or Not to Move? A Helpful Guide for Seniors Considering Their Residential Options
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 diminishing 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. • What residential options are available? • Define your current situation - What residential option is right for you? • How to research and assess Independent and Assisted Living residences. • What do Independent, Assisted Living and Complex Care facilities have to offer? • How much does it cost to live in an Assisted Living residence? What subsidies are available? • Thinking of moving in with family members? Questions to consider before making your decision. • Are there any other residential options besides Independent, Assisted Living and Complex Care facilities? • If you choose to stay in your own home, what are your options and what should you plan for? • Who can help you decide what you can or cannot afford? • Funding sources available to seniors - tax deductions, housing subsidies, home care subsidies, equipment loan programs, renovation grants, etc. • Selling your home - how to find the right realtor or relocation services to assist your move. • Downsizing - Where do you start? How do you proceed? • Adapting your home to meet your mobility needs - tips and suggestions • Hiring home care services; do it yourself or hire an agency? • Legal matters - how to make sure you receive the care you desire should you not be able to communicate due to some incapacitating condition • AND MUCH MORE Advice from professionals who are experts in the area of assisting seniors with their relocation
questions and concerns. 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.
ORDER FORM - “To Move” Name_______________________________________________ Address_____________________________________________ City_________________________________ Prov ___________ Postal Code_______________ Phone _____________________
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Mail to: “To Move” Book Offer c/o Senior Living Box 153, 1581–H Hillside Ave., = $____________ Victoria BC V8T 2C1
____ BOOKS @ $9.95 each
SHIPPING $3.95 FIRST BOOK, $1.95 PER ADDITIONAL BOOK = $____________ SUBTOTAL
= $____________
GST (5% on above SUBTOTAL = $____________ TOTAL
= $____________
Shipping rates apply to British Columbia addresses ONLY. To have book mailed to addresses outside of BC, please call Senior Living 250-479-4705 for shipping costs. Please allow 2 weeks for shipping.
Read my article on the Senior Living website at www.seniorlivingmag.com