Kamloops Connector May 2023

May 2023

Support those living with dementia through volunteering

difference even in the face of their own health complications.

learned so much from each other.”

the dementia journey.

With National Volunteer Week behind us, the Alzheimer Society of B.C. is calling on Central Interior residents to support people living with dementia by becoming volunteers.

While the number of people living with dementia in B.C. is over 85,000, that number

is estimated to rise to nearly 134,000 by 2030.

To address this growing need, the organization is encouraging more people to volunteer and help support people living with the disease and their caregivers.

Among those who have put their hands up is Donna Gallagher, a shining example of how volunteers can make a

After reading that the Alzheimer Society of B.C. was expanding to more than 70 support groups that would need caring, empathetic people to serve as facilitators, Gallagher saw an opportunity to give back to the community. Facilitating a virtual support group gives her the flexibility to manage her health while still contributing her time and expertise to support people affected by dementia.

Prior to volunteering, she participated in the caregiver support group while both her parents lived with the disease.

“The support group gave me others to connect with, we were all on the dementia journey and

Another outstanding volunteer is Annemarie Travers, who has been with the Society since 2016. She has facilitated programs, helped run outreach booths and volunteered with Breakfast to Remember.

Travers has also used her passion for longdistance walking as an opportunity to raise awareness for dementia. Most recently she and her husband raised around $13,000 after they walked just over 800 km from Lodève, France to Puente la Reina, Spain during their “Camino for Alzheimer’s Awareness” walk.

Now a support group facilitator, Travers says volunteering helps her stay grounded and allows her to better understand

The Alzheimer Society of B.C. is currently in need of in person and virtual support group volunteers for its earlystage and caregiver support group programs. Support group facilitator volunteers play an essential role in providing emotional and practical support to people living with dementia and to caregivers. They help people share experiences, learn new coping strategies and gain insight into the disease.

“Our support group facilitators are an integral part of the Alzheimer Society of B.C.’s mission to support people affected by dementia,” says Tara Hildebrand, Support & Education Coordinator, First Link® for the Alzheimer Society of B.C.’s Central

Interior region. “We are looking for individuals who are empathetic, good listeners, and have excellent communication skills and can facilitate a safe and supportive environment for caregivers and people living with dementia to share their experiences and feelings in a safe space.”

The Society is calling on the community to support its programs by becoming volunteers. Volunteering with the Society is a meaningful and rewarding way to give back to the community and help make a difference in the lives of people affected by dementia.

To learn more about volunteering with the Alzheimer Society of B.C., visit alzbc.org/ volunteering.

The Gleaning Abundance Program and food security

By Mariana Guerra, Gleaning Abundance Program Coordinator, Kamloops Food Policy Council

This will be the fifth season that I’ve run the Gleaning Abundance Program (GAP).

Over the years with this program, I have been learning more about food security; witnessing first hand how natural events, a pandemic, and climate change have been affecting our food supplies and how the food insecure population has increased. I would like to invite you to think and reflect on what and how we can contribute to support food security within our community.

To guarantee food security we need convenient and

sustainable access to safe, culturally appropriate, sufficient, and nutritious food for everyone. At a global level, according to The state of food security and nutrition in the world 2022 report from the World Health Organization (WHO), both child malnutrition and child obesity, alongside trends in maternal anaemia and obesity among adults, are alarming.

The WHO report suggests that “governments can invest in food systems equitably and sustainably, even with the same level of public resources” that already exist. “Governments’ support for food and agriculture accounts for almost USD 630 billion per year globally. However, a significant proportion of this support distorts market prices, is environmentally destructive, and hurts small-scale producers and Indigenous Peoples, while failing to deliver healthy diets to children and others who need

them the most.”2

At the local level, our health authority region, the Interior, has the second highest rate of food insecurity in B.C. with 14.1 percent of total households being affected, according to the latest report on household food insecurity from the B.C. Centre for Disease Control in 2016. At the time of the 2016 report, the B.C. Child and Youth Advocacy Coalition, reported 19 percent of children and 17 percent of residents live below the poverty line in the KamloopsThompson-Cariboo region.

Looking at these statistics, I ask myself what can we do better to support our own community in getting access to better nutrition? TRU students conducting research for the GAP found that “food insecurity and mobility constraints are associated with low fruit and vegetable consumption with economic access to fresh produce being

the number one barrier to eating fruits and vegetables in Canada,” as supported by Caroline Dresdielle, et al. in an article for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. The GAP can directly bridge this gap by bringing food directly to organizations serving people experiencing food insecurity; cutting out the need for additional transportation for clients to access this produce, as well as mitigating monetary costs for the produce.

The GAP’s goal to provide access to fruit all year round for the most vulnerable people in our community was attainable thanks to collaboration with another Kamloops Food Policy Council program, The Stir, and with Open Door Group’s Gardengate program. This winter, we distributed 1,300 lbs. of gleaned-processed fruit.

Over the past three months, I have collaborated with three wonderful TRU nursing students, Olivia

Seasonal Herbed Cod Recipe

While local seafood is available year round, local herbs start sprouting in April. Enjoy this seasonal herbed cod recipe to ring in spring!

Ingredients

• 4 (3/4-inch-thick) skinless cod fillets (6 to 8 ounces each)

• Kosher salt

• Freshly ground black pepper

• 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

• 2 medium lemons

• 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

• 4 sprigs fresh rosemary, thyme, or a combination

• 1/4 cup loosely packed chopped fresh tender herbs, such as parsley, basil, or dill

Instructions:

• Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 400°F. Pat fish dry with a paper towel and generously season all over with salt and pepper.

McKay, Amna Qazi, and Jakob Reid. These students conducted a study to help us better understand the fruit delivery needs of the produce recipients’ agencies that we partner with and to develop social media content to increase knowledge in the community regarding sustainable food sources and increase nutritional literacy of the fruit we collect. Still, there’s room to improve within our program. How can we influence people to consume more nutritional food? How can we help to see less fruit on the ground during the summer because nobody picked it? It is heartbreaking to see all this fruit going to

waste while I’m driving downtown and through other communities in Kamloops.

I would like to make a call to everyone with fruit trees who would like to donate the fruit to reach out. We help you get rid of your waste or excess fruit, preventing unwanted pests and wildlife visitors in your backyard, while you help us keep helping others. Let’s all work together to reduce food insecurity in our community.

Last year we gleaned 15,600 lbs., had 107 harvests and more than 250 volunteers participated in the program. Let’s make this number keep growing.

• Pour 2 tablespoon olive oil in baking dish large enough to fit the fillets in one layer; tilt the dish to evenly coat.

• Thinly slice 1 1/2 lemons, remove any seeds, and set aside the remaining half. Place the lemon slices in the dish, overlapping slightly if needed, and top with garlic and herb sprigs.

• Lay the fillets in the dish, drizzle with remaining olive oil, and bake until the fish is opaque and flakes easily, 15 to 20 minutes.

• Remove from the oven, sprinkle with chopped herbs, squeeze remaining lemon half over the top, and serve in shallow bowls with the cooked lemon slices and broth that accumulates.

Source: https://www.thekitchn.com/baked-cod-22925293

KSO concludes season with Beethoven’s monumental Ninth Symphony

The final concert of the Kamloops Symphony’s 2022/23 Season, Ode To Joy, will present audiences with the profound, epic, and monumental work that is Beethoven’s beloved Symphony No. 9, which contains the well-known “Ode To Joy.” This concert will take place at 7:30 pm in Sagebrush Theatre for two nights; Friday, May 12 and Saturday, May 13. The orchestra, led by Music Director Dina Gilbert, will be joined on stage by soprano Suzanne Taffot, mezzo soprano Stephanie Tritchew, tenor Dillon Parmer, baritone Alan Corbishley, and the KSO Chorus.

Before the grand tour-de-force that is Beethoven’s Symphony

No. 9 the concert will start with Canadian composer Violet Archer’s Poem for Orchestra. Archer was born in Montreal in 1913 and passed away in 2000. She built a career as a teacher, composer, and musician, playing percussion with the Montreal Women’s Symphony Orchestra from 1940-47, a time when major municipal orchestras were not admitting women into their ranks. Archer was a prolific composer, writing more than 330 compositions that ranged from comic opera, film scores, experimental

electronic works, and of course, orchestral works. Her lyrical style is on full display in the lush, beautiful, and very accessible Poem for Orchestra. The music of the Ninth Symphony, particularly the “Ode to Joy” melody of the final movement, has reached beyond the world of the concert hall and permeates popular culture on many levels. The symphony traces a path from darkness to light, with profound statements about freedom, equality, and humanity that resonate just as powerfully today as they did at the premiere performance in 1824. The lofty salute to the human spirit expressed in Friedrich Schiller’s An die Freude (To Joy) resonated with Beethoven for many years, culminating in being the subject for his final symphony, “the search for a way to express joy” as Beethoven himself described it.

One of Beethoven’s most significant innovations is the inclusion of a chorus and vocal soloists in his Ninth Symphony. The KSO is fortunate to be joined by four stunning soloists and the KSO Chorus for this concert.

Soprano Suzanne Taffot has been described as “a voice to follow” and stands out for her rich and colourful timbre, her

ease on stage, and her touching interpretations. Mezzo soprano Stephanie Tritchew is a steadily rising young singer, named one of six Canadian women making the future bright for the art form by The Globe and Mail. Tenor Dillon Parmer has been praised for a voice that breathes warmth and lyricism and his rewarding, finely honed, and outstanding performances. Kamloops-born baritone Alan Corbishley is hailed for his warm, elegant voice and his charismatic stage presence. The KSO Chorus, led by chorusmaster Tomas Bijok, provides local singers with the opportunity to perform masterworks for choir and orchestra in concert with the Kamloops Symphony, and was highlighted in the recent Brahms’ Requiem concert.

Tickets for both performances of Ode to Joy are $49.99, $44.99 for Seniors, $10 for Youth (under 19), $25 for KSO Up Close seats (the front three rows), $15 for KSOundcheck members (age 19-34), and are available from Kamloops Live! Box Office by calling 250-374-5483 or going to kamloopslive.ca.

Alan Corbishley Baritone Dillon Parmer Tenor

Stephanie Tritchew Mezzo Soprano Suzanne Taffot Soprano

Worried About An Elderly Parent Being

My two cents

Moneca Jantzen Editor

ome could accuse me of being self-absorbed and they would probably be correct. It’s not intentional or preferred, just the likely result of being a self-conscious introvert. My relentless attempts at selfimprovement are borne of a life-long battle with my weight which in turn caused a pretty fierce case of poor self-esteem. This month I step into my sixth decade of life and one would think I would have conquered these battles by now. I have not. In fact, at a time of life when I shouldn’t care as much about certain things, I am finding that I care even more because what might have once been considered sheer vanity has become more about ultimate health outcomes.

While I think I’ve made progress with respect to my overall feelings of self-confidence, I certainly haven’t made a permanent dent in my body size despite countless efforts and occasionally impressive results. Upon reaching menopause my body seems more determined than ever to settle in at my body’s highest set point that was established 25 years ago when I was pregnant. Despite a healthy diet and daily exercise I can’t seem to lose any weight—much to my chagrin. This has been my cross to bear and I’ve tried to not let it bother me, but it always has and always will. Although my weight has plagued me all my life, I never considered myself to be particularly vain otherwise.

I take care of myself, but I’ve never been hung up about wearing make-up and getting my nails done or fussing over my hair let alone worrying about wrinkles. As I age, however, I have started noticing more and more things in excruciating detail: the crepey skin; the extra crease in the bridge of my nose thanks to my CPAP mask scrunching up my nose; the wrinkly hands; the cross-hatch wrinkles on my upper cheekbones; the jowl that’s forming mostly on the left; broken blood vessels and rosacea; grinding noises in my knees; the odd whisker sprouting from invisible moles; the random hot flashes that happen at the most inopportune times — the list goes on!

I acknowledge that in the grand scheme of things these are ridiculous first world problems and I am aging relatively gracefully. Most people say I don’t look my age, but I think that is beginning to change. Gravity is winning. Pretty soon I won’t have to say anything to the clerk at Shoppers Drug Mart on Thursdays about being a senior, something I still forget to mention most times myself.

I am also highly aware that making it to sixty years of age and beyond is a privilege. Some people we know and love don’t make it this far so I am not complaining! I am merely trying to come to terms with a stage of life that always comes faster than it seems we can mentally prepare. I don’t know if many people feel as old as they actually are, although I would guess that pain and illness might impact that frame of reference for some.

Quite uncharacteristically my focus has started to include lotions and potions to plump and firm the complexion and the vigil for stray whiskers is now on in earnest! As always I am trying to perfect my nutrition and remain active in an effort to keep the diabetes away and other nasty health issues at bay.

To celebrate making it to my sixtieth I am going to spend a few days at Sparkling Hill in Vernon for a bit of pampering, something I’m not accustomed to but hopefully I can enjoy and feel I deserve. I will keep in mind that it is spring and it will be Mother’s Day soon as well which will be yet another reason to celebrate.

Join me in taking good care and find some ways to pamper yourself as spring arrives, especially all of you mothers, grandmothers and special aunties. Happy Mother’s Day to you all!

SVoices of Experience

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When things begin to change

Art is Community

When considering the benefits of the arts, the first to come to mind is likely its use as a tool for expression and communication. If you’ve ever perused one of the many galleries hosted by the Kamloops Arts Council, you’ve likely read an artist’s statement explaining how they have channeled some powerful emotions through their work and how creating and sharing those feelings has helped them in some way. Perhaps you, yourself, have taken a stab at journaling or completed a colouring page to destress after work; through art, we can expel negative emotions. Outreach programs such as the Kamloops Arts Council’s Crossing Bridges utilize art as therapy as well,

further supporting art’s emotional and mental benefits.

On a larger scale, art gives us a place to gather as a society. From fine art showings to community theatre in the park, the arts provide an opportunity to gather with other people from all walks of life. A stroll through KAC’s Art in the Park at the annual Canada Day festivities demonstrates this perfectly; such an array of art forms crafted by people of all types can be found with an even wider array of people admiring it all. Cultures big and small unite through the arts to build better communities.

Lastly, and perhaps most obviously, is the economic growth arts can bring to communities. Of course,

by Keiko Bolen, Kamloops Arts Council

when we purchase art directly from the artist, we stimulate the economy; however, the benefits do not stop there. Programs such as the KAC’s Art in Public Spaces can also draw customers into its surrounding businesses; an arresting piece may cause people to pause on the sidewalk and inspire them to pop into one of the many charming boutiques in downtown Kamloops, for example. Additionally, art can be tied to the tourism industry as well. Consider the number of people who travel to New York City to peruse the Museum of Modern Art, to Paris to visit the Louvre, or to London to sing along to their favourite musical performed on the West End. These visits are motivated by

Curbside Organic Waste Collec tion

Coming

When is the program star ting?

Curbside car ts and k itchen bins will be delivered to homes in July and August The deliver y will include a new Solid Waste Collection Guide outlining detailed information about garbage, rec ycling, and organics collection. Organics collection will begin sometime in late summer The program will cost residents $1/ month, which will be reflected on utility bills after the program has star ted

the desire to experience art and can lead to jobs, revenue, and areas for growth.

Whether you realize it or not, art is all around us. When your favourite song plays on the radio or you drive past an eye-catching mural on the way to work or you

hang up your child’s newest masterpiece on the fridge, these are just a handful of examples of how embedded art is in our day-to-day lives. These meeting points elevate our everyday experiences and draw attention to how beneficial art and

artists are to fostering a flowering community such as Kamloops. If you would like to aid the Kamloops Arts Council in its support of the Kamloops arts community, please visit https://kamloopsarts.ca/ get-involved/donate/.

Nearing retirement? What questions should you ask?

Retirement goals

Financial focus

CHIANNE V. JONES

Advisor

The recent market volatility has affected just about everybody’s financial and investment situations –so, if you were planning to retire soon, will it still be possible? Of course, the answer depends somewhat on your employment situation. With so many people’s jobs being affected by the coronavirus pandemic, your retirement plans may also have been thrown into confusion. But assuming your employment is still stable, what adjustments in your financial and investment strategies might you need to make for your retirement? Here are a few areas to consider, and some questions to ask yourself:

Now is a good time to review your retirement goals and assess your progress toward achieving them. You may want to work with a financial professional to determine if the current environment has materially affected your goals or if you need to make modest adjustments to stay on track.

Retirement lifestyle

You probably created your investment strategy with a particular type of retirement lifestyle in mind. Perhaps you had planned to become a world traveler when your working days were over. Of course, in the near term, extensive travel may not be possible, anyway, but once we move past the pandemic, your freedom to roam will likely return. But if your investment portfolio is not where you thought it might be, can you (or do you want to) adapt your lifestyle plans? And can you accept the same flexibility with your other lifestyle goals, such as purchasing a vacation home, pursuing hobbies, and so on?

Tradeoffs

Based on your retirement goals and your willingness to adjust your retirement lifestyle, you’ll want to consider your options and tradeoffs. For example, would you be willing to work more years than you had originally planned in exchange for greater confidence in your ability to enjoy a comfortable retirement lifestyle? By working longer, you can continue adding to your Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP) and Tax Free Savings Account (TFSA) or similar retirement plan, and you may be able to push back the date you start receiving CPP/ QPP and/or OAS to receive bigger monthly benefits. You might also review your budget for opportunities to reduce spending today and potentially save more toward your retirement goals.

CPP/QPP and OAS

You can file for CPP/ QPP benefits as early as 60, but the amount you receive will be higher the longer you wait. The standard age to take CPP benefits is age 65 but can be deferred until age 70, with each month of deferral resulting in

an increased benefit. Similarly, OAS claims can be deferred beyond age 65 to benefit from higher payments. As you created your retirement plans, you likely also calculated when you would take CPP/QPP and OAS, but you may need to review those choices. If you postpone retirement a few years, what effect will that have on when you choose to make your claims and, consequently, the size of your benefits? You won’t want to make a hasty decision, because once you start taking CPP/QPP and/or OAS, you can’t undo your choice.

This is certainly a challenging time to be entering retirement, and you’ll have some questions to answer. But even in the midst of uncertainty, you still have many choices. Consider them carefully and make the decisions that work for you.

Member Canadian Investor Protection Fund. Member – Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada.

The website for The 55+ BC Games is bursting with up-to-date news

The website for The 55+ BC Games is bursting with up-todate news.The 2023 Games will be held in Abbotsford August 22-26. Go to zone8info@55plusbcgames. org to get all the latest news, changes and deadlines. Registration deadline is June 15, 2023. A word to the wise — don’t wait until the last minute as some sports have a limit of participants. Contact your sport coordinator (see

the list for Zone 8 on the above website) as well as any playdowns that may be happening. Currently we have playdowns for 8 Ball and Snooker on May 20th and Golf on June 5th. More could be added so keep checking the site as well as with your sport coordinator if a playdown will be happening. A reminder that you do not pay any sport fee when registering as Zone 8 covers it through a community grant.

A big shoutout goes to Jeff Reade, The Teck Guy, who was our guest speaker at our April meeting. I am sure that many of our computers are now shining brighter with all his helpful tips.

Our next general meeting will be at 10 a.m., May 18th, the third Thursday of the month at the Sports Council Building in McArthur Island Park.

Financial

CALLING ALL ADULT 55+ KIDS!

Do you want to have fun? Maintain or improve your fitness? Have the option of going to festivals in B.C.?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, then we have the club for you – the Kamloops Interior Dragon Boat Club, also known as the KIDS!

The KIDS is the only dragon boat club in Kamloops that tailors its water activities for individuals aged 55 years and older. We paddle on the beautiful South Thompson River from mid-April to mid-September and provide coaching, mentoring, life jackets, paddles, dragon

boats and a good time! Not a swimmer? That is a-okay. Dragon boating is all about teamwork in the safety of a boat with 20-paddlers, a Steers and a Caller. May not want to paddle? That is a-okay too. We are also looking for Festival Team Managers, Team Captains and Steers.

The KIDS and the City of Kamloops are offering free Give It A Try sessions on Monday, May 8, 2023. For more information and to register, please check out our ads and program listing in the City of Kamloops Spring & Summer Activity Guide 2023 and the Kamloops YMCA Spring

Guide 2023.

If you are unable to make the May 8th free sessions, there is another option. Come out early in our season and participate in three free paddling sessions.

For more information regarding the club, practice days and times, please visit our kamloopsinteriordragons.ca or e-mail the Kamloops Interior Dragon at info @kamloopsinteriordragons.ca.

Come on down to the Dragon Boat Compound near the Pioneer Park Boat Launch, meet some KIDS and GIVE IT A TRY!

APRIL 28TH TO MAY 7TH

West Coast Amusements

Hudson’s Bay park ing lot, Aberdeen Mall

K AMLOOPS ART GALLERY

#101 - 465 Vic toria Street, K amloops I

MAY 3RDMAY 6TH

BARB’S USED BOOK & MUSIC SALE

450 Seymour Steet, K amloops Between

K AMLOOPS RIVERS FOOTBALL CLUB

McArthur Island Field #2

MAY 26TH -

JUNE 4TH

CHL MEMORIAL CUP

Sandman Centre

MLA K amloops-Nor th Thompson 618B Tranquille Road Kamloops, BC V2B 3H6 peter.milobar.mla@leg.bc.ca

250-554-5413

@PeterMilobar

PeterMilobarKNT

MLA K amloops-South Thompson 446 Vic toria Street Kamloops, BC V2C 2A7 todd.stone.mla@leg.bc.ca 250-374-2880

@toddstonebc

ToddGStone

Kamloops Interior Dragon Boat Club gathers for a group photo while at a dragon boat competition. (Photo submitted)

BC Human Rights Tribunal

Legal ease

In British Columbia, all of us have rights and duties under the BC Human Rights Code regarding discrimination. Discrimination refers to bad treatment based on a protected characteristic.

A person discriminates under the BC Human Rights Code if they treat someone badly or causes them harm in the areas of employment, tenancy, services

(stores and schools), buying a house, as a union member or in a publication. There is a separate area for retaliation if someone causes additional or separate harm after a person files a BC Human Rights Tribunal complaint. The bad treatment or harm must arise from a protected personal characteristic such as age, gender, ancestry, religion, political beliefs, disability, source of income, family status or sexual orientation. Even if it was unintentional, if there is no defence for the conduct and it causes harm, it will give rise to a Human Right Tribunal complaint and could result in a monetary award to compensate for a person’s losses, including injury to dignity, lost wages,

costs of a hearing and any other out of pocket expenses as a result of the harm.

For example, prohibiting a person from entering a store or boarding a bus with a baby stroller is a basis for a BC Human Rights Tribunal complaint.

Other examples include a tenant with respiratory conditions due to un-remediated mold in their rental suite and a suite owner with mobility issues having been denied approval by the strata to install a stairs tram lift. Both

of these matters would have a basis to establish a BC Human Rights Tribunal complaint. There are many more examples under each protected characteristic and area of treatment or harm. A lawyer can assist you in the complaint process, including: advising you as to your rights and the potential value of your losses, filing the complaint, compiling evidence and preparing for and attending the hearing.

Thompson Valley Orchestra’s Spring

By Joanne Braithwaite

It’s been a long, cold winter and Thompson Valley Orchestra’s Spring Concert conductor, John Franks, thought dance music would be the best way to say goodbye to winter and hello to spring.

“All the music we’re playing at our May concerts is somehow related to dance,” Franks says. “We have ballet, tango, waltz, polka, swing music and more. We even have a piece called ‘Dance of the Monsters Under the Bed’ which is not exactly dance music but it’s so much fun I just had to include it.”

TVO concerts

often attract families. “Tickets are very reasonably priced,” Franks says, “and kids 12 and under are free. So it’s a relatively inexpensive family outing.”

The orchestra’s Christmas concerts sold out and Franks sees no reason why the spring concerts won’t sell out, too. He says Kamloops audiences really enjoy the TVO sound. “Not that we don’t work hard - we certainly do - but the TVO has always put emphasis on having fun, both for the musicians and the audience, and I think everyone feels that joy.”

Concert

Concerts are Friday, May 5 at 7:30pm and Saturday, May 6 at 2:00pm at the Kamloops Full Gospel Tabernacle, 1550 Tranquille Rd, Kamloops. Online tickets are $23 for adults, $13 for university and high

school students, with kids 12 and under free. They can be purchased at the TVO website  thompsonvalley orchestra.ca. Any remaining tickets will be available at the door for $25 and $15.

John Franks conducts the Thompson Valley Orchestra in rehearsal

Spring Cleaning: Flooring Edition

there too. Make sure you start spring off on the right foot and pick up all the dirt and dust that has been lingering in your home all winter.

Tile & Grout

Flooring

With spring in full swing, we wanted to share our best floor cleaning tips and our favourite cleaning products. We will tackle all things flooring: tile and grout, hardwood, laminate, vinyl, and carpet. When cleaning your floors remember to pull furniture and appliances away from the walls. Also, don’t forget to vacuum your air vents and trim while you’re back

Cleaning your tile’s grout is important. No matter how clean your tiles are, the surface will look dated and old if your grout is dirty. Tile itself is very easy to keep clean, but grout on the other hand, requires a little more elbow grease.

When cleaning tile and grout we suggest using a cleaner that has a neutral pH level. This is because if your grout hasn’t been sealed in a while, acidic cleaning solutions can weaken the grout and wear it down.

First, you’ll want to scrub and clean your grout with a neutral cleaner. Once that is complete, mop the entire surface to clean up any remaining bits of dirt to help your tile shine! If

your grout isn’t epoxybased, consider applying a grout sealer after you have cleaned your tile and grout. Sealing your grout will protect against future staining and save you from having to scrub your grout clean each time. Be sure you make sure the surface is completely dry before applying the sealant, and always follow the manufacturers’ instructions.

Hardwood

The sun is starting to shine through the windows but unfortunately, that makes dusty hardwood floors more noticeable. Hardwood floors are a little more sensitive to dirt and moisture than other flooring options. To properly clean your hardwood floors you will first want to throw away that dust bunny-filled broom and forget about the mop. We suggest using a microfibre or soft fabric mop head which

is more effective for trapping and collecting dirt on hardwood floors. Using this in conjunction with a hardwood specific cleaner like one from Canadian Made – FCS will get your hardwood shining like new, Finally, invest in a quality vacuum cleaner that does not use a rotating brush head as this may scratch your floor.

Laminate and Vinyl

If you have laminate or vinyl in your home, you’re in luck. Laminate and vinyl are straightforward to deep clean as they are not nearly as sensitive as hardwood. Purchasing a specific laminate or vinyl cleaner is always the best practice when cleaning these types of floors. When using a spray, never spray your floors directly, for the best results, spray the cleaner on the bottom of the mop. Of course, regular vacuuming is required and like hardwood, stay away from a vacuum with a rotating

brush head to avoid scratching or denting your floors.

Carpet

An annual deep clean of your carpets should be done, so what better time than during your spring cleaning? You can rent a steam cleaner to do it yourself, however, if you are not familiar with doing it yourself, we highly recommend hiring a professional. A professional will get the job done right. They know which type of cleaner to use and how to clean your specific carpet. Also, we recommend reading your carpet warranty as some manufacturers require that you have proof of a hot water extraction cleaning performed by a trained, qualified carpet care professional, at least as frequently as every 18 months since the date of your carpet purchase. Failing to do so will void your warranty coverage. What you should be

doing all year round is regular vacuuming. Here are some of our best carpet vacuuming tips:

1. Vacuum in multiple directions

2. Take your time – go slow

3. Dust the surfaces in the room before vacuuming

4. Use the attachments to get in edges and crevices

5. Don’t wait for your carpet to look dirty –set a schedule and stick to it. Dirt and dust can get trapped beneath the surface so just because your carpet doesn’t look dirty, doesn’t mean it isn’t. Good luck with your spring cleaning! If you have any specific cleaning questions about a flooring product don’t hesitate to call us or stop by. We have a wide variety of cleaners that will be both safe and effective for your floors.

PAUL MORRIS Nufloors

Enjoy a Relaxing Bath With No Worries

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Canadian made walk-in tubs since 1992, the best accessibility and a lifetime warranty.

Why Choose Walk-In Tubs BC? Experience, Safety, Reliability

Our primary goal at Walk in Tubs BC is to provide you, our valued client, with the peace of mind and confidence that you have made the right decision.

This comes from allowing us to sit down together, explain the numerous features and benefits, listen intently to your concerns and do our best to honestly answer all your questions. Then if we have earned your business and with your approval, help you select the perfect system for your individual needs and budget

Canadian, Local, & Experienced

When it comes to Walk-in Tubs across British Columbia, we take pride in our position as one of the best option with only the highest quality products affordably priced. Our walk-in tubs and materials come from a Canadian manufacturing company that has been in business since 1992; they are well-established in the field and have a wonderful track record of success. That gives you the reassurance that parts will continue to be available and warranties are backed up with integrity.

As we age and begin to lose our mobility and sense of balance, bathing can not only become difficult but also a cause of additional stress and anxiety. Fear of falling and a fear of not being able to get out of the tub are two of the most common occurrences with many of our seniors today. Walk-in tubs have become extremely popular in the last decade and estimates show that people who go ahead and install a walk-in tub in their homes today, will be able to live independently for an additional five years.

Walk-in tubs are exactly what the name implies, tubs that have large doors that open, and you simply walk in and sit down on a 17-inch-high seat You close and lock the door and the tub fills rapidly while you are sitting comfortably and safely inside All the taps and controls are easily accessible at your fingertips Once you are done your bath, turn the dial and the tub quickly drains and you simply open the door and walk out of the tub. The various models all have numerous grab bars and nonslip surfaces making getting in and out worr y free Walk-in

tubs are designed for an aging population who desire to remain independent for many years to come

Manufacturers have optional tub designs accommodating ever y shape and size of person and bathroom There is a tub size that will fit in the space where your existing tub or shower is.

Walk-in tubs can be as basic as a soaker tub to as deluxe as your own personal spa Offering numerous options such as heated back, multi-speed warm air jets, water jets, ozone, light therapy, aromatherapy, and more.

The benefits of a walk-in tub are numerous Many people crave being able to confidently have a bath again and find relief by just soaking in a warm tub Owners say they believe they sleep better after a soothing bath The warm air or water jets give a deep massage and help to stimulate circulation, thus carr ying additional healing oxygen throughout the body to the hands and feet This has shown positive results increasing mobility and helping to relieve the pain and symptoms of such conditions as arthritis, chronic back pain, fibromyalgia, diabetic

and peripheral neuropathy, as well as various other acute and chronic conditions.

The Canadian Government website states that 1 in 4 seniors fall ever y year, and 25% of these falls are serious, leaving the victims permanently disabled and bedridden. A large percentage

Perhaps, one of the best decisions I’ve made is when I decided to go ahead and put a walk-in tub in my house. I no longer have a fear of falling and this will help me live in my home for many more years to come.’

Jean S.

a walk-in tub now. The help comes in the forms of a tax credit, a Provincial Sales Tax waiver, and in certain qualifying cases a $7,500.00 Government Grant

of these falls take place in the bathroom Aside from all the pain and suffering it also ends up costing the Canadian medical system two billion dollars annually. Therefore, the British Columbia and Federal Governments are helping many people who decide to purchase

As we all age and the years fly by, many seniors are faced with the reality that taking proactive steps today and deciding to retrofit their homes with a walk-in tub is one of the best investments they can make to help them age in place, comfortably and independently in the home they love

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Kamloops Artist’s Group History

The Kamloops Artists painting group was started in the late 1980s by Sharon Olfert and Marjorie Herchak as a water media group. As years passed, other media were included so that currently we have members who use oils, acrylics, water colours, pastels, and pen and ink as well.

The first show was held at the Cup & Easel on Tranquille Road and there have been shows most years since, except for the last couple of years when Covid 19 restrictions prevented them.

In the intervening years several different locations have been used including the

Old Courthouse but in recent years the Spring and Christmas Shows have been held at the Japanese Cultural Centre, on Vernon Avenue across from the Northills Mall parking lot. This spring our dates are: May 12th, 13th, and 14th from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. Membership numbers vary between 30 and 40 with meetings held on Tuesday afternoons from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the Parkview Activity Centre beside Macdonald Park. Almost all of our members are seniors who greatly enjoy working on their art and sharing ideas

with each other. There is usually a “demo” once a month, and in the summer months “plein air” sessions on Tuesday mornings at various outdoor locations around Kamloops replace the afternoon meetings. The sale features original paintings in all media and all sizes, as well as art cards based on members’ paintings and smaller, unframed items are also a part of our “boutique” corner at the show. Admission is by donation and there are always several members on hand to answer questions about the art work and the club.

TRU Friends of the Gardens (FOG) Annual Spring Plant Sale

Saturday, May 6 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the TRU greenhouses next to House 10.

This event is a non-profit fundraiser sponsored by TRU Horticulture Program and TRU Friends of the Garden. Proceeds from the plant sale help support horticulture learning activities at Thompson Rivers University and features annuals, perennials, grasses, vegetables, heritage tomatoes, herbs, succulents. Master Gardeners will be on hand to answer your questions and there will also be door prizes.

THE BOOK OF MOTHER

Story by Rita Joan Dozlaw

“Up, up and away.”

The caption under a grainy photograph from an old newspaper sent Kelly reeling with memories. The photo was wrinkled with age… as her mother, Eugenia Smith, was when it was taken. ‘Jeanie’ had commented, “They didn’t get my age right! I’m not seventy; I’m only sixty-nine!” The smile on the face in the photo showed pleasure even as, in fact, she felt silly walking through the Eastern Hills Mall, in Niagara Falls, New York, holding onto her seven year old granddaughter Jennifer’s heliumfilled balloon. The little one was cranky and tired and, on their way through the busy mall to the parking lot, they were stalked by a photographer. He managed to stall them long enough to get his best shot of the day.

Eugenia was shown wearing a white knitted winter cap; it covered her salt n’ pepper, pin-curled hair. She often wore a hat over her pinned up and uncombed hair just in case a more special occasion than shopping would come up and she’d fashion her coif and finish with a film of hairspray. One end of a silk scarf coiled around her neck and into her collar. Was she dressed for a blast of winter?

The date, June 1, 1979, over the picture indicated a different season entirely. Kelly remembered she suffered with bad lungs and always tried to prevent colds. Regretfully, three years later, pneumonia took her life. For Kelly, at that time, a sense of peace surrounded her. But, lately, in the reality that it had been twenty-five years since she lost her beloved mother, a deep longing took over.

Thinking back, it surprised Kelly to have such clear memories of the times well before the endearing photo was taken. They propelled her into a most unusual and nostalgic mood. She put pen to paper, as she’d often done, to keep the memories of her mom alive. This time, however, it would be more than a note of reflection. This time, along with many other sketchy memory joggers, it would call for more effort; she would make a concise draft of her mother’s memoires!

The picture of Eugenia in the old mall had prompted a quotation, by Helen Thompson, to come to mind. “Inside every elderly human being is a small child missing its mom.” Kelly hadn’t considered herself that ‘elderly’ at the time; nevertheless, the words fit her mood; she missed her mother. Locating the certificate of birth, dated 1913, signed by the Commissioner of Health in Waycross, Georgia, she hunted down heaps of photos and vignettes and created a story board. Stashed on every surface in the office, paper trails of Eugenia’s life became a menagerie of memories for Kelly to work with… right down to the documents produced at her death in 1982, in upstate New York. The computer file’s working title was, ‘A Portrait.’ Figuratively painted onto the parchment, a modest manuscript, from Kelly’s palette of warm-coloured blobs of remembrances, shone in the blue light of the monitor.

The poet, Robert Frost, wrote “No tears in the writing? No tears in the reading. No laughter in the

writing? No laughter in the reading!” His words had set Kelly up to write with emotion; God set her up with Psalm 16:7—to have His counsel during the arduous task and to let her heart instruct her on the journey. Eugenia’s marriage, family, friends, favoured poetry and recipes and much more were included with dollops of ‘Jeanie’s sayings,’ in her Southern style and drawl. It also included some whispered dreams and prayers.

Eugenia dreamt and prayed her daughter would come ‘home’ to the Deep South. But, Kelly had made a permanent home in Canada for her family, and Eugenia’s heart was shattered. Trying to pick up the pieces, like shards of glass, they pierced Kelly’s heart; neither of their hearts mended. Kelly prayed, “Please God, stop the bleeding. I wish I hadn’t let mother down.” God answered and blessed them with a spiritual bond. Their letters and phone calls sustained them over the geographical distance. Travel sustained them too. “Nothing looks as lonely as your mom before she sees you coming up the platform,” wrote Pam Brown. With conviction, every few years, one or the other travelled the 3,000 miles to that joyous platform of togetherness.

Kelly had never been overwhelmed by anything as purposeful as the writing project. She thrived blissfully on the work, although it was a mammoth task that came with indescribable emotional highs and lows. In the research to uncover life-long stories, Kelly relived her own past and, with new insights to

the role model she idolized, she saw her young mother move, through time and age, graciously up to heaven’s door. It was inevitable that the dreaded day would come when Eugenia would, metaphorically speaking, disappear again through a door.

The absence of Kelly’s daily work was heart-wrenching as the two-hundred and seventy pages were stacked; flat surfaces in the writing sanctuary were ghosted, dusted for the first time in ages, and Kelly’s office door, where the spirit of Eugenia had lived for two years, was literally closed. The ending had come; the book was finished. Kelly felt she had essentially lost her beloved mother again, and the unbearable emptiness shocked her. She erroneously believed that, in the writing, she’d reduced the magnificent wholeness of Eugenia to a single book! The thought was strange and hideous. Can I ever forgive myself?

Kelly went into a primal state of dormancy and couldn’t write for weeks after ‘The Book of Mother’ was bound in 2007. Remaining, however, was the comfort that came with the assurance that the spirit and love of her late mother, like a genteel handprint, was still touching her soul. She found solace in that and, from the valuable written pages, she experienced a truly remarkable revival of peace in her heart. Each time she revisited the old episodes in Eugenia’s life, she revelled in the intense beauty of the past.

ACROSS

1. Dull and flat

6. Baking measurement (abbr.)

9. Education-based groups

13. Not behind 14. Runners run them

ankle

61. Rhythmic patterns in Indian music

62. “Uncle Buck” actress Hoffmann

63. Detailed criteria

64. Son of Shem

65. Talked wildly

66. Discount

67. Not good

68. Growing out.

DOWN

1. Actor Damon

2. A call used to greet someone

3. Part-time employee

4. Emaciation

5. “Westworld” actor Harris

6. Gains possession of

7. Relaxing spaces

8. 23rd star in a constellation

9. Northern grouse

30. Gland secretion

32. Action of feeling sorrow

34. Disallow

35. Deceptive movement

37. More dried-up

40. Crimson

42. Actress Ryan

43. Adherents of a main branch of Islam

47. Accomplished American president

49. Side of a landform facing an advancing glacier

50. Sheep breed

52. Appetizer

53. Broadway actress Daisy

55. Influential film critic

56. NY Giants ownership family

57. Type of script

of Egypt

31. You __ what you sow

33. Ruined

36. Narrations

38. Body art (slang)

39. Fencing sword

41. Apartment buildings

44. Type of missile

45. Fathers

46. Extremely high frequency

48. Type of school

49. Incorrect letters

51. Two-year-old sheep

52. Nasty manner

54. One who accepts a bet

56. Indian prince

60. Asian country

10. Monetary unit of Bangladesh

11. Manila hemp

12. Unites muscle to bone

14. Makes deep cuts in

17. 18-year period between eclipses

20. Member of a people inhabiting southern Benin

21. Synthetic rubbers

23. Unwelcome rodent

25. Expression of creative skill

26. Some is red

27. Seems less in impressive

29. Harry Kane’s team

58. Assist

59. London park

61. Bar bill

65. In reply indicator

Unfortunately our “Tax Program” has been cancelled this year.

Merritt Senior Centre

The Merrit Seniors Association

Book Review

By Marilyn Brown

Wild Moms: Motherhood in the Animal Kingdom

By Dr. Carin Bondar

Pegasus Books 2018

Non-fiction, 271 pages

The “wild moms” in the title are not neighbourhood moms partying big-time while the children fend for themselves. Rather, this book is about a wide spectrum of species in the animal kingdom and the drive to procreate, nurture, and rear families.

Critical to the survival of species is the role of mothers and the author describes their key behaviours and skill sets. The processes involved are usually energy-taxing, sometimes to the point of utter exhaustion on the part of the mother. Fortunately, there are rewards, not the least being the survival of the species.

Doctor Carin Bondar is an evolutionary biologist who looks at the successes and failures of species through the lens of science. (Some readers may be familiar with the author’s “Wild Sex” web program which boasts over sixty million viewers.) Some of the species she investigates are unfamiliar to most people, and other species are personally familiar – the human mammal is highlighted in the research on what factors ensure success for us. As she is herself a mother of four children, she knows what she’s talking about!

The early chapters contain a weight of scientific terminology, slowing the narrative, but the pace picks up considerably as she shares fascinating stories of particular species. Some of the information on animals we may think we know may surprise us. If, for example, a child or grandchild asks you what your favourite animal is, and you perhaps respond with “monkeys,” or “elephants,” or “killer whales,” you will be delighted with the depth of new information.

SUDOKU

Office hours are Wednesday and Friday from 11:00am to 2:00pm All programs are subject to change or cancellation. We’re

Bondar weaves the story of humans into the text with a thoughtful perspective on the challenges of motherhood – from the physical and mental changes that affect all mothers, to the challenges of mothers in the workforce dealing with under-valuation of their contributions, and under-funding of services that enable mothers. Additionally, Bondar weaves in science-based information on the importance of grandmothers in the long-term success of their families. (The supporting role of grandmothers in the animal kingdom is fascinating – with significant similarities to humans in matriarchal mammals such as the orcas.)

Dr. Carin Bondar’s PhD is from the University of British Columbia. She is a frequent contributor to such television and on-line programs as Scientific American and the Discovery Channel. She lives with her family in British Columbia.

K AMLOOPS’ BEST SELECTION OF VQA WINES AND BC CRAFT BEER

2023 Payment Dates

for Old Age Security & the Canada Pension Plan

If you have signed up for direct deposit, your Old Age Security (OAS) and Canada Pension Plan (CPP) payments will be automatically deposited in your bank account on these dates:

January 27

February 24

March 29

April 26

May 29

June 28

The subnivean zone

July 27

August 29

September 27

October 27

November 28

December 20

Kamloops birdwatch

Ican’t help but say the word ‘subnivean’ with a deeper, booming tone as if I were the announcer on some sci-fi tv show. The name itself sounds alien in nature, but it is literally down to earth.

The subnivean zone is a cozy paradise for small animals that do not hibernate or migrate to warmer climates, or whose skeletal structures are not fit to carry the weight of a winter coat, can survive the freezing

winter conditions. As the air temperature drops it causes snow to form and plummet to the earth! Now the ground is cooling but at a much slower rate. As the snow builds up, the ground is still releasing heat which transforms the lowest layers of the snowpack into water vapors that eventually freeze creating a toasty little barrier against the frigid conditions. How toasty you ask? Well temperatures can reach a balmy 32 degrees!

Now small creatures like voles, shrews, mice and Martin’s (oh my) can begin terraforming this area into a vast metropolis. They travel great distances via a network of tunnels with offshoots to the surface that not only provide

access to the surface, but ventilation for carbon dioxide.

So I want you to imagine yourself standing in a large field blanketed in snow. Beneath your feet a flurry of activity is happening.....can you hear it? Probably not!

Your human ears are not equipped to hear it. Owls on the other hand are equipped with senses as sharp as their talons.

Great grey and Snowy owls tend to be the typical owls we might think about in a situation like this, but one owl possesses precision style sniper hearing.

The Barn owl’s ears are positioned asymmetrically on its head; meaning one ear is set farther forward and the other is set higher.

The miniscule difference in time it takes for sound

waves to reach each ear, allows the Barn owl to hear the precise location of its prey in a three dimensional space; it can determine the direction, distance and height of where the prey is located.

Lucky for us, the Southwestern portion of British Columbia is one of the only places in Canada Barn owls breed. It’s distinct white face discs and piercing black eyes are accented almost in a heart shape by tawny feathers.

So as our snowy conditions continue to prevail into our spring, perhaps thinking about the superpowers of the Barn owl and the subnivean zone will spark enough wonder and imagination to see you through to the sunny days!

Stay Curious Kamloops.

Whatis an ingrown toenail?

By Liza Fedechko, Liza’s Footcare

The word Onychocryptosis sounds like something scary and written in a science fiction novel, but it’s a pain provoking ailment known as an ingrown toenail. The main cause of an ingrown toenail is from cutting the nail back too short and not straight across. Removing too much nail allows it to grow back and dig into the sulcus or soft surrounding flesh of the nail. Sometimes, the pain is so bad that the tender toes cannot bear the weight of a bed sheet. There are other possible causes such as poorlyfitting shoes, toenail injury or sometimes vitamin deficiency. It is possible that if an

ingrown toenail is left untreated it may lead to an infection. Some, but not all signs to watch out for are redness, swelling, purulent drainage, odour and/or persistence in pain. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms seek medical attention. There are surgical and non-surgical medical interventions to have it removed if this big pain in the toe becomes chronic. One of the surgical interventions is known as a Matricectomy with Nail Ablation. This procedure is done with either surgery or the use of chemicals such as Phenol. The surgical procedure involves the scraping

and removal of the nail matrix. This intervention will result in permanent, partial or full nail loss depending on how much of the matrix has been destroyed. People with diabetes or Peripheral Vascular Disease (PVD) may be advised to choose the non-surgical methods because of possible complications associated with surgery. One non-surgical intervention is known as Nail Bracing. It involves a device that can be applied by a Certified Foot Care Nurse or Podiatrist.

A nail correcting reinforced plastic band or metal wire brace is placed on

the top part of the nail to correct nail growth and almost immediately alleviate the pain. The device will remain for three to six weeks and will have to be replaced until the ingrown nail has grown out. The pros to this method include no recovery time, no risk of infection, is inexpensive and also safe for people with diabetes and PVD.

If you or someone you know has ingrown toenails and is seeking help, contact a footcare nurse or a podiatrist for treatment and an end to the pain.

NAOMI BIRKENHEAD

Cantabile Singers Cap Off 30th Anniversary Season with Spring Fling

The Cantabile Singers of Kamloops have turned 30 and are celebrating with a Spring Fling! This concert is filled with fun and frivolity, spotted with sparingly small moments of seriousness, with songs about cats, the beauty of nature, a surprising amount of food, and many more musical delights. Adding in some variety to the program, throughout the concert members of the choir will be performing in solos and small groups.

Spring Fling will be taking place in St. Andrew’s Presbyterian (1136 - 6th Avenue) on Saturday, April 22, starting at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $15, $10 for Youth (under 19), and are available in advance from cantabile-singers.eventbrite.ca, or at the door.

wishes?

Submitted by Erin Chambers, Life Coach/End of Life Doula

It’s really important for both you and your family but just where in the world do you begin? Let’s take the mystery out of how to start this conversation. And, perhaps, change our perspective from one of worry to thoughts of appreciation. Not to mention, applauding ourselves for tackling this, most times, challenging task. Here are three action steps you can take today to aid in starting that future communication.

Firstly, who do we need to talk to? Take a moment and think about why it is beneficial to share this information and your wishesnot only for yourself, but also for the person you wish to speak to. Pause and reflectcan you list three favorable reasons for yourself, as well as for the other person?

Secondly, remind yourself of your goal. Why are you having this conversation and what is your intention? Keeping this in the forefront of your mind will help you to negate the possible reasons or excuses that might pop up from getting you stuck. Things like, “I’m not old enough to have this talk”, “It can wait”, or “They might judge me or think it’s

I’m spiritual…

shuttered windows and high peaked roof.

unhealthy or depressing”.

It might be helpful to think of potential ways denial could come up-for both you and the other party. If you can prompt yourself with your reasons, your ‘why’, it will conceivably strengthen your determination to communicate your full end of life wishes.

Finally, pave the way for a healthy conversation by creating the atmosphere. You can open the conversation with, “I really want this to be much easier than when so-and-so died…” or “I really found it lovely when…”. Include your concerns, worries and/or other emotions when leading into the conversation so your intention is clear.

Thinking and discussing the death of our loved ones can be emotional but dismissing it or ignoring it, isn’t going to magically make it go away. We will all die one day-this is an absolute truth. Talk to your loved ones now, while you are capable of doing so. And then commend yourself for strengthening relationships, maybe even setting an example for others, and offering an unwavering gift of love.

outsideColouring the lines

REV. LEANN BLACKERT Wild Church

Asmall paper Dixie cup filled with popcorn and penny candies, topped with a handle made from a colourful pipe cleaner. May baskets made joyfully and delivered anonymously to friends and elementary school classmates on May 1st.

“What about Charlie?” Mom asks as she looks at our delivery list.

Charlie is new to our school. His family lives in a house we imagine to be haunted, with its sagging porch,

“But Charlie smells funny. And he isn’t nice,” I respond.

“Charlie’s family doesn’t have much money. And maybe he isn’t nice because no one is nice to him. No matter how he smells or how he acts, he is a person. We don’t judge people on their looks or by how much money they have. And if they aren’t nice, we try to understand why and we be nice to them anyway. The Bible tells us to do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Now pick up your baskets and let’s go.”

With that the conversation ended. The first stop on our deliveries was Charlie’s house. The lesson remains. I don’t know what happened to Charlie and his family. They moved after the school year ended. And I’m pretty sure I wasn’t always nice to Charlie, who was a bit of a bully.

In hindsight, I can say that was probably because he was bullied himself and he chose to use his size and words to defend himself, an understanding of behaviour that we don’t see clearly in childhood.

Mom was teaching me the truth of the words from the New Testament book of James. In chapter 2, the writer states that faith without works is dead, and that if we see a neighbour in need and ignore those needs, then our faith is not a living, active faith, but is empty words.

Over 50 years later I’m still working on that lesson. I’m still trying not to judge another by appearances and behaviours.

Imagine a world where we learned to do unto others as we would have done unto us. Imagine a world where compassion was the root of all action. Imagine a faith practice rooted in such

unconditional love. May baskets may not be a thing anymore, but the kindness and fun of gifting others never expires. Maybe I’ll try on that newer admonition to practice random acts of kindness this month. And more than just on May 1st.

Happy May Day! May kindness touch you in special ways this month. And may your faith be lived out in acts of love.

Rev LeAnn Blackert works with Michele Walker, Lesly Comrie and Linda Clark in ministry with Wild Church in Kamloops, Sorrento and the Okanagan. She considers herself a seeker in her faith journey and wanders the wild world looking for the Great Mystery and the “wild Christ.” To find out more, visit wildchurchbc.com and be in touch!

Drake, what’s all the ‘fine print’ about? Cremation Authorization Form Part 3

something we haven’t read. Most of us have probably clicked the ‘Agree’ button when the software company introduces their latest version on our cell phone, right?

Ask Drake DRAKE SMITH Funeral Director

Over the past several issues of the Connector we’ve dissected all the forms that Alice needs to sign just to have Murray cremated (or buried). We’ve examined the vital statistics and arrangement page, the authorization to transfer Murray form, the contract, the form that notifies OAS and CPP and the form that authorizes Murray’s cremation. This month’s column is dedicated to the fine print on the back of the cremation authorization form, the Terms and Conditions. Most people don’t read the back side of the Cremation Authorization form. True, it’s a legal document and Alice is going to acknowledge with her initials that she has read it and agrees to accept it. But think about the number of times in our daily lives when we agree to

The back side of the cremation authorization form lists 13 terms and conditions. The first term basically says that if Murray’s cremation container or casket contains metal, fibreglass or other noncombustible materials, the crematorium can remove Murray from that casket and cremate him in an acceptable container. The crematorium can also dispose of Murray’s original container (or, for example, the metal handles of his oak casket).

The second item on the form talks about pacemakers and radioactive devices and authorizes the funeral home to remove these items, and charge the applicable fee. The third term confirms that cremation is irreversible and that the crematorium staff can open the cremation chamber during the cremation in order to reposition Murray’s body. They do that to ensure the cremation is properly completed.

The next items (#4 and #5) deal with things

like screws, artificial hips, jewelry, dentures and other personal items accompanying Murray. It says that these items may be damaged or destroyed during cremation and that the crematorium is authorized to dispose of any residue.

Item 6 states that following cremation Murray’s bone fragments will be processed to “an unidentifiable consistency” and then placed into an urn. Item 7 says that the urn that the crematorium supplies (usually cardboard) will not be suitable for shipping.

Item 8 states that if Murray’s ashes don’t fit into one urn (rare, but it happens), the crematorium is allowed to place the rest into a second urn and return both urns to the funeral home.

Item 9 deals with questions that we hear a lot: “Is that all of Murray?” and “Is that only Murray?” The answer, according to item 9, is that despite our best efforts a small amount of Murray’s ashes will remain in the retort (cremation chamber) after his cremation and there will likely also be a very small amount of someone else’s cremated remains in Murray’s urn.

Seniors Community Centre at Desert Gardens ready for spring!

We are so excited to see those spring flowers blooming. The ladies have the planters blooming and garden soil tilled. Thank you to each of you.

Our programs are all in full swing and always welcome new folks to join. Whether you want to participate in a game of Scrabble or Mexican Train, Chair Fitness exercise class or a game of Table Tennis, feel free to come and check it all out.

The coffee pot is always on and Tuesday to Friday we serve homemade muffins, scones and baked goodies - 9:30 a.m. –

1:00 p.m. Do come down and check us out and meet some new friends.

If you are planning an event or wish to book a room please do not hesitate to call 250-3725110, we would be happy to talk to you.

We would like to wish everyone a happy Mother’s Day.

The Seniors’ Community Centre would like to wish everyone a very happy spring and lots of sunshine and flowers.

Hope to see you really soon.

Item 10 states that, unless specifically stated in writing, the cremation will not be performed in accordance with any particular religious or ethnic custom.

Item #11 is a big one: it’s full of legalese, using terms like “indemnify” and “hold harmless.” It basically says that the client won’t sue the crematorium for “loss, damages or liability.” This includes holding Alice responsible for not correctly identifying Murray’s body before cremation takes place or for failing to inform them of Murray’s pacemaker.

Items 12 and 13 state that this is the contract and that the terms and conditions are subject to the B.C. cremation laws and regulations.

What a lot of legal gobbledygook! It’s all important, of course, but I can see why so few people actually read the Terms and Conditions of the Cremation Authorization form. Also, please realize that this month’s summary (indeed everything included in the discussion of the forms we use) is meant for general information and is not intended to be legal advice.

Next month, something a bit more lively!

The star of the show is a wellknown father and composer. Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) was the most renowned member of the most influential family of musicians in the Baroque and Classical era. Three of Bach’s sons were respected musicians and composers, and this concert will celebrate works from each of them. Saturday, May 27th, 2 p.m. at St. Paul’s Anglican Cathedral. Tickets are $25 for adults, $15 for students, and free for children under 12 years. Tickets may be purchased in advance through website YourKBO.ca, or direct from Eventbrite https://www.eventbrite.ca/ e/528081535087 or at the door on the day of the concert if available.

Kamloops Brandenburg Orchestra pays tribute to the Bachs

May is Better Hearing and Speech Month

DID YOU KNOW

The average person is born with about 16,000 hair cells within their inner ear. These cells allow your brain to detect sounds. By the time you notice hearing loss, many hair cells have already been damaged or destroyed. You can lose 30% to 50% of hair cells before changes in your hearing can be measured by a hearing test. Damaged inner ear cells do not grow back.

In addition to damaging hair cells, noise can also damage the auditory nerve that carries information about sounds to your brain. Early damage may not show up on your hearing test.

Although there is no treatment to restore normal hearing, you can prevent hearing loss from loud sounds.

Protect your hearing! And if you already have hearing loss or are experiencing pain, discomfort, or ringing in the ears, take steps to keep it from getting worse.

Get your hearing checked.

HEARING CHECK LIST

1. Have you ever been exposed to loud or continuous noise?

2. Do you find men’s voices easier to understand than women’s?

3. Do you find it difficult to follow conversation in a noisy restaurant or crowded room?

4. Do you get accused of hearing only when you want to?

5. Do you have difficulty understanding speech on the telephone?

6. Do you hear better with one ear than the other?

7. Do your family and/or friends complain about your hearing? .

8. Do you sometimes feel that people are mumbling or not speaking clearly?

YES

NO

NO

NO

NO

NO

NO

YES

If you checked “YES” to more then one of these questions, call for an appoinment for a FREE - COMPREHENSIVE HEARING EVALUATION.

NO