Village Vibe
news and views from the heart of Fernwood
www.fernwoodneighbourhood.ca
april 2006
Faces of Fernwood Seniors by Susan Salvati
It's a windy, cold night and Jane Sumner is at a meeting of the Fernwood Community Centre - no matter that she has to use her walker and take her third taxi of the day to get there. Just as she has been for over 35 years, Jane is interested in what goes on in this neighbourhood. Her long residence and involvement in Fernwood make her a treasure; she has lived through interesting times in the 'hood. Eighty-seven years old, Jane was born in the wintertime in her grandmother's house in Eastleigh, Saskatchewan. In 1925, her family moved to Lake Cowichan. Her father had a dream. With a boxcar full of registered Holsteins, the large family would prosper. Sadly, one by one, the animals died. As a young woman, Jane pursued her childhood goal of becoming a nurse. She began her training at the Royal Jubilee Hospital when after only three weeks she was dismissed; a spot was found on her lung. To make her way in the world, Jane began working as a live-in nanny in 1938 for ten to fifteen dollars per month. She also worked at the old Duncan Hospital, doing housekeeping and cooking. She recalls how since it was wartime and well before the arrival of unions, "you stayed 'til the work was done." In 1941, Jane married Lyle Sumner.
Finally, in 1969 Jane made her way to where she belongs. That year she and Lyle came to Victoria to help their daughter with her young family. The two families lived in a duplex at 2135 Ridge/1272 Centre. To her shock, Lyle died in 1971 and Jane was left to manage her property alone, which she did until 1997. It was after Lyle's death that Jane became increasingly involved in neighbourhood politics. She recalls the Neighbourhood Improvement Program (NIP) that was established by three tiers of government. Jane remembers that her advocacy involved many long meetings, seeing decisions that brought about the creation of the Community Centre. She recounts how the "guys would come down to get me so they could have quorum. Often, I'd vote against them, but they could
get things done. Then they would walk me home." Jane began advocating for seniors, work that she continues to this day. She is animated as she recalls the activities of the Autumn Glow Society, an organization of Fernwoodian seniors. At its peak, the group numbered over 35 members. They enjoyed presentations by guest speakers, potlucks, and excursions. They would go to the P.N.E. and in 1986 they went to the Exhibition every Thursday. "They were long days. We always went on Thursdays because the seniors didn't have to pay on the ferry." Eventually, due in part to dwindling numbers, the Fernwood Autumn Glow Society disbanded, turning their assets over to the Fernwood Community Centre Society. Jane has seen the opportunities for recreation for seniors in Fernwood decrease. Due to lack of space at the Centre, she says, there is little to offer neighborhood seniors. She is a proponent of the plan developed by architect Shiv Gariyali that would see a renovated Community Centre. We can rest easy – Jane has ensured the plan has "a good area for seniors." Hopefully Jane will see this plan come to fruition and with it, a renewal of the community of seniors in Fernwood. continued on page 2