2011 calendar - ltcam.mb.ca · 2011 calendar. the long term & continuing care association of...

Celebrating the Spirit of Manitoba Seniors

2011 Calendar

The Long Term & Continuing Care Association of Manitoba (LTCAM) is a not for profit organization with more than 65 members, representing over 4,300 beds and suites, spanning six Regional Health Authorities across Manitoba. Our primary objective is to advocate on behalf of Manitoba seniors and the staff at the residences who serve them, throughout the long term care continuum. For the third straight year, our momentum and our membership have continued to grow and become more diverse. In just four years, membership has increased by over 150%.

The Long Term & Continuing Care Association of Manitoba was incorporated more than 50 years ago and a lot has changed. As a result of the emerging and evolving needs of seniors and the variety of living options now available, a major part of our mandate is to assist seniors and their families in making these important choices. LTCAM continues to work toward this goal by providing current and comprehensive information on the various living options through our website at www.ltcam.mb.ca. One of the ways we ensure that the website continues to meet the needs is by monitoring the activity closely and listening to you, our readers and members.

Last year, the board developed a Strategic Plan. The Board has identified the top three

success factors and the board teams who will work

on them. The teams report their progress at each board meeting. Progress is also shared with all of the LTCAM members at their monthly meetings.

The LTCAM Supportive Housing Network continues to evolve. In the 2010 September/October issue of WAVE magazine, the cover story was developed in partnership with the Supportive Housing members. You can view this issue at the following address: http://www.ltcam.mb.ca/about_links.htm

An educational program has been developed jointly with LTCAM and the Alzheimer Society to provide dementia education for Supportive Housing staff. This is a two-day program that includes an assignment and a skills test at the conclusion. A certificate indicating the staff ’s successful completion of the program is authorized by both associations.

LTCAM’s role in co-chairing the Provincial Aging in Place Working Group allows us to provide input into the future service models required to respond to the increasing needs of our aging population.

LTCAM, along with the majority of long term care associations across Canada, belong to the Canadian Alliance for Long Term Care (CALTC), a National long term care group. Our association with the alliance has provided significant value to all of our members, as well as informing the various Manitoba committees on which LTCAM sits. At our Annual Meeting in September 2010, a number of priorities were established to enhance communications, including its website at www.caltc.ca, with the overall goal of raising awareness of the alliance and of the needs of seniors in Canada.

About the CalendarThis is the third and final year we offer the “Celebrating the Spirit of Manitoba Seniors”

calendar. People often assume the calendar is a fundraiser, but it is not. It was created to challenge people’s preconceived notions about seniors and to raise awareness about the work of the Long Term & Continuing Care Association. It is a reminder of the values and strengths that seniors bring to our lives through their community involvement. We hope that through the distribution of over 20,000 calendars in the past three years, we have been able to enlighten our readers about the valuable, creative and generous contributions that Manitoba’s seniors make to our communities, each and every day. Their vibrancy, their hope and their optimism shine through in every story. We hope you will enjoy meeting the seniors as much as we did. To “meet” all of these people again, just visit our website where you can view all three of the calendars.

There are four people primarily involved on the project team: Jan Legeros, Executive Director of LTCAM, Suzanne Verstraete, Executive Assistant, Paul LaRivière, writer and translator, and Lindsey Hoffmeister, photographer. On behalf of the team, thank you for your ongoing support of the “Celebrating the Spirit of Manitoba Seniors” calendars.

on them. The teams report their progress at each board meeting. Progress is also shared with all of

Past LTCAM Calendars In the Media...

Media coverage was also provided by CBC French Radio.

2009 LTCAM Calendar

2010 LTCAM Calendar

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The York Care Centre in New Brunswick has a narra-tive program called “Celebrating Our Stories” which provides residents with the opportunity to share their life stories with others.

The program was created by York Manor staff Daphne Noonan and Jana Jones. It is based on the belief that reminiscence and life review is a proven way for older adults to gain self worth, learn more about themselves, and give the gift of their stories to the next generation.

“The narrative environment being created at York Manor has had a wonderful ripple effect,” says Jana Jones. Staff, residents, family members and volun-

teers have all become involved in the creative process. It has been an “amazing bonding experience” for those who have helped the residents create their

bios. When family members, friends and staff are in-vited to a “narrative ceremony” to view a DVD ver-sion of the biography, “I see the pride in everyone’s face and know the impact this program is having,” says Jana.

The writing tool used to capture life stories is the Memory Journal created by LifeBio of Ohio (www.lifebio.com). York Manor found that the supports and the resources provided by LifeBio best suited their needs. LifeBio’s belief in build-ing bridges and bringing people together was a natural fit for the “Celebrating Our Stories” pro-gram.

LifeBio also believes that recalling and sharing life stories has the power to lower depression, exercise the brain and engage those with dementia. Its pro-grams help residences implement the highest level of person-centred care.

Like Jana Jones, Beth Sanders, founder of LifeBio, has seen the remarkable results when reminiscence, memory care and life review are encouraged. She has also seen how the “eye to eye and face to face” experience of capturing life stories helps build and deepen relationships. “When we know someone, we naturally love and care more...and that changes ev-erything for the better,” says Beth.

Some personal care homes in Manitoba create Mem-ory Boxes that provide a social history of the resi-dents. These boxes are mounted on the wall near the doors to the residents’ rooms to allow staff to “meet” them before they enter. Other residences mount box-es into which the senior can place a special ornament or picture. “For many, that is a better memory jog than the number on the door,” says Shauna Gladish, site supervisor at Fred Douglas Heritage House.

All of these initiatives, as the name of the York Man-or program makes clear, celebrate seniors and their stories. They are highlighted here because, after all, that is what this calendar is all about!

To learn more about these programs, go to our web-site, at www.ltcam.mb.ca, and follow the links to “More Resources”.

teers have all become involved in the creative process. It has been an “amazing bonding experience” for those who have helped the residents create their

bios. When family members, friends and staff are invited to a “narrative ceremony” to view a DVD version of the biography, “I see the pride in everyone’s face and know the impact this program is having,” says Jana.

Celebrating Our Stories

Memory Journal from LifeBio

Memory Box at Fred Douglas Heritage House

Anne grew up around horses on a farm in Saskatchewan. Her father had been in the cavalry and horses were a part of who he was. They became Anne’s first love. She sketches a lot and to this day, horses are one of her favourite subjects. Working the land behind a team of horses taught her about patience, perseverance and to expect the unexpected.

Anne loves to sing and would often belt out a song as she guided the horses back and forth across the field. One day, she sang out “O!”. One of the horses heard “Whoa!”, the others did not, and it took her quite some time to untangle the mess. Needless to say, she stopped singing that song, at least around horses.

She has always been an artist and a dreamer, both in the best possible ways. Many of her poems and stories are about people who dare to dream. Her first dream was to be a nurse but her training was cut short by illness. She then worked on and off in radio and television, writing advertising copy and scripting programs at various stations, including CJOB in Winnipeg. Life and circumstance then led her to a career in teaching which lasted 30 years.

Anne has no regrets. “The happiest people don’t have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything.” It is part of her creed.

Like her parents who lived through the Depression and struggled to make ends meet, Anne worked hard to provide for her three children, even taking jobs in the summer between school years. Through it all, she “always had a good time” and never lost her faith in people.

She writes, draws, paints and sings. Variety seems to be a recurring theme in her life. Her life was shaped by the many jobs she held, the many different places she lived, and the many experiences she had. “I know where I’ve been,” she says, “but sometimes I don’t know how I got there.”

Today, she looks forward to the good time she has when her “beautiful, talented group of children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren” come to spend time with her at a personal care home in St.Norbert. Years ago, her family decided that she should have an owl collection and they started to buy her owls of all shapes and sizes. Her room is filled with them. She says she doesn’t know why, but I suspect it was a tribute to her wisdom. She has dealt with a lot of adversity in her life but, she says, “I’m not the kind of person to look back.” Like she did with the horses, she has learned to deal with the unexpected.

anne carr

Anne loves to sing and would often belt out a song as she guided the horses back and forth across the field. One day, she sang out “O!”. One of the horses heard “Whoa!”, the others did not, and it took her quite some time to untangle the mess. Needless to say, she stopped singing that song, at least around horses.

She has always been an artist and a dreamer, both in the best possible ways. Many of her poems and stories are about people who dare to dream. Her first dream was to be a nurse but her training was cut short by illness. She then worked on and off in radio and television, writing advertising copy and scripting programs at various stations, including CJOB in Winnipeg. Life and circumstance then led

Anne has no regrets. “The happiest people don’t have the best of everything.

Like her parents who lived through the Depression and struggled to make ends meet, Anne worked hard to provide for her three children, even taking jobs in the summer between school years. Through it all, she “always had a good

She writes, draws, paints and sings. Variety seems to be a recurring theme in her life. Her life was shaped by the many jobs she held, the many different places she lived, and the many experiences she had. “I know where

should have an owl collection and they started to buy her owls of all shapes and sizes. Her room is filled with them. She says she doesn’t know why, but I suspect it was a tribute to her wisdom. She has dealt with a lot of adversity in her life but, she says, “I’m not the kind of person to look back.” Like she did with the horses, she has

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Christmas Day

Boxing Day

Winter Solstice

Bidhu JhaMLa for Radisson

JiM RondeauMLa for assiniboia

shaRon BLadyMLa for Kirkfield Park

doug MaRtindaLeMLa for Burrows

Bonnie KoRzeniowsKiMLa for st. James

JennifeR howaRdMLa for fort Rouge

KeRRi iRvin-RossMLa for fort garry

eRna BRaunMLa for Rossmere

stan stRutheRsMLa for dauphin-Roblin

We are proud to join in celebrating the Spirit of Manitoba Seniors!

STrInI reDDY

Strini Reddy came to Canada from Africa, by way of England, to take a teaching position in a place he first thought was called “The Pass”.

He had first been to The Pas the previous February when Kelsey School Division flew him up from Winnipeg to see firsthand where he would be living and working. The amount of snow was “scary”, he says. “I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.” It did not matter though, because when he left, he knew that he had found a home.

Having grown up in South Africa, Strini knew from personal experience what happens when you treat people differently based on race and class. He left South Africa in search of a better world for his family. After a few stops along the way, they found what they were looking for in Northern Manitoba.

When they arrived in The Pas, the locals took them to the Hudson Bay store in Flin Flon and helped them choose the clothing and the supplies they would need for their first winter. His employers valued his ideas and provided opportunities for him to put them into practice. After finding the same attitudes they had left behind in South Africa in other parts of the world, Strini and his family, for the first time, felt truly welcomed by a community. Coming to Canada was “the best thing we’ve ever done. It was the most wonderful feeling to say ’We don’t have to leave’. ”

“Levelling the playing field” for underprivileged children has been a driving force in Strini’s life. He established a language development program for aboriginal children in The Pas and later, as Superintendent of Frontier School Division, pioneered parent-child centres in the schools to expose pre-schoolers and their parents to literacy readiness skills, as well as to provide a link between community and school.

For the past 20 years, he has been the Manitoba coordinator of Project Love, an initiative that teaches children to build on their natural empathy by learning about and sharing school supplies with children in Africa and the Caribbean. He helped create a program that provides ongoing support for AIDS orphans and vulnerable children in his native country. He has been instrumental in setting up summer programs for underprivileged kids in Winnipeg. Strini continues to raise funds to support these programs. “If you believe in certain things, you have to help make them happen,” he says.

Strini has received many honours and awards over the years, including the Order of Manitoba in 1999 and the Queen’s Jubilee Medal in 2002, for “work on poverty, social justice, peace and education”. The true reward, though, is personal. “You don’t do anything for others without enriching your own life.”


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Humour, energy, optimism, generosity, and community involvement, especially in the area of arts and culture, continue to define their marriage and their lives.

They were the Official Voyageurs of 1990 and 1991. Marcelle was already a weaver and an avid canoeist. In fact, she went on a wilderness canoe-camping trip with friends every year until just three years ago. They were both on the Board of the Cercle Molière at one time and more recently, helped raise funds for the construction of its new theatre in St.Boniface. Marcelle helped organize its first Lobster Feast.

They have also volunteered at St.Boniface General Hospital, the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, the Centre culturel franco-manitobain, Francofonds, the Maison Gabrielle-Roy and the Société franco-manitobaine, amongst others.

Gabriel has also been very involved with various professional organizations. He was the first francophone graduate of the Manitoba Institute of Chartered Accountants, was its president for a time, and received its first Lifetime Achievement Award. He was also on the Board of the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants. Marcelle’s distinguished service has also been recognized. In 1999, she won the Prix Riel in the Arts and Culture category.

They cherish their four children, their five grandchildren, their love, their health, and their many friends. They talk about the importance of keeping active and of giving back what one has received. That balance also defines their lives. Gabriel is Manitoban by accident. In 1912, travelling from Gaspé to Edmonton, his father got off in Winnipeg during a scheduled stopover, went for a walk and missed his boarding call. But there’s nothing accidental about the fact that they got married on May 12, 1954. Gabriel met Marcelle on May 12, 1951. He liked the fact that the numbers matched up. He is an accountant after all.

GaBrIeL & MarceLLe FOreST

At the beginning of the 1950’s, Gabriel Forest and Marcelle Bérubé were co-presidents of the folk dance group now known as the Ensemble folklorique de la Rivière-Rouge. At the time, the dancers were split into two groups. Gabriel was president of the boys and Marcelle was president of the girls. Closely supervised by a chaplain, the groups danced together but were not allowed to touch. “But,” says Gabriel, “it’s like electricity. You can be close and still get a shock.” They got married in 1954.


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Groundhog Day

St. Valentine’s Day

Louis Riel Day

BLancHe ParSOnS

This is not the first time Blanche Parsons is a “calendar girl”. She was a few months old when she appeared in a local baby calendar. Back then, of course, the choice was not hers. This time, it is. That may not seem especially significant but in Blanche’s case, it is part of a giant leap forward.

“I lived the first fifty years of my life as a very shy, insecure person,” she says. On her 50th birthday, she decided that she didn’t want to be like that anymore. Encouraged by her husband Ron and her sister, friend and confidante, Marion, she enrolled in a course offered by Creative Retirement Manitoba and it changed her life.

She took many more courses with Creative Retirement after that and also served on its Board of Directors and many of its committees. She joined a group of seniors who did dramatic readings in the schools and helped start “The Venerable Bards”, the first all seniors group to perform at the Fringe Festival. She went from being so nervous before her first course that she had to give herself a pep talk in the washroom, to presenting courses, to being on stage. Not only was it a giant leap, but it tells you what Blanche is capable of doing when she puts her mind to it.

She has taken courses on subjects as varied as dream exploration, finance, Chinese medicine, and Harry Potter. “I’m curious about everything,” she says. She loves going for long walks, reading and watching her grandchildren grow. And, in no particular order, she also loves nature, Winnipeg, and Jean Beliveau.

Blanche met the man she would marry at the Winnipeg Roller Rink. On their third date, he took her to a dance at the Auditorium. The band played ‘Two Loves Have I’, and as they danced, Ron said, “That’s me!” As insecure as she was then and not knowing that the lyrics included the line ‘Both of them are you’, she thought he had another girlfriend.

That insecurity has given way to a calm confidence. If there were a song titled ‘Two Lives Had I’, Blanche could rightly say, “That’s me!”


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St. Patrick’s DayDaylight Savings

Time Begins

Spring Equinox

neIL cHILDS

When the consumer cooperative that wanted to keep Pollock’s Hardware open after its owners decided that it was time to retire, the Jubilee Fund understood that they wanted to preserve not only a Winnipeg North End institution, but also a community. The directors of the Jubilee Fund understood that it was all about investing in people. Neil Childs was one of those directors. It tells you a lot about Neil Childs.

Neil spent a lifetime involved in the heating and cooling industry. A self-made man and lifelong learner, he appreciates the places it took him, the people he met, and the know-how he acquired and shared. When he got involved in housing for low income persons, his background made a “warm and dry” environment for the tenants much more important than a return on investment. According to Harry Paine (LTCAM Calendar – February 2009), “[Neil] is very much a people-person and has friends throughout Manitoba as a result of the warmth of his personality.”

Born on a farm in Gilbert Plains, Manitoba, Neil worked at various jobs after high school graduation. They eventually led him to Winnipeg, marriage, children and grandchildren. He has traveled extensively over the years, whether on the job or visiting family (which now includes five great-grandchildren), always seeing and learning new things.

In 1996, he got involved with the Manitoba Society of Seniors because he wanted to do something for others after his retirement. He served as vice-president, president and past president, as well as co-chair of the Accommodations Committee for the Senior Games. Other involvements led him to the Jubilee Fund whose philosophy of “ethical investment outside the box” not only facilitated the rebirth of Pollock’s Hardware, but allowed for the creation of River Avenue Co-op Daycare, a facility

whose hours cater to parents who work outside the usual 9 to 5.

Social justice is still important to Neil. He serves on the Condominium Act Review Group, a provincial initiative meant to provide more fairness for Manitobans who purchase a condominium. The availability of adequate housing for seniors and others has always been a special interest of his and has

influenced his volunteer activities over the years.

His many involvements have also been personally satisfying. “Volunteering is an activity that rewards you with fun, friends and self-esteem,” says Neil.

Neil spent a lifetime involved in the heating and cooling industry. A self-made man and lifelong learner, he appreciates the places it took him, the people he met, and the know-how he acquired and shared. When he got involved in housing for low income persons, his background made a “warm and dry” environment for the tenants much more important than a return on investment. According to Harry Paine (LTCAM Calendar – February 2009), “[Neil] is very much a people-person and has friends throughout Manitoba as a result of the warmth of his personality.”

Born on a farm in Gilbert Plains, Manitoba, Neil worked at various jobs after high school graduation. They eventually led him to Winnipeg, marriage, children and grandchildren. He has traveled extensively over the years, whether on the job or visiting family (which now includes five great-grandchildren), always seeing and learning new things.

In 1996, he got involved with the Manitoba Society of Seniors because he wanted to do something for others after his retirement. He served as vice-president, president and past president, as well as co-chair of the Accommodations Committee for the Senior Games. Other involvements led him to the Jubilee Fund whose philosophy of “ethical investment outside the box” not only facilitated the rebirth of Pollock’s Hardware, but allowed for the creation of River Avenue Co-op Daycare, a facility

whose hours cater to parents who work outside the usual 9 to 5.

Social justice is still important to Neil. He serves on the Condominium Act Review Group, a provincial initiative meant to provide more fairness for Manitobans who purchase a condominium. The availability of adequate housing for seniors and others has always been a special interest of his and has

influenced his volunteer activities over the years.

His many involvements have also been personally satisfying. “Volunteering is an activity that rewards you with fun, friends and self-esteem,” says Neil.


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Palm Sunday

April Fool’s Day

Good FridayEarth Day

Easter Sunday

Think of the story of the girl “who goes out into the forest, not having a clue about what will happen.” A familiar fairy tale? Without a doubt. The story of Kay Stone’s life? “Definitely,”she agrees.

After obtaining degrees in cultural geography in Florida where she grew up, she found herself working in Chicago and “stumbled by accident into folklore” when she heard about a program being offered at Indiana University that sounded interesting. In Chicago, she had also stumbled into a folk dance class because guitar class was full. She met her future husband in that folk dance class. He would soon be hired to teach at the University of Winnipeg. “We planned to spend two years here and then move on,” she says. That was in 1969.

In her life, Kay has often ended up somewhere “by accident” and has often surprised herself by doing things she had not planned. She mentioned having weighed her career options when attending university in Florida after her brother reminded her that “you have to be independently wealthy to be an anthropologist.” “God forbid, it was never my intention to teach,” she added. She taught in the English Department at the U of W for almost 30 years, before retiring.

Kay has always been fascinated with “the way people lived their lives, especially when you get into different cultures and languages.” Her equal fascination with how people create themselves led not only to her passion for teaching story, but even more so, for telling story. She is a founding member of the storytelling groups Stone Soup Stories and Eldertales, the latter being a group of seniors who meet at Creative Retirement Manitoba to practice traditional and personal stories which they then share in local schools and seniors’ centres. She is also a member of Earthstory, a group of story tellers and musicians who appear in a wide variety of venues, including the Winnipeg Fringe Festival.

Kay was an art major before shifting to anthropology. She paints, she weaves and she creates jewelry and mobiles. One of her mobiles is made up of pieces of glass she picked up here and there, including one found during a walk on Miami Beach. Another is made up of the twins of single earrings she has lost over the years. Her art, like her storytelling, often deals with what we lose and what we find. It is one of the many ways Kay creates and re-creates herself.

Life is made up of “little steps you take without knowing what’s going to happen,” she says. Like the girl who takes the path that leads into the woods, “You follow it to see where it’s going.” Just like in all good stories!

KaY STOne

she heard about a program being offered at Indiana University that sounded interesting. In Chicago, she had also stumbled into a folk dance class because guitar class was full. She met her future husband in that folk dance class. He would soon be hired to teach at the University of Winnipeg. “We planned to spend two years here and then move on,” she says. That was in 1969.

In her life, Kay has often ended up somewhere “by accident” and has often surprised herself by doing things she had not planned. She mentioned having weighed her career options when attending university in Florida after her brother reminded her that “you have to be independently wealthy to be an anthropologist.” “God forbid, it was never my intention to teach,” she added. She taught in the English Department at the U of W for almost 30 years, before

Kay has always been fascinated with “the way people lived their lives, especially when you get into different cultures and languages.” Her equal fascination with how people create themselves led not only to her passion for teaching story, but even more so, for telling story. She is a founding member of the storytelling groups Stone Soup Stories and Eldertales, the latter being a group of seniors who meet at Creative Retirement Manitoba to practice traditional and personal stories which they then share in local schools and seniors’ centres. She is also a member of Earthstory, a group of story tellers and musicians who appear in a

Life is made up of “little steps you take without knowing what’s going to happen,” she says. Like the girl who takes the path that leads into the woods, “You follow it to see where it’s going.” Just like


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Mother’s Day

Victoria Day

LTCAMProvincial Conference

and Exhibition


Joseph Yuen

Joseph Yuen was all set to sail to Australia to continue his education, but tonsillitis kept him home in Hong Kong. A year later, he was flying to Canada to study journalism at McGill University in Montreal. On the plane he met a classmate who had been admitted to the University of Manitoba’s Faculty of Pharmacy. He decided then and there that Winnipeg would be his final destination. “I’m here because of serendipity,” he laughs.

Versatility characterized the next few years of his life. He worked as a waiter at the Shanghai Restaurant, was an asphalt analyst for a brief time, co-operated the Sugar Plum Dairy Bar on Broadway, and completed degrees in Science and Pharmacy. He met the woman he would marry at the Sugar Plum under circumstances that could also be called “serendipitous.” She frequented the dairy bar because she had her eye on Joseph’s partner. It wasn’t long before Joseph and Carolynne only had eyes for each other.

In a career that spanned 37 years, Joseph worked as a pharmacist at many hospitals and retail outlets, and was owner/manager of Bassey’s Pharmacy on Academy Road. He took many more university courses during that period and served on many professional boards and committees.

He also became heavily involved in Winnipeg’s Chinese community. As treasurer of the Winnipeg Chinese Centennial Project, he helped raise funds to finance the construction of a model pagoda which was presented to the City of Winnipeg for its centennial. It now stands in Kings Park. It was built by workers and with materials from Hong Kong.

Joseph’s belief that you should give back to the community led to his being elected to City Council in 1989, where he served for three years. He was involved with Folklorama, Scouts Canada, and Dragon and Lion Dance International, among other organizations.

For their 30th wedding anniversary, Carolynne had a stained glass insert that features the Chinese character for “Yuen” and the pagoda from Kings Park made for their front door. When she presented him with the gift, she joked, “After 30 years, I’m happy I can finally show you the door.” He enjoys telling that story. Their shared sense of humour has helped them get to where they are today.

In 2009, they travelled to China with their four children and their son-in-law. They were very well received, especially in the region of Foshan, home to Joseph’s ancestors. He discovered that the reason his forefathers had created an herbal tea was to help heal their neighbours during a flu epidemic. Maybe becoming a pharmacist was more than happenstance!


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Father’s Day Summer Solstice

Terry Vanbocquestal

Oakview Place

2395 Ness Avenue, Winnipeg, MB R3J 1A5 Tel: (204) 888-3005 Fax: (204) 831-8101

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Gwen Johnston Administrator

Vista Park Lodge

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Ron Parent Administrator

Tuxedo Villa

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Senior Administrator

Terry Vanbocquestal

Oakview Place


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Vista Park Lodge


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Tuxedo Villa


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Terry Vanbocquestal

Oakview Place


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Vista Park Lodge


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Tuxedo Villa


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Terry Vanbocquestal

Oakview Place


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Vista Park Lodge


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Tuxedo Villa


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Terry Vanbocquestal

Oakview Place


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Vista Park Lodge


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Tuxedo Villa


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Stan & Helen Krulicki

When you walk into the home of Stan and Helen Krulicki in Gimli, the first thing you notice is the variety of collections that fill the rooms and cover the walls, and the second thing you notice is the food and drink that have been laid out to welcome you into their home. Both tell you a lot about the Krulickis.

The collections include Teddy Bears, Helen’s needlepoint, the many plates, spoons, salt and pepper shakers and mugs gathered during a lifetime of travel, and dolls, including the exclusive-to-Gimli Huldufolk dolls made by the Huldufolk Mums and sold to raise money for various heritage projects. According to legend, Huldufolk are the magical wee folk who came to Canada with the Icelandic settlers and for many years lived on the second story of Tergesen’s General Store. Helen has been a Huldufolk Mum since the group’s inception. Many items are displayed on Stan’s hand-crafted wooden benches, chairs and stands.

Helen has a green thumb. She loves tending to the flower gardens in her yard and maintains the Friendship Garden at the town hall. Feeding people comes naturally to “Baba” Helen. She was chosen to be in a video that chronicles the contribution of Ukrainians and Poles to the early Icelandic community of Gimli. She enjoys canning, pickling and baking. Her homemade food always tastes better because “It’s made with love,” she says – something this writer can attest to.

If food is a recurring theme in Helen’s life, trucks seem to be a recurring theme in Stan’s life. He began his career delivering ice and wood, moved on to hauling gravel, transported poles for Manitoba Hydro, and in 1975, bought Gimli Transfer, later renamed

Winnipeg Moving, where Helen also worked for 25 years. Along with their busy work schedules and raising eight children, Stan

and Helen found time to become involved with coaching hockey, 4-H, Cubs, Scouts and Girl Guides, the Gimli Hospital Auxiliary, the Parkinson’s Walk, and to establish the social club now called the Gimli New Horizons 55+ Centre, a gathering place for local seniors.

Their collections include a refrigerator door covered with the photos of many their grandchildren and great-

grandchildren, including a set of twins, that make up the “wee folk” that are the magic of their lives.

The collections include Teddy Bears, Helen’s needlepoint, the many plates, spoons, salt and pepper shakers and mugs gathered during a lifetime of travel, and dolls, including the exclusive-to-Gimli Huldufolk dolls made by the Huldufolk Mums and sold to raise money for various heritage projects. According to legend, Huldufolk are the magical wee folk who came to Canada with the Icelandic settlers and for many years lived on the second story of Tergesen’s General Store. Helen has been a Huldufolk Mum since the group’s inception. Many items are displayed on Stan’s hand-crafted wooden benches, chairs and stands.

Helen has a green thumb. She loves tending to the flower gardens in her yard and maintains the Friendship Garden at the town hall. Feeding people comes naturally to “Baba” Helen. She was chosen to be in a video that chronicles the contribution of Ukrainians and Poles to the early Icelandic community of Gimli. She enjoys canning, pickling and baking. Her homemade food always tastes better because “It’s made with love,” she says – something this writer can attest to.

If food is a recurring theme in Helen’s life, trucks seem to be a recurring theme in Stan’s life. He began his career delivering ice and wood, moved on to hauling gravel, transported poles for Manitoba Hydro, and in 1975, bought Gimli Transfer, later renamed

Winnipeg Moving, where Helen also worked for 25 years. Along with their busy work schedules and raising eight children, Stan

and Helen found time to become involved with coaching hockey, 4-H, Cubs, Scouts and Girl Guides, the Gimli

Their collections include a refrigerator door covered with the photos of many their grandchildren and great-

grandchildren, including a set of twins, that make up the “wee folk” that are the magic of their lives.


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Canada Day

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Victoria raised seven children in Manila. The kitchen was one of their classrooms. Not only did she teach them all to cook, she had them reciting their ABC’s and the multiplication table while the rice cooked on the stove. It is one of her children’s fondest memories. She and her husband instilled in their children the importance of education. Her children are all very proud of the fact that despite growing up with little, they had “three square meals a day” and parents who sacrificed a lot to ensure that their children would have a chance at a brighter future.

After her husband passed away in 1970, Victoria and her children immigrated to Canada over a period of several years. They first lived on Cathedral Avenue in the North End, then Magnus, before moving to Transcona, where Victoria still lives with two of her daughters.

Her son Dante formed the dance group Magdaragat in 1976 and a few years later, they began hosting the Pearl of the Orient Pavilion at Folklorama. Victoria continues to volunteer at the pavilion, arriving at three o’clock in the afternoon and not leaving until after closing time. She has not missed a year since 1982.

Over the years, she has helped to make the costumes and the props for the dancers and has prepared the food for the many performers. She still adorns the children’s hair with flowers, but “not as fast.” She is the nanay of the pavilion, “mother” in Tagalog, the food taster and the honorary artistic director of Magdaragat. “It wouldn’t be the same without her there,” says Gil.

Victoria tells us she has had a good life and is proud of her children. She has this advice for the parents of the performers: “Make sure you take care of your kids. Make sure that they know about their culture and where they came from. Love your kids, always.”

VIcTOrIa cUSTODIO BUenaVenTUra

Victoria Custodio Buenaventura was born in 1909 in Manila, Philippines. That would make her 101 years old. She has decided, though, that she is going to drop the last “1” because as she told her son Gil, “It makes me sound old!”


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Civic Holiday

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Roy White started carving about 25 years ago. He was in Clear Lake, picked up a stick, saw something in a pattern of knots, took out his jackknife and carved the figure of a skier. When asked what he carves, Roy says, “I carve whimsy.” If you were to ask people who know Roy to describe him in one word, “whimsical” would be near the top of the list.

He was born in Hartney, Manitoba in 1928. He knew early on that he shouldn’t be a farmer. “You have to go with what you’re feeling,” says Roy. He went into teaching, taught in various communities in the Interlake and the Westman region of the province, and by the late 50’s was a principal back in his home town.

He then spent two years doing teacher training in Nigeria. Africa was a wonderful experience for Roy, his wife Edith and their three boys. He not only appreciated how well they were treated, he got a kick out of the many whims of its culture.

Roy strongly believes in remaining active in body and in mind. He and Edith do, each in their own way, and they are very supportive of each other’s choices. While in Nigeria, he took up tennis and became an avid player. He later won a gold medal in doubles at the Canada 55+ Games in 1996. To this day, he stills plays a lot of tennis and golf in and around Winnipeg, in Clear Lake, and in Victoria where he spends much of the winter, and he still skis Whistler.

After Nigeria, he became the first Superintendent of Midland School Division, moved on to Director of Communications for the Manitoba Association of School Trustees, and later partnered with a fellow educator to form a consulting firm that advised Boards of all kinds about best democratic and managerial practices. A lot of their consulting work was with First Nations in Manitoba and the Northwest Territories.

“Retirement is the best job I ever had,” says Roy. He plans to write a family history while he still has a lot of energy. Upon becoming an octogenarian, he wrote in a poem titled TIME, “Life is still good ... it is just going by too fast.” Hopefully he will have time to complete his family history because it is not only in a piece of wood that Roy sees things that others do not.

rOY WHITe

He was born in Hartney, Manitoba in 1928. He knew early on that he shouldn’t be a farmer. “You have to go with what you’re feeling,” says Roy. He went into teaching, taught in various communities in the Interlake and the Westman region of the province, and by the late

He then spent two years doing teacher training in Nigeria. Africa was a wonderful experience for Roy, his wife Edith and their three boys. He not only appreciated how well they were treated, he got a kick

Roy strongly believes in remaining active in body and in mind. He and Edith do, each in their own way, and they are very supportive of each other’s choices. While in Nigeria, he took up tennis and became an avid player. He later won a gold medal in doubles at the Canada 55+ Games in 1996. To this day, he stills plays a lot of tennis and golf in and around Winnipeg, in Clear Lake, and in Victoria where he spends much of the winter, and he still skis

After Nigeria, he became the first Superintendent of Midland School Division, moved on to Director of Communications for the Manitoba Association of School Trustees, and later

write a family history while he still has a lot of energy. Upon becoming an octogenarian, he wrote in a poem titled TIME, “Life is still good ... it is just going by too fast.” Hopefully he will have time to complete his family history because it is not only in a piece of wood that Roy sees things that others do not.


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Labour Day

Fall Equinox

Grandparents’ Day


MarY GUILBaULT

Mary Guilbault is currently the Vice-President and Clan Mother of the All Nations Traditional Healing Centre. It is a fitting title and an aptly named organization for a woman who has sat on many Boards, who has five daughters and has been a mother to many more, who is Kookum to 13 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren, who has been an advocate for all Aboriginal People, who is a Traditional Elder, and who has always cared deeply about the well-being of her people.

Mary is originally from Fisher River, Manitoba. She moved to Winnipeg in 1950 and soon realized that the few programs that existed for aboriginals were not addressing the real issues. She set out to do something about it.

She and her husband Ernie began a life of not only raising children, but speaking out for Aboriginal People who had migrated to the city. They helped found the Urban Indian Association and later helped create the Indian and Metis Friendship Centre. It was a political awakening for their people.

Mary sat on the Board of Directors of the Indian and Metis Friendship Centre for many years and her experience as an advocate and as a social worker with the Manitoba Department of Health and Social Services was invaluable in setting up programs in the areas of housing, literacy, Early Years education, the judicial system, job-training and home care for the elderly.

At the age of 80, she is still involved in the Manitoba Metis Federation and the Louis Riel Institute, which is responsible for Metis education and culture in the province. In her honour, the University of Manitoba presents the Mary Guilbault Metis Bursary to a Metis student pursuing a degree in graduate studies.

Even though she and Ernie appear on the Wall of Honour at the Indian and Metis Friendship Centre, Mary has never done anything for personal gain or to impress others. Invited to dine with the Queen at the Royal Alexandra Hotel in 1959, Mary bought a hat for the occasion because she was told it was protocol. She donned her new hat and went to the Royal Reception. No one dared tell her during the evening that the price tag was dangling from the brim. Upon removing the hat, she noticed it and smiled. “I did things because I believed in them,” says Mary, “not because I was supposed to.”


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In Manitoba, October is Seniors’ and Elders’ Month

Thanksgiving Day

Hallowe’en

Brenda Skulason Administrator/DOC Red River Place

133 Manchester Avenue, Selkirk, MB R1A 0B5 Tel: (204) 482-3036 Fax: (204) 482-9499

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Kathy Traill Administrator/DOC Hillcrest Place

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You had to know that music and theatre were in his blood when, as a Grade 2 student at Isaac Brock School in Winnipeg, he skipped recess to watch the students from Daniel MacIntyre Collegiate perform The Pirates of Penzance in the auditorium. Then, in another of life’s wonderful examples of foreshadowing, he later starred in three Gilbert and Sullivan productions as a student at Daniel MacIntyre, including The Pirates of Penzance.

Glen went on to a career as a music teacher, supervisor and coordinator in the Seven Oaks and Winnipeg School Divisions. During that career, he also directed many different choirs and glee clubs, performed on CBC Radio, was Musical Director at Westminster United Church and acted as Musical Coordinator and Conductor of the Pan-Am Games in Winnipeg, The Manitoba Theatre Centre and Rainbow Stage.

After his retirement, with his wife’s encouragement, he founded the Gilbert and Sullivan Society of Winnipeg and directed its first thirteen productions. His wife Margaret “has been the center of everything and music has been an integral part of the whole family,” says Glen. He is currently the Artistic Director of the G & S Society of Winnipeg.

He is also an ardent painter. His love of the Impressionist style is clear in the many paintings that adorn the walls of his home. Glen and Margaret have travelled extensively, mostly in Europe, spending a good deal of time in its many art galleries and not surprisingly, in the theatres of London.

The Winnipeg arts community was very small. “You knew everybody personally”, he explains. “You’d see them at Safeway!” That very close knit and supportive community of like-minded people is what he cherishes most about that ‘stage’ of his life.

GLen HarrISOn

When Glen was in grade 2 or 3, he was home sick one day and spent the hours transforming a Japanese orange crate into a stage, complete with curtains, scenery and miniature characters. He had no way of knowing, of course, that later in his life he would be involved in creating a much larger stage – Rainbow Stage, to be exact.


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Remembrance DayDaylight Savings

Time Ends

Maria chaput

The first Franco-Manitoban woman to sit in the Canadian Senate, Maria Chaput represents Manitoba francophones and continues a tradition of promoting the rights of Canada’s official language minorities.

Her language and her culture are very important to her. In 1965, when Maria began advocating for her children and their right to be educated in French, she

understood that defending minority rights would be a lifelong commitment.

Born in Manitoba, mother of three daughters and “grand-maman” of four granddaughters, Maria has held a number of administrative positions and has served as consultant to a wide variety of organizations, ministries and governments. She also sat on a number of committees and the Board of Directors of Deer Lodge Hospital, of the Collège universitaire de Saint-Boniface, and of the Société d’assurance dépôt des Caisses populaires du Manitoba, of which she was the first female president, to name just a few.

She recently served as president of the committee that raised the funds needed to build the new home of the Cercle Molière, Manitoba’s flagship francophone theatre company. She spent a few sleepless nights wondering if they would ever reach their goal. She is very proud of the fact that they were able to provide the community with a theatre it can be proud of. “It may have seemed like sheer folly at times,” she says, “but what a wonderful folly!”

Having worked with seniors for many years, Maria is still very concerned about their quality of life and their right to independent living for as long as their health allows. She was a member of the Special Senate Committee on Aging, responsible for examining the implications of an

aging society in Canada. She is an advocate of everyone’s right to age in a society that respects the person they are, their language and

their culture.

Maria has been a senator since 2002. She lives in St. Anne, Manitoba, with her husband Louis Bernardin who retired following a career in health care.

They still spend their time volunteering, sitting on committees, and defending minority rights. Maria and Louis never take their

health or their independence for granted. It is why they are able to continue contributing to their community and to their country.

understood that defending minority rights would be a lifelong commitment.

Born in Manitoba, mother of three daughters and “grand-maman” of four granddaughters, Maria has held a number of administrative positions and has served as consultant to a wide variety of organizations, ministries and governments. She also sat on a number of committees and the Board of Directors of Deer Lodge Hospital, of the Collège universitaire de Saint-Boniface, and of the Société d’assurance dépôt des Caisses populaires du Manitoba, of which she was the first female president, to name just a few.

She recently served as president of the committee that raised the funds needed to build the new home of the Cercle Molière, Manitoba’s flagship francophone theatre company. She spent a few sleepless nights wondering if they would ever reach their goal. She is very proud of the fact that they were able to provide the community with a theatre it can be proud of. “It may have seemed like sheer folly at times,” she says, “but what a wonderful folly!”

Having worked with seniors for many years, Maria is still very concerned about their quality of life and their right to independent living for as long as their health allows. She was a member of the Special Senate Committee on Aging, responsible for examining the implications of an

aging society in Canada. She is an advocate of everyone’s right to age in a society that respects the person they are, their language and

their culture.

Maria has been a senator since 2002. She lives in St. Anne, Manitoba, with her husband Louis Bernardin who retired following a career in health care.

They still spend their time volunteering, sitting on committees, and defending minority rights. Maria and Louis never take their

health or their independence for granted. It is why they are able to continue contributing to their community and to their country.


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Calendar Banner.pdf 3/11/2009 9:12:34 AM

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Christmas Day Boxing Day

Winter Solstice

Dave and Marilyn met at school. Marilyn was administrative secretary and Dave had the heating and ventilation contract with the school division. He had to go by the office to get to the custodian’s room. She was a recent widow and he a recent widower. She invited him to join a bereavement group she belonged to “because he looked so sad”. They were married in 2004.

Dave grew up in the Brooklands area of Winnipeg and worked all his life in the heating, ventilation and air conditioning business. He spent nearly three years in the Northwest Territories and is proud of his collection of Inuit art. Marilyn grew up in St. James. She and her brother traveled all over Europe with a mother she describes as “a free spirit who taught me a lot”. She went on to work as a teaching assistant and a secretary for much of her life.

They have “a wonderful blended family,” says Marilyn. Their kids all get along. Their dogs, though, did not, so they got Coal, their Labradoodle, shortly after they were married and he has become Dave’s best friend.

Marilyn and Dave have each had a parent with Alzheimer disease and because of her volunteer work with the Alzheimer Society and her co-facilitating a support group of family care givers, Marilyn quickly picked up on the first signs of Dave’s dementia in 2007. “The key to dealing with people with Alzheimer’s”, she says, “is to remember that they are still alive, that they can still do things.”

At first, Dave kept busy with woodworking and restoration projects. “There is nothing Dave can’t do,” adds Marilyn. He continues to meet with the Men’s Club of his church and to attend weekly support group meetings at the Alzheimer Society. He also participates in an adult day program which includes hands-on activities, games and lunch – all because of the importance of being socially active.

Marilyn continues her involvement with the Alzheimer Society, sings in the choir at her church, curls twice a week and has been taking piano lessons for the last few years. “You have to try to activate another side of your brain, “ she explains.

Their life together now requires being a lot more proactive “in order to be one step ahead of the game”. You can sense a very positive energy when you are with them, and something else... “After our spouses died, we thought we were never going to find love again, but we did.” Their happiness fills the room with warmth and laughter.

MarILYn DaVIS & DaVe KYDD

Dave grew up in the Brooklands area of Winnipeg and worked all his life in the heating, ventilation and air conditioning business. He spent nearly three years in the Northwest Territories and is proud of his collection of Inuit art. Marilyn grew up in St. James. She and her brother traveled all over Europe with a mother she describes as “a free spirit who taught me a lot”. She went on to work as a teaching assistant and a secretary for much of her life.

They have “a wonderful blended family,” says Marilyn. Their kids all get along. Their dogs, though, did not, so they got Coal, their Labradoodle, shortly after they were married and he has become Dave’s best friend.

Marilyn and Dave have each had a parent with Alzheimer disease and because of her volunteer work with the Alzheimer Society and her co-facilitating a support group of family care givers, Marilyn quickly picked up on the first signs of Dave’s dementia in 2007. “The key to dealing with people with Alzheimer’s”, she says, “is to remember that they are still alive,

At first, Dave kept busy with woodworking and restoration projects. “There is nothing Dave can’t do,” adds Marilyn. He continues to meet with the Men’s Club of his church and to attend weekly support group meetings at the Alzheimer Society. He also participates in an adult day program which includes hands-on activities, games and lunch – all because

Their life together now requires being a lot more proactive “in order to be one step ahead of the game”. You can sense a very positive energy when you are with them, and something else... “After our spouses died, we thought we were never going to find love again, but we did.” Their happiness fills the room with warmth


207 Debaets Street / Winnipeg, MB / R2J 4A8 / Ph: 204.957.4900 / Fax: 204.957.4909 / Toll Free: 1.866.957.4900 / www.esdaleprinting.com207 Debaets Street / Winnipeg, MB / R2J 4A8 / Ph: 204.957.4900 / Fax: 204.957.4909 / Toll Free: 1.866.957.4900 / www.esdaleprinting.com

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New Year’s Day

Lifelong LearningCreative Retirement Manitoba is a not-for-profit seniors education centre which provides interesting, informative and affordable programs for retirees. The centre believes in mental stimulation as a major factor in good health and longevity.

“We have 1600 members and we offer over 300 courses per year over three terms,” says Executive Director, Marjorie Wood. The courses range from Buying a Computer and How to Use GPS, to Tai Chi and Yoga. “People drive in from rural Manitoba communities such as Selkirk, Gimli, Portage and Stonewall to take our courses,” adds Marjorie.

Many members take part in Seniors and Students Together, a program of intergenerational awareness that seeks to dispel any negative stereotypes or misconceptions that the younger and older

generation might have about one another. “It’s all about building bridges.”

(See the Blanche Parsons and Kay Stone stories in this calendar to learn more about the benefits of these programs.)

Of the 102 courses offered in the Winter 2010-2011 session, 35 are computer classes. The proliferation of computer literacy programs is due in part to the growing number of seniors who want to use the computer to write an autobiography or a family history, and the even more rapidly growing number who want to email messages and photos to their children and grandchildren.

Jean Johnson and Isabella Dryden, both of whom are in their 90’s, have volunteered as computer

instructors since the early 1980’s. “Many of our students are frightened of technology or think they are too old to learn anything new,” say Jean and Isabella. “But we adapt our teaching to meet their needs.” They have also customized the course curriculum to meet the needs of immigrant seniors. It is the only program offered exclusively to older newcomers to Manitoba who are also enrolled in Creative Retirement’s English as an Additional Language (EAL) program.

For the most part, their students surprise themselves. “They leave the classroom, smiling, saying ‘Thank you. I learned a lot.’” It reminds Isabella and Jean of why they volunteer.

For more information about Creative Retirement Manitoba, visit www.crm.mb.ca.

Creative Retirement Computer ClassesJean Johnson & Isabella Dryden

Wrapping up

The names of the seniors featured in the calendar appear on marquees, serving to “light up” the importance of the contributions they make to our communities each and every day. The strips of reel to reel film that frame these pages offer glimpses of not only their pasts, but also the people and things that are an important part of their lives today. Their stories provide us with only a momentary glimpse of the commitment, the dedication, the perseverance, the optimism and the love that have shaped their lives.

Neil Childs got involved with the Manitoba Society of Seniors because “he wanted to do something for others”. Gabriel and Marcelle Forest talked of the importance of “giving back what one has received” and Joseph Yuen sat on City Council because of his belief in investing in the community. It was not only a question of generosity, but also a desire to help make a difference.

Many of the seniors talked about the importance of keeping active, of being lifelong learners, and of continuing to support the causes that were always important to them.

Many of them also talked about taking things in stride. As Anne Carr pointed out, “I know where I’ve been, but sometimes I don’t know how I got there.” Kay Stone often surprised herself by doing things she had not planned in places “I ended up in by accident.” There was little or no time for looking back. They made the best of where life led them.

Their refusal to lose trust in others, to give up hope or to give up on their dreams, makes them the real “stars” of this calendar!

Thank You

2010 CalendarClara AmellMary & Florence BarzeyBarb CannellEngelbert (Bob) & Luise FialaTeresa LaingMargaret LavalleeWin LindsaySister Clara PelletierDon RaleighEva ShelveyMuriel SmithHerman ThorvaldsonBarry UrsellAllan Wall

2011 CalendarVictoria Custodio BuenaventuraAnne CarrMaria ChaputNeil ChildsMarilyn Davis & Dave KyddGabriel & Marcelle ForestMary GuilbaultGlen HarrisonHelen & Stan KrulickiBlanche ParsonsStrini ReddyKay StoneRoy WhiteJoseph Yuen

The Long Term & Continuing Care Association of Manitoba Board of Directors wish to thank all of the seniors from the 2009, 2010 and the 2011 ‘Celebrating the Spirit of Manitoba Seniors’ calendars. We would also like to thank everyone who supported this important initiative over the past three years. This is our third and final year of producing a calendar.

We hope you enjoyed reading these truly inspirational seniors’ stories. They have all courageously shared with us a vignette of their lives to enlighten us, to encourage us, and to pass on to us their very special and sometimes very personal messages about life.

If you would like to “meet” the seniors from the 2009 and 2010 calendars again, you will find them on our website www.ltcam.mb.ca under News & Views.

The Long Term & Continuing Care Association of Manitoba Board of Directors

It’s a Wrap!

LTCAM

December 2010

2009 “Celebrating the Spirit of MB Seniors”

2010 “Celebrating the Spirit of MB Seniors“

2011 “Celebrating the Spirit of MB Seniors“3

2009 CalendarMichael & Irene BaronPrem BhallaJean ChaboyerMarie GuerreroDenise KotowichOlga LewickiMargaret Ateah MorphyBernice MuirRon & Jean NobessHarry PaineMichael TarapackiMarilyn Whyte

2011 calendar - ltcam.mb.ca · 2011 calendar. the long term & continuing care association of...

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