Good Life
Seniors Resource Directory
cowichan
Page 33
magazine
you’ve come a LONG way, baby! Putting a new face on some old ads
also inside:
getting physical
walking the walk
Autumn 2012 Cowichan News Leader Pictorial March 2013
Cowichan Good Life Magazine 1
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Cowichan News Leader Pictorial March 2013
good life
A guide to your best years in Cowichan
inside
Welcome to the Good Life — your local guide to the second half of living. You are the Baby Boomers of the Warm Land. Your kids are gone, or at least are in the process of leaving the nest. Your goals have shifted, or are shifting. Your body doesn’t necessarily work the way it once did. And life has served up a whole new set of challenges and opportunities. These stories are for you.
walking the walk
Manzanitas make tracks in the Cowichan
p4
hot flash forward menopause remedies to help you cope
p8
signs of life taking wrinkles in stride
p10
keeping in touch tapping into technology
p13
let’s get physical belly dancing is a great way to keep in shape p16
See page 33 for your Seniors Resource Directory
hot flash forward p8
you’ve come a long way, baby photo feature
p20
the centre of attention good times at the Chemainus seniors’ centre
p24
no laughing matter speaking with a urologist about ED
p27
no laughing matter p27
all’s fair generations of volunteers at the Cobble Hill fair p30
seniors resource directory cowichan seniors community foundation
p33
let’s cruise a look at the cruising craze
p36
you’ve got to taste this don bodger enjoys home cooking
p37
on a brighter note with lori welbourne Cowichan News Leader Pictorial March 2013
Produced by: The Cowichan News Leader Pictorial Editor: John McKinley Publisher: Bill Macadam Designer: Eric Morten
p38
Published by the Cowichan News Leader Pictorial, Unit 2, 5380 Trans Canada Highway, Duncan B.C., V9L 6W4 Phone: (250) 746-4471 Fax: (250) 746-8529 E-mail: editor@cowichannewsleader.com Web site: www.cowichannewsleader.com
Spring 2013 Friday, March 29, 2013
Cowichan Good Life Magazine 3
walking
the
walk
For more than 50 years the Manzanitas have been carving their footsteps into the Cowichan Valley
Donna Kaiser leads the Manzanitas on a hike up a trail to Mount Prevost from Bings Creek. by Maeve Maguire Doris Joyner has been hiking with the Manzanitas since 1976. She walks every Thursday, rain or shine. In 40 years of treading across the Cowichan Valley, she has only strayed from her routine a handful of times. The Manzanitas are a group of women who, for the most part, live in the Cowichan Valley. And there is reason to believe they’ve seen more of its front and backcountry than any other residents. Joyner, 79, said the group has been walking together since the late 1960s. “Guide leaders were investigating trails to take the girls on and their friends said ‘why don’t we go on hikes too?’ That’s how it all got started.” Back then, the hikes took place during the day when children were in school. Mothers of pre-school children would take turns babysitting so the rest could go on the hike. Louise Ketilson, an avid outdoors4 Cowichan Good Life Magazine
woman who now leads most of the group’s hikes with her walking partner Donna Kaiser, said it was probably then that the group’s three rules were established: No kids, no men, no dogs. Kaiser said there isn’t a rulebook but there are other unspoken rules. “We don’t have meetings. You just show up, if you show up you’re going to go hiking. If you’re going to lead a hike, you have to pre-hike the trail.” Apart from that, there is nothing official about this group: no membership, no fees, no group contact listed anywhere. Anyone who has learned about the group, has done so by word of mouth. Kaiser heard about it from her sonin-law who is a doctor, and he heard about it from a patient. Joyner said
3
many hikers tell the same story. “Doctors used to tell their patients about us, probably because of the fitness. My doctor knows I hike. I know she has spoken to others about us.” The one record the Manzanitas do keep, and have since the beginning, is a journal of every hike they have ever walked in nearly 50 years together. Joyner was responsible for writing about each hike for 30 years from 1976 to 2006. The entries were handwritten until recently. Now they type, print out and glue each entry into the journal. “There are many, many books. We started right from the very beginning. They used to be skinny scribblers and all they used to put was ‘Nice day, no rain.’ story continued on page 7
rules: no kids, no men, no dogs
Cowichan News Leader Pictorial March 2013
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continued from page 4 From 1974, they started putting down names of the hikers. Every once in a while someone would write their own hike. Now everybody who leads has to write the hike. It’s nice because everyone writes differently.” Many of those who have joined say the group has saved their lives. “We have one friend who moved to the valley a few years ago and six weeks after she arrived her husband was killed just on a street in Duncan in a freak accident,” Kaiser said. “All of a sudden here’s this retired woman alone.And she found out about the hiking group. She will say the Manzanitas saved her life. She looked forward to it every week; it got her out and thinking about other things, and the companionship.” Ketilson said the reason she has stayed with the group for so long is she loves hiking the trails and finding new ones. “You can’t do that on your own. There’s something so magical getting out there. We’re generally sitting on a bluff with a great view for lunch. “It’s just wonderful.”
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Cowichan News Leader Pictorial March 2013
Cowichan Good Life Magazine 7
hot flash
forward Menopause is a reality all women have to deal with but there are remedies that can help you cope by Ashley Degraaf Sweater on, sweater off. Just like the familiar saying wax on, wax off, the sweater scenario works much better for Duncan’s Gayle Fifield, who’s currently going through menopause’s most wretched symptom of hot flashes. Fifield, 53, began experiencing symptoms of menopause, particularly the hardcore hot flashes, about two years ago. “It’s just a progression of life and you can’t stop it,” said Fifield, who’s spoken with a naturopath about the milestone and has taken an embracing, rather than rejecting approach to it. “The hot flashes were the first symptom and they were extremely erratic. They would come and go,” she explained of the transition phase. Fifield jokes about menopause as a way of coming to grips, but also as a form of acceptance. “Now they’re a part of my full-time life and I’m living with it,” she said of hot flashes that often flare up in the middle of the night. “The saying also works for blankets 8 Cowichan Good Life Magazine
A naturopathic physician at Duncan’s Silverfern Clinic, Daisey Kent can help women ease the strong symptoms of menopause.
at nights — sheets on, sheets off,” Fifield joked. “The hardest part really has been waking up with the night sweats and then not being able to fall back asleep.” Insomnia is one of the major and most common symptoms women face, clarified Duncan naturopathic doctor Daisey Kent. Hot flashes, night sweats, skin flushes, insomnia, memory lapses, mood swings, vaginal dryness/painful intercourse, vaginal infections, urinary incontinence, increased facial hair and weight gain, are all symptoms Kent listed that women approaching menopause have to look forward to. But as horrible as they sound, women should look forward to the transition, which typically strikes from ages 45 to 55, said Kent. “We don’t like to look at it as a pathology or a disorder, one that doesn’t require treatment — although things can be done to ease the symptoms. Women should be empowered to embrace this transition,” Kent said from her practice at the Silverfern Clinic on Jubilee Street. Menopause happens when women’s ovaries are no longer releasing eggs. Menstrual cycles become irregular and eventually stop, as does the production of estrogen and progesterone specifically, the primary hormones responsible for regulating the cycle.
“After menopause, adrenals, skin, muscles and pineal glands start to produce more androgenic hormones to compensate, however their productions depends on one’s overall health,” explained Kent. She recommends women approaching 45 to visit a naturopath or even have a chat with their GP as to their overall health. “You want your body to be in the best shape ever,” she said, noting a healthy canvas creates a lesser effect of the symptoms involved. “And at this stage in your life, you really need to invest some time in your health.” Often, as the progression of life is looked upon, the most importance falls on new life. But Celtic tradition says more light needs to be shed on the elder generation. Kent refers to Dr. Christiane Northrup’s book Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom, which features this Celtic metaphor: young women are the flower, the mother is the fruit and the elder is the seed. “It’s really a time to connect with the inner strength of womanhood,” Kent said. “The seed really contains potential for all knowledge of life and the role to re-seed the community with their truth and wisdom.” And thankfully there are a number of natural remedies available to ease women’s menopause symptoms. Cowichan News Leader Pictorial March 2013
According to the North American Menopause Society, the vast majority of women will experience menopause in a two to 10 year window of time, probably from their midforties to their mid-fifties. Some symptoms, like vaginal dryness and urinary symptoms, may persist, but most diminish and disappear within 12 months after your last period. Kent’s disclaimer with all clients, however, is everyone is different. Some women are hit hard with menopause, while others hardly notice it. Other gals may have other health implications including high blood pressure which should be taken note of before trying any remedy. Fifield has tried a few natural remedies including cohosh and shisandra and they’ve most definitely helped, but her biggest tip for menopausal women — in particular those experiencing insomnia — is exercise. “Just getting out doing anything, whether it’s a walk, going to the gym or a spin class, it’s really helped with my sleep at night,” Fifield said. “I
just got back into going to the gym and boy has it helped.” Acupuncture, as well as detoxification, are also important remedies, noted Kent. “Supporting liver function especially, as it is the main pathway for processing hormones,” she said. Add green tea to the shopping list and cross off coffee. Drink more water but avoid plastic water bottles and other synthetic endocrine disruptors that “can disturb our bodies’ natural hormones,” said Kent. “These compounds are also in many personal care products, soaps, makeup, haircare and perfumes,” she warned. Supplements like magnesium and vitamin D, magnesium glycinate, fish oil, and probiotics don’t hurt either. “It’s really a great idea to start the path to this phase in your life and to be prepared and aware,” Kent said. “If you can get in the best shape possible, it will make for the best transition possible.”
Natural remedies that can relieve symptoms of menopause: Sage, red clover, hops, schisandra chinensis, soy (fermented and in moderation), ground flax seeds, black cohosh, angelica sinensis, licorice, rehmannia glutinosa are just natural fixes on the shelves of any health food store.
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signs of
LIFE
Playful valley seniors give a new wrinkle to the topic of laugh lines by Ashley Degraaf
It was a pretty safe bet I’d find people to interview for an article about wrinkles at the local seniors centre. But I also had an inkling the folks at Duncan’s Valley Seniors Organization would be a fun bunch to talk to. And what I soon discovered after sitting down with six VSO members is that dealing with wrinkles is like coming to terms with anything: all you can do is laugh off the socalled “laugh lines” that come with age. Dianne Hicks, 72, has come to grips with her wrinkles and if they bother people, she doesn’t give a hoot, she said. She noticed her first crease when she was about 30 years old. For Hicks, that first wrinkle was just one of many physical traits in line before and after a number of life milestones. With bearing children, women’s hips widen, with hard work come callouses and sun spots, and with years of stressful situations and tough decisions follow grey hairs. And the same goes for wrinkles. But among the folks who took part in Monday’s wrinkles brainstorm, there didn’t seem to be any exact rhyme or reason behind how they work and who gets them. Some ideas were tossed around though. story continued on page 12
Cowichan resident Dianne Hicks, 72, says her wrinkles don’t bother her one bit.
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continued from page 10 “It’s simply called aging,” a smartmouthed Ron Hill threw out on the table. Although just plain getting old made the most sense, for Hill it’s also very much a hereditary thing. “If your parents had lots of them, then there’s a good chance you will too,” said Hill, 67. Hicks agreed. Her mother had a lot of wrinkles too, but often tried to hide behind a lot of make up, she said. “Make up can sometimes help, but if you’re too wrinkly, it almost makes it look worse,” said Hicks. “Try Dap,” joked Hill, of the sealant shelf product used to fill in cracks. Diana Smithson, 67, said too much sun exposure doesn’t do folks any favours. “I know people who travel down south and the wrinkles are just terrible,” she said. “It’s called aging,” interrupted Hill again. Smoking can also be a huge factor, the group agreed, along with stress. Hicks noted her first wrinkle was very likely due to a troubling situation that had taken place when she noticed it. Worry was then said to be another culprit. “For people like me, well I’ve got frown lines, but we worry a lot and it started when I started coming here,” said tongue-in-cheek Dan Hughes, 71. For Neil Peters, also 71, his wrinkles have never bothered him a bit. “They just never have,” he said. Conversation turned to pitting man against woman in what sex seems to have more wrinkles in its corner. “Us men, we aren’t as vain,” said Hill, stirring the pot. “We stay out of other people’s business too.” The women’s comeback? The female sex often take on the worrier role in relationships when it comes to family matters, thus the stress results in more facial streaks. Monday’s participants agreed none had stooped to Botox or any other extreme measure to combat wrinkles. And they didn’t know of any friends or any other members of VSO that had 12 Cowichan Good Life Magazine
Valley Seniors Organization members Dan Hughes and Dianne Hicks joke about the many reasons men and women get wrinkles. either. “Not that anyone would admit to that,” said Sharon Colyn, 72, while staffing the organization’s telephone line. Smithson noted recently seeing TV actress Joan Rivers on a segment. “Her face is just mind boggling,” she said of Rivers’ bad Botox work. Letting the aging process occur natu-
rally seemed to be the way to go for the VSO gang. “It’s really just with age, skin starts to lose its elasticity and that’s really it,” concluded Hughes. Or, as Hughes recalled All in the Family television character Archie Bunker saying: “The reason your eyes go when you get old is so you can’t see your partner’s wrinkles up close.”
Top causes of wrinkles Age: As you get older, your skin naturally becomes less elastic and more fragile. Decreased production of natural oils makes your skin drier and appear more wrinkled. Fat in the deeper layers of your skin, which gives the skin a plump appearance, starts to diminish. This causes loose, saggy skin and morepronounced lines and crevices. Exposure to ultraviolet light: Ultraviolet radiation markedly speeds up the natural aging process and is the primary cause of early wrinkling. Exposure to UV light breaks down your skin’s connective tissue — collagen and elastin fibers, which lie in the deeper layer of skin (dermis). Without the supportive connective tissue, your skin loses its strength and flexibility. As a result, skin begins to sag and wrinkle prematurely. Smoking: Smoking can accelerate the normal aging process of your skin, contributing to wrinkles. This may be due to changes in the blood supply to your skin. Repeated facial expressions: Facial movements and expressions, such as squinting or smiling, lead to fine lines and wrinkles. Each time you use a facial muscle, a groove forms beneath the surface of the skin. And as skin ages, it loses its flexibility and is no longer able to spring back in place. These grooves then become permanent features on your face. Gender: Women tend to develop more wrinkles around their mouths (perioral) than men do. That may be because women have fewer sweat glands and glands that secrete an oily matter known as sebum (sebaceous glands) to lubricate the skin and fewer blood vessels in this area. Poor nutrition: Nutritional deficiencies are believed to contribute to skin aging. — courtesy http://www.mayoclinic.com Cowichan News Leader Pictorial March 2013
Cowichan’s golden-agers tap into technology to keep the isolation blues at bay
George Brewster, he’s a phone-man, and wife Joy, she’s a email/Facebook kind of gal when it comes to the couple keeping in touch with friends and family.
by Ashley Degraaf George Brewster’s a talker, so naturally he picks up the phone when he wants to communicate. For wife Joy, on the other hand, she isn’t fond of phone conversations and prefers keeping in touch over email and Facebook. Although the Cowichan couple doesn’t typically use the same
Cowichan News Leader Pictorial March 2013
keeping in
touch
forms of communication, they agree keeping in touch with their loved ones is key. “I feel it’s very important for older people like me to keep in touch with other people at large,” George, who was gearing up to celebrate his 90th birthday, said. “Whether that’s reaching out through my church, through public speaking or talking to my family over the phone, it’s very important
to me.” An ex-war pilot, rancher and survivalist, George, who also has a background in forestry and engineering, has many stories to share and loves keeping in touch with friends he’s met along the way. In fact, he and Joy met on a cruise ship to Alaska and sparked up a relationship afterwards by keeping in touch. story continued on page 14
Cowichan Good Life Magazine 13
continued from page 13 “We met on the dance floor of the cruise ship,” explained Joy, who had spotted George dancing with other woman on the ship and wanted a dance of her own. After a fun-filled night greasing the dance floor, George and Joy met for coffee the following day and kindled their connection by reciting together, line for line, the John Magee poem High Flight. “It surprised him that I knew that poem so well,” Joy said. “So we had established a friendship then.” George, who was living in Duncan, wrote Joy, who called Santa Barbara home. His letter, however, got stuck in mail smog, and so instead of waiting any longer for a reply, he decided to call instead. Joy visited George in Duncan and was as smitten with the valley as she was with him. They tied the knot five months after they met. Although George refuses to make time to learn the ins and outs of the internet as he find its distractions — mostly the pop-up ads — disruptive, he and Joy agree communication of any kind is key to outside world. “It’s not where my heart is,” George said of modern technology. “It’s face to face or if that doesn’t work, it’s
voice to voice.” Meanwhile Joy, 80, has a Facebook account and connects with more than 202 friends. She created the account about five years ago. A published writer and counselor, Joy’s also fluent in email and fires off messages daily to friends and family. “If we meet people, we always give them our email first,” Joy said. She recently wrote a novel called Diminishment on seniors facing the fact of getting old and ways seniors can skirt around the isolation that can tag along with aging. Social contact is one such way.
Keeping in touch keeps the mind from running off. It’s really about reaching out. Joy keeps informed of the goings on of her family back in her home-town Texas through both the social media outlet and her Shaw email account. “The computer has been a God-send for me,” she said. “I felt for the first time I could finally communicate and we could share our hearts together,” she said of email conversations shared
with her sister in Texas when their mother was sick. Joy logs onto Facebook mostly to look at photos of George’s grand-babies. “It’s a wonderful way of staying connected,” she said, noting she’s noticed more seniors signing up with social media. “I check Facebook every other day. I’m not addicted by any means.” But she admits she “eats up” all the photos of the kiddies growing up. “I love seeing the photos as the kids grow,” she said. She even created a Facebook event to organize George’s 90th birthday celebration. “It’s the quickest and easiest way,” she said, admitting not all his friends, however, are on Facebook and would be contacted by telephone. The couple, who are also avid members of the New Life Community Baptist Church, also own a cell phone, but very seldom use it. “It’s really only there for emergency purposes,” Joy said. For the Brewster’s, communication and contributing as active members in the community, keeps their spirits thriving. “Keeping in touch, whether it’s on a daily basis or weekly, with friends, family, members of our church, keeps the mind from running off,” she said. “It’s a really about reaching out to others,” she said.
The number of seniors creating email accounts and signing up for social media sites like Facebook, to keep in touch with friends and family, is climbing. According to a study done last year by Revera, a senior’s care and services provider, and Leger Marketing showed 88 per cent of seniors of 75 and older sent emails, researched topics of interest, did banking, invested and shopped online at least once a day. In fact, emailing surpassed face-to-face contact as a primary way to keep in contact with their friends and family. And, according to Statistics Canada, only five per cent of Canadian seniors 75 and over were online in 2000. Today, the number’s grown to 27 per cent. Another report based in 2011 by Harris-Decima found 68 per cent of seniors asked used social media in 2011, up from 57 per cent two years ago. 14 Cowichan Good Life Magazine
Cowichan News Leader Pictorial March 2013
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offers exercise that’s therapeutic and fun
physical by Maeve Maguire
Shimmy those hips! No workshop at Cowichan Elder College — a program geared towards the interests of valley residents who are over the age of 55 — challenges assumptions on aging more than Debra Jeenah’s Belly Dancing workshop. Belly dancing is a physical dance that involves isolating different body parts and moving them independently from each other. Add rhythmic music and colourful costumes and you’ve got what Jeenah said is therapeutic and fun. “There’s something about moving this way that helps your physical and mental well-being,” she said. “It’s fun and it’s a bit challenging. You use muscles you didn’t know you had.” Jeenah said dancing is one of the best things she’s ever done. Her passion for
belly dancing started 13 years ago when she took her first dance class. “I had no dance experience. There was just something about the music and the dance. I said, ‘I have to learn that.’ My whole life changed after that.” Jeenah said belly dancing builds selfesteem and resonates with something at the core. “It changes you somehow. You walk taller and there’s a new look about you. It’s for your spirit and your soul.” There are many forms of belly dancing. Dancers in Jeenah’s classes are fully covered in vibrant dress, unlike the style made popular at the 1893 World’s Fair when dancers had bare midriffs. Jeenah said she sometimes needs to educate people who don’t know the Middle Eastern origins of the dance. “I’ve had people ask ‘Aren’t you guys strippers?’ I have to explain the history. This is one of the oldest dances and back then they were covered from head to toe.
Debra Jeenah shakes it up with belly dance lessons offered through Cowichan Elder College. 16 Cowichan Good Life Magazine
Cowichan News Leader Pictorial March 2013
“Hollywood entertainer Sol Bloom brought the stomach dance to the World’s Fair and everyone had a fit because they didn’t even show their ankles then. That’s when dancers started wearing less and less. In my workshop, we are covered. There’s something that makes you feel more comfortable in your body if you’re covered.” Jeenah said belly dancing is a sensual dance, not sexual. “People get mixed up about that. All women are sensual so part of that comes out when they come to my workshop.” In Jeenah’s Elder College workshop she starts with beginner movements and adds more challenging moves for students who show an interest. story continued on page 18
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continued from page 17 “You don’t need any dance experience. It’s a two-hour workshop where we learn history and the moves and the posture. Posture is so important. It’s really fun. If they enjoy the workshop, they come back to my studio for classes.” Many of Jeenah’s workshop students continue to work with her at her studio. She is impressed with their passion and dedication. “They are 60 to 65 years old. There are even a couple of 70-year-olds. They do beautiful movements. We do a lot of charity events for
nursing homes and that is so satisfying. It’s just amazing what these women do. They have come a long way.” Jeenah said her students are from all walks of life — a minister, retired teachers, and some yet to retire. She said anyone can belly dance. “My motto is the body is meant to dance. It’s a happy time.” Debra Jeenah’s Basic Beginner’s Belly Dance Workshop is on Thursday April 4 from noon to 2 p.m. at the Island Savings Centre. The session fee is $12.50.
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Belly dancing not your thing?
That’s OK. It’s just one of many activities on the exploration menu at Cowichan Elder College.
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Music, general interest, the arts, and armchair travel are just four of the headings under which you can find courses at minimal cost for Cowichanians over 50. Elder College courses are provided through the Island Savings Centre by community volunteers who wish to share a skill, area of expertise, or a life experience. To browse for courses, go to islandnet.com/ eldercollege. To register, call 250-748-7529 or visit the Island Savings Centre, or the Shawnigan Lake, Kerry Park, and Lake Cowichan community centres. For further information about Elder College, please call 250-746-0414.
18 Cowichan Good Life Magazine
Cowichan News Leader Pictorial March 2013
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Cowichan Good Life Magazine 19
you’ve come way a
long baby
Putting a new face on some old ads
Concepts by Ashley Degraaf, images Andrew Leong I’ve always been in love with the 1950s era and especially modern photo shoots with vintage themes. As an example, last summer my family posed in a very ‘50s picnic style setting for a family portrait shoot, vintage outfits, old Coca-Cola bottles, cool classic car and all. So I jumped at the opportunity of organizing a photo spread for the News Leader Pictorial’s
20 Cowichan Good Life Magazine
Good Life magazine of local senior ladies recreating retro ads. It’s amazing to look back at what appealed to advertisers then, and looking forward, how far we’ve really come. And let me tell you, a good time was had by all involved, including NLP photographer Andrew Leong and the models from the Chemainus Seniors Centre dance troupe, Centre Stage Dancers. — Ashley Degraaf
Heather Gibbins tries to convey the same excitement of the model in a 1950s ad for Tide laundry detergent, which slogan was ‘What! Can anything be better than Tide?”
Sylvia Kaminsky shows she too is pretty excited she can open a bottle of ketchup, in replication of what was often deemed a sexist Alcoa Aluminum ad that featured the slogan, ‘You mean a woman can open it?’ Cowichan News Leader Pictorial March 2013
Cowichan News Leader Pictorial March 2013
Cowichan Good Life Magazine 21
you’ve come way a
long baby
Putting a new face on some old ads
Concepts by Ashley Degraaf, images Andrew Leong I’ve always been in love with the 1950s era and especially modern photo shoots with vintage themes. As an example, last summer my family posed in a very ‘50s picnic style setting for a family portrait shoot, vintage outfits, old Coca-Cola bottles, cool classic car and all. So I jumped at the opportunity of organizing a photo spread for the News Leader Pictorial’s
20 Cowichan Good Life Magazine
Good Life magazine of local senior ladies recreating retro ads. It’s amazing to look back at what appealed to advertisers then, and looking forward, how far we’ve really come. And let me tell you, a good time was had by all involved, including NLP photographer Andrew Leong and the models from the Chemainus Seniors Centre dance troupe, Centre Stage Dancers. — Ashley Degraaf
Heather Gibbins tries to convey the same excitement of the model in a 1950s ad for Tide laundry detergent, which slogan was ‘What! Can anything be better than Tide?”
Sylvia Kaminsky shows she too is pretty excited she can open a bottle of ketchup, in replication of what was often deemed a sexist Alcoa Aluminum ad that featured the slogan, ‘You mean a woman can open it?’ Cowichan News Leader Pictorial March 2013
Cowichan News Leader Pictorial March 2013
Cowichan Good Life Magazine 21
Bev Rawn plays secretary for this 1950s ad featuring a Remington typewriter. In the real ad for an Underwood typwriter, it boasts, “The new Underwood 150 is the typewriter designed to keep your hands lovely to look at.�
22 Cowichan Good Life Magazine
Cowichan News Leader Pictorial March 2013
Sylvia Kaminsky kicks up her feet and enjoys a bottle of Coke during a break from vacuuming her house. Well, that’s not really what Kaminsky’s doing, rather she’s mimicking the gal in a 1950s Coca-Cola ad with the slogan, “The pause that refreshes...at home.”
Diane Kevis travels back in time to model an old-school radio. Smaller versions of this radio and a Sony television designed in the 1970s were sloganized with the idea of holding the future in your hands.
Cowichan News Leader Pictorial March 2013
Cowichan Good Life Magazine 23
the centre of
attention Chemainus Seniors Centre providing good time daily for more than 600 members Dot McDonald demonstrates centre activities
by Maeve Maguire Food, good time and lots of both. Is it any wonder the Chemainus Seniors’ Centre is known for its programs? Just ask program director Dot McDonald to list the activities available to the society’s members and you’ll see why. “We have everything from karaoke, lots of bridge, line dancing, computer drop-in. We have creative writing, three choirs: a ladies’ choir, men’s, and mixed. Carpet bowling, yoga, cribbage. We have two dances a month. We have a potluck birthday party on the month of your birthday. This centre is centered around food.” McDonald said the non-profit society has nearly 600 members, half of whom come from Chemainus and the rest from Mill Bay to Nanaimo. The members run the centre independently—they raise their own funds
24 Cowichan Good Life Magazine
through bingo and lunches to manage the building. McDonald said it is the members’ extensive skill base that keeps the place running smoothly.
There are a lot of laughs here. It’s a lifesaver for a lot of people. “The talent in this place is phenomenal and the board members over the years have been terrific. You can ask for something to be done and someone knows how to do it. We’re not beholden to anybody for anything. We’re totally self-contained in that way.” Past-president Murray Schafer, 74, has been a member at the centre for 15 years and is the longest-serving board
member. Schafer explained the society rented its downtown Chemainus location starting in 1980, but acquired the building in 1986. “This was a house that we eventually added on to and renovated. We’re pretty proud of this centre and we’re debt-free. The property is worth $2 million and it’s all been done by volunteers. The only person we hire is the janitor service.” McDonald said to raise money to support the centre’s operations, members host public bingo every Monday night. Other sources of income contribute too. “Having a large membership helps. And we have a soup and sandwich once per month. We had 150 people come in the other day for soup and sandwich.” McDonald said the centre is a good size and can support all of these activities.
Cowichan News Leader Pictorial March 2013
“We have the place for all of it. We have a solid wood dance floor and drop-down screen to show productions, and we have a stage that goes up and down. There isn’t much here we can’t do to entertain people.” McDonald, 70, has been a member for 10 years and spends most of her week at the centre. She credits her volunteer work for keeping her focused on what is important — helping others. “You don’t have time to think about your aches and pains. You’re busy doing something for somebody else. It keeps your mind active, and if you keep your mind active doing things, your body has to follow on. I feel about 50. I can still play road hockey with my grandsons.” McDonald said the centre’s membership continues to grow, even with people who aren’t yet retired. She encourages these members to volunteer, even if they are in the workforce. “They want to join because this gives them an activity to do outside of work. We have a muffin morning on Wednesdays and Fridays and anyone can
come in and chitchat with people. It perks you up, especially if you’re on your own.” Between the fixed programs and casual conversations, McDonald said the members come to rely on each other.
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How to become a member Membership is open to anyone 55 and older and associate memberships are available younger spouses. You must join to take part in the centre’s activities. Membership is $15 per year. The public can rent the space by donation. The centre is open Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to noon. For more information, call 250-2462111.
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• For independent seniors who would enjoy companionship. • We offer bright and cheerful accommodations in a wonderful character home. • Delicious home cooked meals served family style in our cozy kitchen nook. • Lovely one acre garden setting on a quiet tree lined street, close to Art Mann Park and Quamichan Lake. • We are a non prot society, your all inclusive cost (room, meals, cable, hydro) is $1345 per month. Abbeyeld House is seeking board members, please contact Marilyn Day, President AbbeyeldDuncan@shaw.ca - Att. President Abbeyeld Houses Society of Duncan 250-748-1352 5905 Indian Road, Duncan Cowichan News Leader Pictorial March 2013
no
laughing
matter
After the jokes are told, erectile dysfunction remains a serious — but treatable condition by Ashley Degraaf When talking erectile dysfunction, people often resort to a number of puns or wisecracks to break the ice. Less than five minutes into brainstorming this story, my colleagues and I had fired off three or four. But the fact of the matter is, ED is very serious. And what’s more problematic, is all jokes aside most men dump discussion about impotence like it’s a stale beer. ED’s definitely not part of most men’s intermission conversation, agreed Duncan urologist Dr. Bill Nielsen. “It’s just the nature of men,” he explained. “They don’t want to talk about it.” Nielsen always asks patients who’ve finally dragged their heels to his office what their profession is first. “If they’re an engineer, I talk to them in those terms,” he explained of easing in to difficult conversations. “I always address everybody completely different, because there are all types. story continued on page 28 Cowichan News Leader Pictorial March 2013
Duncan urologist Dr. Bill Nielsen takes a break from surgery to look over some X-rays of one of his patients.
Cowichan Good Life Magazine 27
continued from pqge 27 “There’s the cowboy. He jokes and he just wants the doc to fix him up,” Nielsen said. “Then there’s the sensitive guy. And there are the men who are just so angry about it.” As well as a number of health implications, most men don’t have an idea ED is often the first clue of heart problems. “What most people don’t consider is ED is often a sign of a heart attack in the making,” Nielsen said. “And this can be very dangerous, especially if it’s happening to guys under age 60.” According to Nielsen that’s just one of many causes. The number one associated link is vascular problems like atherosclerosis and issues with high blood pressure. And in a lose-lose sort of situation, another big reason men can’t get it up is related to medications. “Often it’s because of high blood pressure medication, which can effect the rectal components,” Nielsen said. And there are neurological problems like Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis and other health issues like diabetes. Injuries also come up with Nielsen’s patients, as well as hormonal changes, performance anxiety, prostate cancer, and lastly but not least, psychological-related issues. “Sometimes there’s a traumatic experience from the childhood,” Nielsen explained. “Or some people are just plain nuts.” ED is often associated with older men, mostly because
guys in that age group are more prone to health issues, like diabetes and Parkinson’s and high blood pressure, Nielsen explained. As much as men don’t want to find themselves in Nielsen’s practice, the first step to many more years of love-making is making that appointment. “The best thing you can do is to have an accurate diagnosis,” Nielsen said. Right off the bat he checks if there are risks for heart at-
tacks. Physical attributes are ruled out first and are often determined through blood work. Nielsen also hones in on a client’s day-to-day routine to search for psychological clues. “And when it’s psychological, it’s about acknowledging the anxiety and finding ways to relax,” he said. On the plus side, there are a number of treatment options. Most men, especially if
Top three erectile dysfunction
myths
Myth: ED is just a normal part of growing older and men just have to learn to live with it.
Fact: Although ED is more common among older men, that doesn’t make it “normal.” Many men are able to get erections and enjoy sex well into their senior years.
Myth: If you have trouble getting an erection, it’s because you’re not attracted to your partner.
Fact: There are many reasons why a man might experience
erection problems. Although lack of sexual attraction to one’s partner might be one of them, it’s actually far more likely to be something else. ED can be caused by: • Heart problems, such as high blood pressure and atherosclerosis • Diabetes -- between 35% and 50% of men with diabetes experience ED • A variety of prescription drugs, including medications for blood pressure, anxiety, and depression • Neurological disorders, like Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis • Hormonal imbalances • Mood or emotional problems such as stress, anxiety, and depression • Lifestyle habits such as smoking and drinking alcohol • Certain types of prostate and bladder surgery
Myth: I can treat ED myself without seeing a doctor by using herbal remedies and supplements for erectile dysfunction.
Fact: You run several risks when trying to take supplements for
ED. The exact contents of many of the supplements marketed for ED are not known, and it’s possible they could contain dangerous compounds or ingredients that might interact with other medications you may be taking.
they’re watching sports, have seen commercials for Cialis. And there are also the very similar Viagra and Levitra pills. Another quick and costeffective route is a hand pump, which Nielsen often recommends to patients for after surgery use, especially if there’s been nerve damage. If these simpler options aren’t working, there are also injections to get the blood vessels dilating. These aren’t recommended for self-use. “They help to get things moving, but it should be done in a supervised clinic. An overdose can equal an erection that won’t go away,” Nielsen explained. “Basically, short-term glee, but long-term glum,” he said. And a more extreme measure sees men stooping to surgery. Implantation of a prosthetic penis is covered by medical, but with any surgery, there are long wait-lists and risks involved. “There’s about a five per cent chance for disaster,” Nielsen said. “There’s infection and the whole emotional toll of going through that.” For most men Nielsen sees, they’re relieved once they’re able to point their finger at a diagnosis and treatment options are laid out. “A lot of times, they think ‘This just isn’t me or can’t be my fault,’” Nielsen explained. “That’s why I have to address everyone and every situation so differently and that’s why we need a diagnosis.”
— courtesy http://www.webmd.com 28 Cowichan Good Life Magazine
Cowichan News Leader Pictorial March 2013
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Cowichan Good Life Magazine 29
Longtime volunteer Cobble Hill Fair volunteer Romey Pringle makes hay at Collings Cottage as a girl with siblings Sheila, Jean and John
Generations of dedicated volunteers keep the Cobble Hill Fair rolling as one of Cowichan’s most reliable traditions.
all’s
Fair 30 Cowichan Good Life Magazine
Cowichan News Leader Pictorial March 2013
5TH AN N UAL
by Maeve Maguire That Shawnigan Cobble Hill Farmers Institute & Agricultural Society Fair Chairman James Clark considers himself a relatively new member after 13 years of service shows just how deeply rooted the group is in the community. What SCHFIAS has accomplished is exceptional. For 104 years, volunteers have planned and organized pre-Fair and Fair Day events, the Valentines Tea, Seedy Saturday, Easter Egg Hunt, Fair Awards Dinner, Culinary Treasure Hunt Dinner, Halloween Haunted Barnyard and Christmas Carolling — all of which take place at the hall SCHFIAS owns in Cobble Hill. It also maintains the venue and grounds year round. Clark said all of these events happen thanks to the hundreds of volunteers who contribute their skills and time every year. “It’s a whole bunch of individuals working together to create things and put on community events. There is no organization beyond the institute and a group of good people.” Members donate an average of 100 hours, and each of the 12 SCHFIAS directors averages more than 500 hours throughout the year. At least a half-dozen individuals contribute more than 1,000 hours annually. “We have volunteers you see and don’t see. Past members still volunteer. They don’t sit at all the meetings; they just pop out and help with their part,” Clark said. “We have a collection of guys who are the backbone of the maintenance department. They are out there cutting lawns and fixing fences and changing light bulbs. It’s phenomenal when you look at the people and the time people have put into the meetings, the events themselves, and the follow up.” Clark said donating the hall rental is another way SCHFIAS can contribute to local events. “There was a young girl who had to go to Children’s Hospital. A few friends put together a charity fundraiser and we could donate the hall as our contribution because we own the facility. I hear a similar facility runs an annual budget of $600,000 to operate. Ours runs entirely on volunteers.” Clark said the funds raised at the August fair and other events help pay for the building’s operations. story continued on page 32
It’s an hour we didn’t have. Sometimes that’s all it takes.
Cowichan News Leader Pictorial March 2013
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Cowichan Good Life Magazine 31
continued from page 31 “We maintain the grounds and the buildings to put on a fair to make money to maintain the grounds and the buildings...to put on the fair. It’s a cycle. If the volunteers weren’t there, everything would collapse.” Clark believes SCHFIAS has attracted so many volunteers because south Cowichan residents want to see more things happening in their community. The energy of a group this committed is contagious. “It starts with some good people. Nowadays there’s a lot of ‘all about me’ but people really want to belong to something and be the best they can.” Clark encourages those who are interested in volunteering, but might be unsure about their skills to give one hour of their time. “It’s an hour we didn’t have. Sometimes that’s all it takes.” Clark said he wishes he had kept a diary since he started volunteering all those years ago. There are countless stories to recount, both about the good times and the chaotic. “There was the time the pig was on fire. It was being cooked for the celebration. The boys who were cooking it went over to the Cobblestone [Pub] and noticed the Fire Department arrive because the pig was burning.” With a volunteer base as deep as theirs, including a younger generation that has now taken ownership of some events, SCHFIAS will continue to build community for another century.
Longtime volunteer Romey Pringle was honoured by the Shawnigan - Cobble Hill Farmers Institute and Agriculture Society at a Valentine Tea this spring
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Cowichan News Leader Pictorial March 2013
Cowichan Seniors Resource Directory The Cowichan News Leader Pictorial would like to thank and acknowledge the efforts of the Cowichan Seniors Community Foundation and its volunteers for compiling this resource directory. It has been edited for space limitations by the Cowichan News Leader Pictorial and in no way is meant to be considered comprehensive. Content inquiries should be sent to: publisher@cowichannewsleader.com A more comprehensive directory is available at: www.cowichanseniors.ca
Aboriginal Health Ts’ewulten Health Centre 5768 Allenby Rd., Duncan Phone: 250-746-6184
South Cowichan Community Policing Office Julie Rosenthal, Program Coordinator #120-2720 Mill Bay Rd. Phone: 250-929-7222
Adult Day Programs Chemainus Health Care Centre Adult Day Program Phone: 250-246-3291 Providence Farm Gloria Bond, SAGC Program Coordinator 1843 Tzouhalem Rd., Duncan Phone: 250-746-9668 Waldon House Day Program 2041 Tzouhalem Rd., Duncan use entrace off Maple Bay Rd. Phone: 250-737-2037
Community Policing Cowichan Community Policing Advisory Society Donna Brooks, President, 2012/13 6060 Canada Ave., Duncan Phone: c/o 250-701-9146 Duncan Community Policing Office Carol-Ann Rolls, Volunteer Prog. & Services 3-149 Canada Ave. Duncan Phone: 250-701-9145 Chemainus Community Policing Office 9847 Willow St. Chemainus, BC Phone: 250-246-4382 Cowichan Bay Community Policing Office 1721 E Cowichan Bay Rd., Cowichan Bay Phone: 250-701-1961
Cowichan News Leader Pictorial March 2013
Compassionate Care Compassionate Connections Lorraine Demers Tel: (250) 748-1317
Computer Help eGurus Technology Tutors Gary Marshall Toll Free: 1–855–832–4878 Tel: 250-709–4291
Hearing HealthcareIn Home Act Hearing & Audiology Inc. Leslie A. Peterson, Registered Audiologist Phone: 250–597–4228
Home Adaptations & Repairs Ease-Ability Renovations & Construction Ltd. Dan Nugent Tel: 250-743-1955 1-866-708-3273 (EASE) Cell 250-588-6843 Handy Mum Home Improvements, Repairs & Maintenance Dominique Daviau 970 Shawnigan Mill Bay Rd. Phone: 250-510-3552
Home Garden & Yard Care Lush Eco Lawns John Close 3054 Biscay Rd. Duncan, BC Phone: 250-597-0408 The Barwicks Keith and Katherine Barwick Phone: 250–743–3363
Crisis Line Support
Home Physiotherapy
Vancouver Island Crisis Line 1–888–494–3888 Emotional support and access to Island-wide community resources. The crisis line operates 24/7/365.
Home Physiotherapy Heidi Bovey, Physiotherapist Phone: 250–701–8876
Equipment Loans Canadian Red Cross 2–5855 York Rd., Duncan Phone: 250–748–2111 Fax: 250–748–2163
Grandparents Support Parent Support Services Society of BC Sandi Halvorsen, Program Coordinator Phone: 1-877-345-9777
Hair Care Services Barb Stewart’s Mobile Hair Salon Barb Stewart Phone: 250-483-5043 or 250-715-6568
Home Support – Private About Time Homecare & Nursing Services Patrick Summers, Manager 104–394 Duncan Street, Duncan Phone: 250–748–0513 Angel Helping Hands Homecare & Companionship Val Taylor, Owner/Operator #6-1040 Trunk Rd., Duncan Phone: 250-746-9946 Harmony Health Care Ltd. John McAlorum, RN, Dir. of Operations Unit 2A–2753 Charlotte Rd. Duncan, Phone: 250-701-9990
Nurse Next Door Home Healthcare Chris Wilkinson, Director Phone: 250-748-4357 Pacific Live-in Caregivers Robin Smith, Owner Box 1771, Ladysmith, BC V9G 1B3 Phone: 250-616-2346 Unique Home Health Care Marsha Todd, Director, Co-ordinator 121 Station Street, Duncan Phone: 250-715-1094 We Care Home Health Services 205-149 Ingram St. Duncan, BC Phone: 250-746-9224
Home Support – Vancouver Island Health Authority (VIHA) Duncan Home and Community Care 121 Ingram St. Duncan Phone: 250-737-2004
House Cleaning Island Domestic Services Sharon Moore, Owner PO Box 232, Honeymoon Bay Phone: 250-710-0864
Housing – Non-Profit, Low Cost Abbeyfield Houses Society of Duncan Marilyn Day, President 5905 Indian Rd. Duncan Phone: 250-597-0677 Duncan Kiwanis Village Society Contact Ron Coulter 355 Day Rd. Duncan Phone: 250-748-4135
Housing – Private Acacia Ty Mawr Jerri Maw, Director of Care 2655 Shawnigan Lake Rd. Phone: 250-743-2124 ext 106 Alpenrose Laura & Bill Loftus 2267 Lochsyde Drive, Duncan Phone: 250-748-3803
Cowichan Good Life Magazine 33
Cowichan Seniors Resource Directory Housing – Private continued
International Health Care
Non Profit Societies – Senior Services
Deertrail Cottage Inc. Laurie Gillis, Owner/Manager 1711 Escarpment Way Duncan Phone: 250-746-9641
International Health Care Providers T. Rand Collins, PhD, MD Phone: 250-732-6603
Dovehill House Marguerite Moskalyk 3326 Creegan Dr., Chemainus Phone: 250-416-0332
Meals and Nutrition
Cowichan Family Caregivers Support Society Ranjana Basu, Coordinator Shawnigan Lake Phone: 250-743-7621
Heritage Manor Care Home Tanya Mosure, Owner 1051 College St. Duncan, Phone: 250-748-3488 Lynn’s Senior Care Lynn Scott, RCA 5085 Jones Rd. Ladysmith Phone: 250-245-3391 Nana’s Guest House Sandy Baker, Owner 57 Park Rd., Lake Cowichan Phone: 250–749–3326 Pioneer House Bed & Breakfast Alberta Schneider, Owner 6470 Burnett Place, Duncan Phone: 250–746–8280 Sherwood House Audrey Norman, Manager 280 Government St. Duncan Phone: 250-710-8882 Wedgwood House Linda Fonck, Manager 256 Government St. Duncan Phone: 250-746-9808
Gloria’s Food Service Gloria Ramsey Phone: 250-748-9216 Meals on Wheels c/o Cowichan Home Support 20-127 Ingram St. Duncan Phone: 250-737-2004 Working Together Senior Assistance Karen: 250–732–1043 Sharon: 250–710–1533
Men’s Support West Coast Men’s Support Society Grant Waldman 213-80 Station St., Duncan, BC 250-597-2801
Mental Health Support Duncan Mental Health and Seniors Cindy Patrick 3088 Gibbins Rd. Duncan Phone: 250-709-3040
Moving & Downsizing
Villa del Sol Carol Reid, RN 647 Frayne Rd. Mill Bay Phone: 250-743-7061
Every Detail Jane Sheppard 2093 Calais Rd. Duncan Phone: 250-748-3626
Housing — Vancouver Island Health Authority
Forget-Me-Not Assistants Tammi King, Transition Facilitator Phone: 250-710-7173
For details about Assisted Living and Residential Care please phone VIHA’s Home and Community Care at 250-737-2004.
34 Cowichan Good Life Magazine
Music Therapy Programs Creative Music Programs For Today’s Senior Andrew McCormack Phone: 250–737–1888
Cowichan Intercultural Society Deborah Conner, Executive Director 205–394 Duncan St., Duncan Phone: 250–748–3112 Cowichan Valley Hospice Society Shelley Kuecks, Client Intake Coordinator 3122 Gibbins Rd. Duncan Phone: 250-701-4242 St. John Ambulance Lori McNeil, Branch Manager 205-169 Craig St. Duncan Phone: 250-746-4058 Volunteer Cowichan Georg Stratemeyer, Coordinator 1 Kenneth Place Duncan Phone: 250-748-2133
Seniors Groups Chemainus Seniors Drop In Centre Society Murray Shafer, President 9824 Willow Street, Chemainus Phone: 250-246-2111 Crofton Seniors Society Christine Hale, President 1507 Joan Street, Crofton Phone: 250-246-2455 Elder College Jennifer Carmichael, Recreation Programmer 2687 James Street, Duncan Phone: 250-746-0414 or 250-748-7529 to register Ladysmith Seniors Centre Society Cora Maier, President 220 High Street, Ladysmith Phone: 250–245–8885 Lake Cowichan Seniors Centre Jackie Jack, President 55 Coronation Street, Lake Cowichan Phone: 250-749-6121
South End Seniors Contact: Herb Kerry Park Recreation Centre 1035 Shawnigan–Mill Bay Road Phone: 250-743-1171 Valley Seniors Organization of Duncan Don King, President 198 Government Street, Duncan Phone: 250-746-4433 Young Seniors Action Group Society 1652 Shawnigan–Mill Bay Road, Shawnigan Lake, BC Phone: 250–743–5178 or 250–743–8344
Service BC and Service Canada Service BC Programs Marty Nelson 5785 Duncan St. Duncan, BC Phone: 250-746-1226 Service Canada Centre Linda Granger 211 Jubilee St. Duncan Phone: 1-800-622-6232
Service Clubs Arbutus Travel Club c/o Corry Salmen Phone: 250-701-0965 Chemainus Masonic Lodge #114 Pat Fyffe, Secretary 3052 Hawthorne St., Chemainus Phone: 250-246-3579 Cowichan Toastmaster’s Club #950 Bill Smith, Club President Phone: 250–701-1705 Duncan Kiwanis Club Ron Colter 365 Day Rd., Duncan Phone: 250-748-4135 Duncan Lion’s Club P.O. Box 52, Duncan, BC V9L 3X1 Duncan Masonic Lodge #33 Bob Crawford, Secretary 163 Canada Ave., Duncan, BC Phone: 250-748-1028
Cowichan News Leader Pictorial March 2013
Cowichan Seniors Resource Directory Service Clubs continued Duncan Order of the Eastern Star, Sunset Chapter Ann Vossberg Phone: 250-748-9480 Elks Club of Duncan Terry W Sayce, Exalted Ruler P.O. Box 277, Duncan Phone: 250-746-6812 Fraternal Order of Eagles, Chemainus-Crofton #4400 Merv Brown / Bill Yearly, Sec P.O. Box 45, Chemainus, BC V0R 1K0 Phone: 250-215-3183 Fraternal Order of Eagles, Duncan #2546 Tracy Norman, Secretary 2965 Jacob Road, Duncan Phone: 250-746-7100 Fraternal Order of Eagles, Ladysmith #2101 P.O. Box 640, Ladysmith, BC V9G 1A5 Phone: 250-245-3183
Rotary Club, Chemainus Richard Nelson, President P.O. Box 297, Chemainus, V0R 1K0 Phone: 250-245-4549
Women of the Moose Pat King PO Box 371, Duncan, BC V9L 3X5 Phone: 250-746-7382
Rotary Club, Duncan Roger Hart, Secretary P.O. Box 473, Duncan, V9L 3X8 Phone: 250-715-3039
Support Societies, Disease Related
Rotary, Duncan Daybreak Holger Heitland, President www.clubrunner.ca/ duncandaybreak/ Rotary Club, Ladysmith Michael Furlot, Secretary P.O. Box 875, Ladysmith, BC V9G 1A6 Phone: 250-245-5771 or 250-2452052 Rotary Club, South Cowichan Peter Dicken, President P.O. Box 241, Cobble Hill, BC V0R 1L0 Phone: 250-743-6727 www.southcowichanrotary.org
Kinsmen Club of Duncan Barry Toporowski, President Email: duncankinsmen@gmail.com
Royal Canadian Legion, Chemainus Branch #191 Marianne Mann, Office Manager P.O. Box 423, Chemainus, BC V0R 1K0 Phone: 250-246-4532
Ladysmith Kinsmen Club Duck Patterson, Life Member P.O. Box 324, Ladysmith, BC V9G 1A3 Phone: 250-245-2263
Royal Canadian Legion, Cowichan Branch #53 Bruce MacDonald, President Kenneth St., Duncan, BC V9L 1N3 Phone: 250-746-5013
Ladysmith Masonic Lodge #21 Joel Chiri, Secretary P.O. Box 261, Ladysmith, V9G 1A2 Phone: 250-245-4797
Royal Canadian Legion, Ladysmith Branch #171 Georgina Lorette, Secretary Allyson Wagner, Secretary P.O. Box 219, Ladysmith, BC V9G 1A2 Phone: 250-245-3031 or 250-245-2273
Lion’s Club of Duncan Housing Society P.O. Box 52, Duncan, BC V9L 3X1 Phone: 250-748-1044 Lion’s Club of Ladysmith Jim Masyk, Secretary P.O. Box 2293, Ladysmith, BC V9G 1B8 Phone: 250-245-4049 Mill Bay Masonic Lodge #107 2748 Lashburn Rd. Mill Bay, BC
Cowichan News Leader Pictorial March 2013
Royal Canadian Legion, Lake Cowichan Branch #210 Sam Jones, Bar Manager P.O. Box 603, Lake Cowichan, BC V0R 2G0 Phone: 250-749-6041 Royal Canadian Legion, Shawnigan Lake Branch #134 1652 Shawnigan-MillBay Rd Phone: 250-743-4621
Kidney Foundation Heather Johnson, Director of Programs 200-4940 Canada Way, Burnaby Phone: 1-800-567-8112 Stroke Recovery Assoc.Cowichan Valley Branch Cowichan Valley Public Library 2687 James St., Duncan Phone: 250–246-4952
Alzheimer Society of BC Jane Hope Phone:1-800-462-2833
Support Group for Low Vision Seniors Karen McClinchey Phone: 250-746-6041
Canadian Cancer Society Maureen Hyde 100-394 Duncan St., Duncan Phone: 250-746-4134
Therapy Dog Visits
Canadian Red Cross H.E.L.P. Program 2–5855 York Rd., Duncan, BC Phone: 250–748–2111 Fax: 250–748–2163
Therapy Dog Visitation Program, St. John Ambulance 205–169 Craig St. Duncan Phone: 250–746–4058
Cowichan Valley Arthritis Society Jan Norwood Box 942, Duncan, BC V9L 3Y8 Phone: 250-748-2481 Diabetes Education Program Kathy Park 121 Ingram St., Duncan Phone: 250-737-2004
Transportation Cowichan Seniors Community Foundation 135 Third St., Duncan Phone: 250-715-6481 Cowichan Valley Regional Transit #3-5280 Polkey Rd., Duncan Phone: 250-746-9899 Web: www.busonline.ca
Duncan Mental Health and Seniors Cindy Patrick 3088 Gibbins Rd., Duncan Phone: 250-709-3040
handyDart 1 Kenneth Place, Duncan Phone: 250-748-1230
Heart and Stroke Foundation Janice Krall, Area Manager 401-495 Dunsmuir St., Nanaimo Phone: 1-888-754-5274
Wheels for Wellness Society 1894 Bolt Avenue, Comox Phone: 250-338-0196
Cowichan Independent Living Medical Equipment Loans, Sales & Consignments Visit us and see our full range of Medical equipment including batteries. As a registered Charity, we are able to issue tax receipts for donations.
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Cowichan Good Life Magazine 35
let’s
cruise
by Ashley Degraaf
Seniors and cruise ships may be a cliche connection but it’s one that fits like a glove, according to Marlin Travel’s Robin Painter-Hudson. “There are a number of reasons why cruises are great for seniors,” she said. Painter-Hudson has specialized training in cruises and she carries a wealth of knowledge on what ships suit different ages and lifestyles. Cruises are ideal for older folks mostly because they get the whole shebang in one trip, she explained. “There are activities, there’s culture, there are tons of amenities and there’s five-star service too,” she said. “And you only have to unpack once.” Convenience is key when booking retirement-age holidays, but culture is right up there too. “The cultural experience seems to be very appealing to seniors,” Painter-Hudson said. “Places like Disneyland, all-inclusive trips like Mexico, they’ve already been there, done
The top five senior-friendly and popular cruises 1) Southeast Asia: tropical, exotic, deep in culture and history, and very hospitable people.
2) Russia: beautiful architecture, history
There must be a reason everyone else is jumping aboard the cruise ship craze
that. At this age, they want culture.” Cruises fit the bill, as there are endless options with the cultural fixings at stops, off-boat day trips and tours. “You get to see the sights, experience the culture, but you still have the safety and security a cruise ship has to offer,” PainterHudson explained. What’s also ideal for seniors is the service and the quality of the amenities a cruise ship supplies. “Even when it comes down to the linens,” said Painter-Hudson. “The quality is there.” Seniors are often tickled by what she calls “classic customer style service” which they’ve been accustomed too. Whether it’s evident through the onboard restaurant or spa staff, or offship with the tour guides, it’s a huge bonus. Painter-Hudson often sees seniors cruising solo, or signing up to join, say a single ladies group. “Sometimes we’ve even paired people together with groups, or with another person with the same interests,” she said. “And if they were going alone, that would be OK too. They would meet
European cruise destinations are high on the list for seniors, says Marlin Travel cruise specialist Robin Painter-Hudson. a ton of people.” Mingling could happen through activities like putting practice, a conversation at a spa or during a yoga class, meeting at the movie theatre, for coffee or during a ballroom dance night. “The activities that bring folks together are endless,” Painter-Hudson said. “Once people go on these cruises, they are hooked.” Another key player in the decision to hop aboard is mobility. “There aren’t any issues with mobility,” Painter-Hudson explained. “Cruise ships are very much set up for wheelchairs and other equipment.” Some American cruise companies will even arrange mobility equipment to be delivered to the ship for the cruiser to use, she added. “The companies can send all kinds of equipment to the ships.” And if it’s a trip with grandchildren tagging along, there are options too, including multi-generational ships with kid-zones and family-friendly activities. There’s something for everyone,” Painter-Hudson said.
and interesting economy/sociology.
3) Panama Canal: unique experience,
great weather, mix of countries and cultures, and most of the time a one-way flight.
4) Alaska: spectacular scenery both on and off the ship, lots of opportunity to see wildlife (both on land and on water).
5) Hawaii: always a favourite, beautiful
beaches, great shopping, a temperate climate and sometimes round-trip from Vancouver. Courtesy Marlin Travel 36 Cowichan Good Life Magazine
Cowichan News Leader Pictorial March 2013
home
cooking
Fast food takes on a whole new meaning with little waiting time at the York Street Diner
Large portions, minimal waiting time for meals and affordable prices are making the York St. Diner in Duncan a hit in the nine months since it opened. The ownership group consists of Lloyd Kellington, who’s responsible for the kitchen, Steph McDonald, who’s responsible for the books, and Rhonda Grantham, who looks after the front of house. Kellington formerly teamed up with Bob and Steph McDonald at the Oak & Carriage for many years. In fact, Kellington is back at the same site where he previously worked at Barnacles Restaurant. “I opened this place up 20 years ago” he said. The York St. site was also previously known as Bravo Restaurant and J.L.’s “This site closed for about a year and a half,’” said Kellington. “I always wanted to get back in here.” Grantham was thinking about opening a small New York Fries outlet or something similar when she got the call from Kellington. “It just happened,’” said Grantham of the partnership that started York St. The partners forged ahead into the new restaurant and have been thrilled with the public reception. Other than a brief lull in January, York St. has been a busy place for the fulltime staff of 12 plus a couple of extras. “We’ve done really, really well,” said Cowichan News Leader Pictorial March 2013
Chef Lloyd Kellington finishes cooking up a huge helping of food that comprises the York Street breakfast and Rhonda Grantham is ready to serve it. photo: Don Bodger
Grantham. “The community has been huge behind us. Again, I think it’s because we’re local and people know who we are.” “I knew it was going to be busy, not insane,” said Kellington, who has been in the cooking business a long time. “Fifteen, sixteen hours a day for the first few months just about did me in” His 38 years of experience has led to serving some old favourites and new creations. “The (deep fried) pickles was something we’d never done before,’” Kellington said. “I’ve always been like a homestyle cook kind of guy. Most of the stuff we make in-house. There’s not too much being brought in.” There are many favourites on the menu that offers a wide variety of items. Turkey dinners with all the trimmings are extremely popular. The restaurant goes through 60 pounds of turkey every two days for dinners and sandwiches plus 1,300 to 1,400 pounds of potatoes in a week. And that’s just the
You’ve got to taste
this
with
Don Bodger beginning of the ingredients that need to be regularly replenished. “I age all my own meat,” said Kellington. “Aging is a big part of your steaks. That’s why we sold so much prime rib at the Oak.” Kellington’s meatloaf, Ukranian plates and curry dishes also rank high with customers. “Nobody goes out of here hungry,” he said of his heaping helpings. “I’d rather do that than have them (customers) go out next door to McDonald’s filling up.” “We turn our tables over real fast,” said Grantham. “And the prices are fair.’’ “You don’t go out broke,” quipped Kellington. Cowichan Good Life Magazine 37
Over the moon about living life Appreciate the freedom of not being as important as you think you are When a meteor exploded over Russia earlier this year with an estimated force of 20 atomic bombs, I was reminded of how teeny-tiny we Earthlings really are. I didn’t always think of myself in that way though. As a youngster I thought the world revolved around me and that the moon was following my every move. Whenever I went for an evening drive I’d sit in the back seat of the car gazing out the window, and there it was, right above me. When I went to sleep at night, the moon was always there too, waiting for me to say goodnight before I nodded off. I remember the first time I laid on the ground looking up at the stars, finally grasping just how vast our world truly is. I don’t remember how old I was at that moment, but I recall, for the first time ever, feeling overwhelmed, as I realized that I was just one of a gazillion creatures in an astronomical solar system we know little about. 38 Cowichan Good Life Magazine
Lori Welbourne
On a Brighter Note
I became more interested in the world outside my own after that, and I started to understand how vulnerable we all are–not just to the mysterious stuff that’s going on beyond our own planet, but to Mother Nature, and to anything that can happen beyond our control. Ironically, this newfound realization didn’t scare me, but instead, made me feel more fearless. It still does. Somehow understanding that I’m just a miniscule piece of the puzzle and not nearly as important as I sometimes think, helps me relax and enjoy life for what it is. The news of the enormous meteor explosion over Russia, coupled with the news of the gigantic asteroid skimming our planet near Australia hit home and left me pondering my place in the world again. Who cares if the house is a mess or I’m way behind with work or someone is angry about something I wrote? I’m just one little ant doing my best
on the big old anthill and hoping a giant foot doesn’t come crashing down on me any time soon. Of course, this perspective never lasts long and I always go back to taking myself more seriously than I ought to. But I like to think that I’m getting better as I age. In many ways I know I am. As the years go by I care much less what others think, and much more about being true to myself. We may only live once, so we might as well try to live as authentically as we can. And when it comes to the stress of kids, living life and working towards big goals, I do everything I can to enjoy the process. When I fail, I’m lucky to have allies that will help. “Imagine today is your last day,” one of my friends will say if she knows I’m stressed out about something. “Cherish what’s truly important, because you never know — you could get hit by a bus tomorrow.” Or a meteor. Or an asteroid. Remembering that life is a gift and there’s no guarantee of its length can be just like pumping gas into our fuel tank when it start running low. It’s important to keep on the winding road of life, and to thank our beautiful moon as we drive it. Lori Welbourne writes regularly for Black Press. More columns, blogs, cartoons and videos can be found at LoriWelbourne.com Cowichan News Leader Pictorial March 2013
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Cowichan Good Life Magazine 39
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