november 2009 senior living magazine island edition

PLANNED GIVING ISSUE

Loretta Joseph

Workingwith Wood

Vancouver Island’s 50+ Active Lifestyle Magazine

NOVEMBER 2009

Celebrating Donors and Doers

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NOVEMBER 2009 1

FEATURES 4 My Quest for QuestAuthor Erika Grundmann embarks on a search that takes her around the world.

8 Her Heart’s WorkDrums and wood play a recurring role in artist Loretta Joseph’s life.

10-21 Planned Giving Section10 Charities Need You to Give14 Charitable Giving Strategies16 Home Away From Home18 Providing Respite20 Roses for Remembrance

22 Ancient Ruins, Modern ReverenceNavajo National Monument in Arizona preserves cliff dwellings of ancestral Puebloan people.

26 A Positive VoiceGetting to know British Columbia’s Premier Gordon Campbell.

31 Keys to HappinessVolunteering and being involved in one’s community rank among the most popular.

38 Bringing Music to LifeConductor George Corwin prepares to take his final bow with the Civic Orchestra of Victoria.

Cover Photo: Loretta Joseph whittles wood at her work station to create beautiful art. Story page 8. Photo: Judee Fong

NOVEMBER 2009

(Vancouver Island) is published by Stratis Publishing.

Publisher Barbara RistoEditor Bobbie Jo Reid [email protected] Tiffany Auvinen, Norman K. Ar-cher, Debbie Barry, Goldie Carlow, Roy Coburn, Andrew Covell, Janet Dwyer, Judee Fong, Gipp Forster, Erika Grundmann, James Ham, Ruth Larson, Bonnie Lowe, Sandy McElroy, Kevin McKay, Enise Olding, Michael Rice, Barbara Ris-to, Rosalind Scott, Barbara Small, Al Tully, John van den Hengel, Alixe WallisProofreader Allyson MantleAdvertising ManagerBarry Risto 250-479-4705For advertising information, call [email protected] Sales Staff RaeLeigh Buchanan 250-479-4705Terry Cushing 250-479-4705 Ann Lester 250-390-1805Mathieu Powell 250-589-7801Barry Risto 250-479-4705Contact Information – Head OfficeSenior Living Box 153, 1581-H Hillside Ave., Victoria BC V8T 2C1Phone 250-479-4705Toll-free 1-877-479-4705Fax 250-479-4808E-mail [email protected] www.seniorlivingmag.comSubscriptions: $32 (includes GST, postage and handling) for 12 issues. Canadian residents only.No portion of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission from the publisher. Senior Living is an inde-pendent publication and its articles imply no endorsement of any products or services. The views expressed herein are not necessarily those of the publisher. Unsolicited articles are welcome and should be e-mailed to [email protected] Senior Living Vancouver Island is distributed free throughout Vancouver Island. Stratis Publishing Ltd. publishes Senior Living Vancouver Island (12 issues per year) and Senior Living Vancouver & Lower Mainland (12 issues per year). ISSN 1710-3584 (Print) ISSN 1911-6403 (Online)

DEPARTMENTS34 BBB Scam Alert37 Classifieds46 Resource Directory

COLUMNS 2 The Family Caregiver by Barbara Small

30 Ask Goldie by Goldie Carlow

36 Bygone Treasures by Michael Rice

42 Victoria’s Past Revisited by Norman Archer

48 Reflections: Then & Now by Gipp Forster

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2 SENIOR LIVING

at the time with what we know. Given the tools we had to work with, we used our best judgment and made caregiving decisions we truly felt were in the best interest of all concerned.

Sometimes guilt is the result of an-other person’s comments or actions. However, someone else cannot make us

feel guilty if we are not already feeling that way internally. Their comment pushes a button we installed ourselves – so it highlights what we are already feeling. If we change our in-ternal perceptions and expec-tations, and accept that we are

doing our best, then they cannot trigger our guilt.

Moving beyond guilt to accept-ance and self-forgiveness will make us more relaxed and confident caregivers. Guilt seldom achieves any positive out-comes. Next month: Caregiving over the Holidays

THE FAMILY

CAREGIVER

Reducing YourFeelings of Guilt

Barbara Small is Program Development Coordinator for Family Caregivers’ Net-work Society.

BY BARBARA SMALL

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A common emotion among family caregivers is guilt:

• Not doing enough for the person they are caring for or not doing it well enough.• Feeling angry, resentful or frustrated about their situation.• Taking time off for themselves.• Not spending enough time with the person to whom they are pro-viding care.• Not having enough time for other family members (children, spouse).• Living in another town and not being there when they are needed.• Bringing in outside help to assist them with caregiving.• Their family member moving into a care facility because they can no longer be safely cared for at home.

Even the most effective caregiver can find something to feel guilty about. Feelings of guilt, however, drain time, energy and emotion – all three of which are already at a premium for family caregivers.

Guilt arises when there is a gap be-tween the way family caregivers are and the way they perceive they should be. They spend time berating themselves for what they see as failure instead of

focusing on the caring and compassion they bring to a family member’s situa-tion. When energy is focused on how things “should” be, it’s more difficult to find solutions for the actual situation.

Sometimes, guilt allows people to feel “good” while doing something that they judge as wrong or inappropriate.

Or perhaps guilt comes from helpless-ness because they can’t do anything about their family member’s illness or disability.

Look beyond the guilt. Caregiv-ers should ask themselves, “Where are my guilty feelings coming from?” and “What are these feeling telling me?”

Once those underlying feelings are recognized, we can see our situation from another perspective and address it directly as needed.

Guilt is fostered by unrealistic expec-tations of what we are capable of doing, as well as what we imagine we should be doing. It is important to remind our-selves that we are doing the best we can

Guilt is fostered by unrealistic expectations of what we are

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One evening, in the fall of 1992, my husband and I were discussing with friends

the challenge of writing in a language other than one’s mother tongue. Some people could pull it off, insisted our hosts as they extracted from their col-lection a book written in English by a German. The book was Quest by George Dibbern. They had read about it

in a book of essays by American author Henry Miller.

Dibbern described so vividly life at sea – storms and their awe-inspiring beauty, the turbulence and the calm. He wrote openly of his anguish at leaving his family in Germany in 1930, and the guilty exuberance at gaining his free-dom at sea aboard his 32-foot [9.8 m] ketch Te Rapunga. He had the cour-

age and honesty, and the skill, to describe the jumble of feelings he experienced – in his acquired lan-guage. It was a fabulous book, our friends maintained, but since they’d had a difficult time finding a copy, they wouldn’t lend it out.

I searched for the 1941 out-of-print book. One bookseller, special-izing in nautical books, recognized the title and the author’s name. As far as she knew, Sharie Farrell had something to do with the writing of Quest. Sharie and her husband, Al-len, I found out, were B.C. boating legends, a free-spirited couple that lived aboard a Chinese junk off Las-queti Island. I left without a copy of Quest, but with a glimmer of hope – and a germ of curiosity: I would

write to Sharie Farrell and see whether she could suggest where I might obtain the elusive book.

Sharie had no suggestions. She ex-plained that she had, in fact, typed Quest to George’s dictation, and went on to de-scribe how they had met: how she had sailed with him in Desolation Sound (alongside M. Wylie Blanchet, author of The Curve of Time, I discovered later) and shared the dream of establishing a retreat in Galley Bay. She wrote that George “was a fine man, a dreamer and philosopher, and a controversial figure.” But the ill-fated sailor had been forced to leave Canada in 1939. She also men-tioned an unpublished manuscript!

Boating friends visited the Farrells, photocopied the unpublished manu-script with the revealing title Ship with-out Port, and posted it to me in Victoria. Included was a copy of the essay by Henry Miller (originally published in Circle magazine, Berkeley, 1946) at the end of which appeared a note: “We are trying to collect a few hundred dollars to send to George Dibbern so that upon his release from the internment camp at Somes Island, New Zealand, where he has been for the last five years, he may

MY QUEST FOR QUEST

How a Book Changed My LifeBY ERIKA GRUNDMANN

4 SENIOR LIVING

NOVEMBER 2009 5

»

be able to put to sea again in the Te Ra-punga and continue being a messenger of peace and goodwill. We have bought up the remainder of his books and offer them at the original price ($3.10). All proceeds of the sales will go to George Dibbern. Please order through Circle or Emil White of Big Sur, California.”

It is one thing to write a review about a book, quite another to take up the cause of the author. I simply had to fi nd out the connection between the illustrious Henry Miller and this obscure George Dibbern whose book I couldn’t fi nd.

We accepted Sharie’s invitation to visit. Since the Farrells could not be reached by phone, we took a chance, and while on the foot-passenger-only ferry to Lasqueti Island, inquired how we might get to China Cloud. Out of the assurance, “We’ll fi nd someone, don’t worry,” materialized Tony the postmas-ter. A row across the bay, a knock on the hatch, a call of “Visitors!” “Don’t take off your shoes, it’s not that kind of boat,” welcomed Sharie. Like Te Rapunga, this was a “friendship boat” – warm and

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6 SENIOR LIVING

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welcoming, the glow of wood illuminated by the skylight, the aroma of homemade soup on the tiny wood stove.

This couple – in their eighties – gentle and soft-spoken, welcoming, leading a self-sufficient and independent life creating beautiful sailboats from drift- and local wood (with simple hand tools), free from the chattels of our consumer-oriented society, made an impression. We left the Farrells in a grateful and pensive state, determined to break free in our own way – and to make our planned move from jobs and city, sooner rather than later.

When I finally did read a library copy of Quest, I con-curred with our friends’ and Henry Miller’s assessment: it was indeed a gripping read – thought provoking, absorbing and funny. But questions haunted me: how could a married

man, who professed to love his wife and children, sail away and leave them to fend for themselves? What sort of per-son would be able to do this in good conscience? Why was Henry Miller so drawn to Dibbern? Perhaps Miller would provide a clue.

I wrote letters of inquiry to the repositories of Miller’s papers. A librarian in Virginia referred me to a “Miller spe-cialist” with information about the Miller-Dibbern connec-

tion. The arrival of her letter coincided with a reply from the University of California in Los Angeles confirming the pres-ence of “79 items of correspondence from George Dibbern and Eileen Morris, and 28 items from the Dibbern family.”

The Miller specialist generously sent me photocopies of the all the letters. I was dumbfounded. Evening after evening, I poured over those letters: some, blurry photocopies of fad-ed, typed carbon copies, others hastily scrawled or carefully handwritten, still others in the old German script, which re-quired deciphering and transcription. And what a story they told! Here were the makings of a book – and the realization struck: I would write it.

Committed, I experienced sleepless nights of panic. What

Left, the journey began in 1993 when Erika and her husband Walter (front) first visited Sharie and Allen Farrell aboard their Chinese junk, which they had built in Lasqueti while in their 70s.Page 7, Erika, at her home in Cortes, 2004, completes Dark Sun. Page 4, In September 2004, Dibbern’s daughter, Dr. Frauke Dibbern Ploog came to visit Erika and Walter and celebrate the book.

6 SENIOR LIVING

NOVEMBER 2009 7

had I let myself in for? The research was no problem – I loved the detective work. The connections I made with people in Aus-tralia, New Zealand, Hawaii, Cook Islands – places we just had to visit, in winter, as part of the research – were heartwarming and rewarding. Nor was the writing some-thing I couldn’t handle. The challenge was to consolidate the mountains of mate-rial I was accumulating – the stuff of an adventure novel, where so many threads needed to be tied into the macramé of a life story. Inherent in writing a biography is the huge responsibility to “get it right.” Would I be able to interest a publisher? My career path of medical technologist, sales rep, French instructor and translator, though varied, hardly qualifi ed to impress a publisher of my skill as a writer. Friends urged me to get busy and write. I insisted I couldn’t until I’d fi lled all the gaps.

When, in 2003, my manuscript – I was humbled by the paltry 3.2 MB for 10 years of work – was accepted by a pub-lisher in New Zealand; I was ecstatic. In June 2004, the full biography, Dark Sun: Te Rapunga and the Quest of George Dib-bern, was launched in Auckland. Any lin-gering self-doubt was dispelled by radio interviews, newspaper articles and book reviews. Truly, I had become a writer!

As for the book that started it all, even-tually I did fi nd an affordable copy to buy. And when people began asking me how they could get hold of Quest, I took the next plunge and became a publisher. The new reprint edition of Quest by George Dibbern was released last December.

For more information on where to buy Dark Sun or Quest, visit www.seniorliv-ingmag.com/articles/myquest

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Left, the journey began in 1993 when Erika and her husband Walter (front) fi rst visited Sharie and Allen Farrell aboard their Chinese junk, which they had built in Lasqueti while in their 70s.Page 7, Erika, at her home in Cortes, 2004, completes Dark Sun. Page 4, In September 2004, Dibbern’s daughter, Dr. Frauke Dibbern Ploog came to visit Erika and Walter and celebrate the book.

NOVEMBER 2009 7

8 SENIOR LIVING

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A Great Place to call “HOME”

HER HEART’S WORK

STORY AND PHOTO BY JUDEE FONG

Raised in a Middle Eastern community in Nova Scotia, the two things Loretta Joseph

loved, as a child, was the distinctive sound of doumbek drums in Arabic music and whittling bits of wood with a jackknife. It was years later before she realized the infl uence of drums and wood.

Working full-time as a medical tech-nologist, Loretta initially channelled her creative energy into transforming hous-es in her off-duty hours.

“I wanted to be independent and I was a real workaholic,” she explains.

But, working non-stop took its toll and at the age of 50, Loretta retreated to the soothing pace of nature on Cortez Island, gifting herself time to decide what she wanted to do.

“I was walking in the rain every day, occasionally pick-ing up the odd piece of drift-wood,” she says. “A year later, I was still asking myself, ‘What would I really like to do?’”

Impulsively, she sat by the water, picked up a twisted piece of manzanita driftwood and us-ing a little box-knife, began to whittle.

“This beautiful tiny fi sh, six-inches [15 cm] long, emerged from that piece of twisted

wood,” she says. “I immediately felt better and began ‘playing’ with wood again.”

On Cortez Day, which usually fell on Loretta’s birthday, a group of musicians would gather in the fi elds with their drums and percussion instruments.

“The fi rst time I sat with them and joined in with my doumbek, it felt like I was coming home.”

Three and a half years later, she re-turned to Victoria bringing back what she had found on Cortez – her “heart’s work” – drumming and carving.

While carving was always her peaceful meditative refuge, drumming was her noisy, chaotic life for the next fi ve years.

“I wanted people to play with, but nobody knew how to drum and nobody had drums,” Loretta says. “I found a man in Nelson who made lovely djem-bes [pronounced jem-bays] and got them from him for the fi rst year. Then, I started making doumbeks and djem-bes. I taught two young men how to make what I wanted, and they supplied me until they got too busy selling their drums to stores across Canada. Eventu-ally, I found Bill Giles, a drummer/drum maker in Yellow Point who supplied me until I retired from teaching and per-forming.”

Despite a few glitches, her life was exciting. “The drumming had a life of its own. I had 30 to 40 people signed up for my workshops,” says Loretta. “I remember one group performing by the water with a graceful crane behind us. It felt so natural and beautiful.”

She describes another extraordinary moment. “A group of fi ve women, ages ranging from 28-72, had signed up for my workshop at the UVic Spirituality Conference. At the end of the four-day conference, my group ‘drummed’ the 250 women into the dining hall. Later, when the drumbeats started again, the audience immediately responded. They got up from the tables and began danc-

NOVEMBER 2009 9

ing; singing out responses to this African song someone started; then moving into a spontaneous conga-line! We were supposed to perform for 15 minutes but it stretched to 40. I still get goose-bumps remembering that special evening.”

At age 60, Loretta returned full-time to her fi rst love, woodcarving. “Women would come to my workshops for drumming and see my carv-ings. They would always say, ‘Oh you carve. I always wanted to do that.’ Drumming and carving are usually associated with men, so it was quite an awakening when women realized they could do it too.”

Using only two basic tools, a straight knife and a bent or hooked knife, Loretta produces a free-form style, following the natural shape of the wood that dictates what the fi nished form will be.

“This traditional Northwest Native Indian hooked knife is the most sophisti-cated carving tool in existence. Carvers are now discovering what this knife can do. When I was teaching my workshops, a few men would come just to learn about the hooked knife.”

Loretta uses blades made of a high carbon steel, hand-forged and extremely sharp. The hooked knife is used for concave areas and the straight knife is used for follow-ing the shape of the driftwood.

Manzanita grows on Cortez and other places that have high rocky areas with southern exposures near water. Gently holding a piece of manzanita forest-drift, Lo-retta explains, “See how the manzanita fl ows this way and then twists to fl ow that way – I just follow the wood wherever it takes me. I do this dance with the wood.”

Loretta’s carvings have found homes all over the world. “I don’t do commissions, but I [made] one exception,” she

says. “Martin Schaddalee was asked by Marjorie Woodruff, founder of the Island Breaststrokers, to carve a trophy for them. Martin felt a woman should do the trophy and suggested me. At the time, my sister was dying of cancer and I agreed to do this commission for my sister. It took me 10 months. The day I fi nished the trophy, my sister passed away. It was a very emo-tional time.”

In 2006, the carving was unveiled at a dinner at Govern-ment House for 250 breast cancer survivors participating in the Dragon Boat Breast Cancer Challenge that weekend. This trophy is on display in the Victoria General Mammography Department. Beside the showcase are these words, penned by Loretta: “Emerging from the turbulent seas of life’s challenges, she stands before you, scarred and imperfect in joyous celebra-tion of new beginnings.”

“Finding the right wood is a gift,” says Loretta. “Seeing the details of wood grain, shape and natural colour emerging from a piece of once-dead wood is always a surprise and the most wonderful sense of accomplishment.”

For more info, contact Loretta at [email protected] or 250-386-9873. Loretta’s wood sculptures are at Sooke Harbour House and the UVic Legacy Art Gallery.

SL

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HER HEART’S WORK

The trophy Loretta was commissioned to make for the Island Breaststrokers. Since 2006, the trophy has been won by the Island Breaststrokers and is kept on display at the Victoria General Mammography Department. Art made from a piece of dead, dried driftwood.

Phot

o: J

anet

Dw

yer

10 SENIOR LIVING

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As we were gathering material for this Planned Giv-ing edition and talking to charities, it became clear that many are feeling the pinch of the economic

downturn – some more than others. But almost all have expe-rienced changes in the sources of their funding and the giving habits of their donors and supporters.

A recent survey of charities and foundations indicated drops in funding this year of about 35 per cent on average. This drop mostly refl ects donations from private individuals. Some, however, are reeling from government or funding agency cuts as deep as 90 per cent.

Some charities, whose funding depends primarily on agen-cy or government funding, have even had to close their doors. Those that have a mix of agency, government and private fund-ing seem to have weathered the storm the best. In a few cases, a cut in one source was covered by an increase from another

source – but those were rare situations.Catriona Johnson, Executive Director of the Victoria Epi-

lepsy and Parkinson’s Centre (VEPC) says their organization’s summer newsletter attracted 20 per cent less than it did last year but saw an increase in pledge amounts for their recent SuperWalk for Parkinson’s. She attributes this to the extra hard work of teams to bring in donations this year.

John Hughes, Manager of Operations and Development for Craigdarroch Castle says, “We’ve just completed our high sea-son and the donation boxes look to be down about 35-40 per cent, at this point. Those that have visited are spending less in the gift shop and are by-passing the donation boxes or putting less in.”

John hopes to see an improvement as they go into their Christmas program but is afraid they may still come up short this year.

Charities Need You To Give

BY BARBARA RISTO, PUBLISHER

NOVEMBER 2009 11

Numerous charities depend on funding from foundations but even that resource has dwindled. The investments overseen by foundations are producing less interest than before and with less money to hand out, are having to make some critical deci-sions about who they will fund and for how much.

Jane Sheaff, Executive Director Seniors Serving Seniors says donations from private sources have remained constant, but grants from foundations were down 90 per cent. Luckily, they were able to secure funding from another source so serv-ices and operational hours did not need to be cut this year.

Vancouver Foundation is one of the largest philanthropic organizations in B.C. They fund a variety of community initia-tives province-wide from arts and culture to education, from environment to children and youth, from animal welfare to health and medical research and social issues. They hold over 1200 endowment funds for individuals, families, non-profits and corporations. In 2008, they distributed almost $60 million to community projects across B.C.

Lisa Pullan, Vice President, Development and Donor Serv-ices, says Vancouver Foundation has seen a decrease in contri-butions from donors of about 35 per cent since the economic downturn.

“To add to that, we’ve had many more organizations apply-ing to us for grants as they’ve experienced greater demands for their services, struggles with shifts in government funding, and are challenged with their own fundraising efforts.

“We made a decision to continuing fund community projects as much as we could this year, despite the reduced intake of donations and the declines in our investment fund. We felt that

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GKnowledge. Confidence. Life!

“Make Plans . . . Live Life”

V i c t o r i a E p i l e p s y a n d P a r k i n s o n ’ s C e n t r eV i c t o r i a E p i l e p s y a n d P a r k i n s o n ’ s C e n t r e

813 Darwin [email protected]

Whether you have been touched by Parkinson’s or epilepsy, a gift or bequest to the Victoria Epilepsy and Parkinson’s Centre

is a way to make a lasting difference.

We are committed to helping people manage the physical, psychological and social effects of Parkinson’s and epilepsy and learn powerful ways to take action.

Your Gift will help people live full, meaningful lives in spite

of their challenges.

Tiah M. WorkmanNotary Public

HSBC Building#102-6551 Aulds. Rd.Nanaimo, BC V9T 6K2

Tel: (250) 390-7681Fax: (250) 390-7683

e-mail: [email protected] and Weekend Appointments Available

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that

ever has.”–Margaret Mead

12 SENIOR LIVING

now, more than ever, communities and their charities needed our support,” says Lisa.

“Regardless of the amount we have available to fund worthy community projects, our staff and volunteers scru-tinize and evaluate each grant request closely. This process gives us the confi -dence that we’re making the most effec-

tive use of the dollars. With less avail-able to grant this year, the importance of that process has been underscored.”

Despite the decreases in contribu-tions, they’ve still managed to do rela-tively well in this climate, says Lisa. “Vancouver Foundation has a 66-year history in the community, and many gen-erous donors with tremendous foresight have left gifts in their wills to support the community. They’re interested in leav-

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Do you know a recently arrived immigrant senior?

In partnership with Nanaimo Harbour City Seniors

Immigrant Seniors ProgramSupporting healthy, active lifestyles

for immigrant seniors.

To join or volunteer contact Carmen:Tel: (250) 753-6911 ext 5 Email: [email protected]

Many charitable organizations hope that this year’s Christmas season will help shore up the shortfall.

ing a positive legacy, and a gift that will endure in perpetuity.”

Most of the non-profi ts surveyed said their donations usually increase in the fi -nal quarter of the year.

The Victoria Epilepsy and Parkinson’s Centre, for example, usually sees an in-crease in donations around the holiday season, and attendance goes up a bit dur-

ing the last couple of weeks in Decem-ber at Craigdarroch Castle, with families taking advantage of their Christmas mu-sic program.

Many charitable organizations hope that this year’s Christmas season will help shore up the shortfall.

“I think it is a time when we look at our own families and realize how lucky we are,” says Catriona from VEPC. “I

NOVEMBER 2009 13

think it is also a period that people as-sociate with giving.”

Traditionally, the last quarter of the calendar year is also the busiest in terms of donations for Vancouver Foundation.

This year has been a troublesome time for charities. As they struggle to carry on their work, they are being called upon to do more – with less.

As we approach the end of 2009, we at Senior Living encourage everyone to give as generously as you can to the charities that are meaningful to you.

Some readers may be in a position to bequeath entire estates to charity, while others may struggle to come up with just $10 – but if we all give what we can (even volunteer time), we can make a difference.

Margaret Mead said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, com-mitted citizens can change the world; in-deed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”

As we approach the final months of 2009, let’s all see what we can do to make a difference for the charities in our communities.

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With tax incentives introduced since 1996, the federal government has given taxpayers a choice. The choice is about how individuals wish to support society and the amount of tax they wish to pay. It is now possible to elimi-

nate the taxation on up to 75 per cent of net annual income during a person’s life and up to 100 per cent with gifts made at death.

The process of gift planning balances

charitable and legacy goals with other factors such as fi nancial, tax and family needs. Using planning tools such as wills, trusts and insurance, it is possi-ble to create larger benefi ts for a charity and gener-ate greater tax advantages for the individual.

One of the most tax-effective simple strategies involves gifts of public securities. Gifts of appre-ciated public stocks, bonds, mutual fund units or shares to a public charity or private foundation are eligible for an extra tax incentive on top of the reg-ular credit. The capital gains are eliminated, rather than the regular rate of 50 per cent when sold. In addition, taxpayers receive a tax credit, which is typically equal to the highest marginal tax rate in their province of residence.

This table compares the tax consequences of donating cash proceeds of sold securities versus donating securities in-kind. The marginal tax and tax credit rates are assumed to be 45 per cent for illustration purposes.

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You’ve always been there for others. You can con�nue to give beyond your life�me.

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Ad submission

Senior Living Magazine-- October 2009

BC Coalition of People with Disabilities

Contact:Ad design Ann Vrlak [email protected] 604-874-4055Payment/booking Sam Bradd [email protected] 604-875-0188

Thank you.

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Charitable Giving StrategiesBY ANDREW COVELL, CSA,

WEALTH MANAGER

For most people, charitable giving involves annual donations to worthy charities. Typically, these gifts are made out of income. Increasingly, how-

ever, Canadians are making gifts from assets as part of an overall fi nancial and estate plan. These kind of exceptional gifts involve careful planning and can pro-duce signifi cant tax savings.

The process of gift planning balances charitable and legacy goals with other factors such as

fi nancial, tax and family needs.

NOVEMBER 2009 15

Unfortunately, some people’s pub-lic securities have depreciated because of the turmoil in capital markets over the last two years. Of course, any gift will have value to the recipient char-ity. When individuals donate a security with a capital loss, they can claim the capital loss on their tax return and re-ceive a tax receipt for the gift.

Other common ways of giving in-clude charitable bequests, gifts of an-nuities and insurance, designations of capital property or RRSPs and, the most straightforward gift of all, cash. Chari-

table gift annuities, for example, can provide signifi cant income for life and enable donors to make a special gift.

A good fi nancial and estate plan that includes charitable gifting can be diffi -cult to implement. It is important to put personal and family needs at the centre of the planning process and then consid-er giving. Charitable gifts are irrevoca-ble – once given, they are not returned. Also, it is sometimes hard to choose charities and commit large gifts.

A charitable gift is shaped by an

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Who will do the caring in YOUR family? Through thick and thin, familiesprovide over 80% of our care.

Your gift keeps caring families strong. Please help!

Call us at: (250) 384-0408

www.familycaregiversnetwork.org

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Sell security & Donate Cash Donate Security

Value of security/donation $10,000 $10,000

Cost of security $5,000 $5,000

Taxable capital gain@ 50% $2,500 $0

Tax on gain @45% $1,125 $0

Tax credit @45% $4,500 $4,500

Net tax savings $3,375 $5,625

individual’s values and personal pri-orities. Tax savings enable gifts, but they should be the servant of a per-son’s values and priorities. When es-tablishing estate plans, it is therefore important for individuals to review their personal experiences and the charities that are important to them. Through consultation with legal, tax and fi nancial advisors, an informed decision can then be made, which balances personal and family needs with philanthropic planning. SL

16 SENIOR LIVING

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Embrace giving.

Kevin Connell withhis wife, Mariette. Kevin is now in remission after treatment of a multiple myeloma, a rare cancer.

Join the fight against cancer. The Canadian Cancer Society is your best investment in the cancer cause. Your courageous gift brings hope to thousands of people by funding outstanding research projects every year.

A gift in your Will, stock or cash is tax deductible and goes directly to the fight against cancer.

For immediate attention, please contact Toni Andreola at [email protected] or1 800-663-2524 (Ext. 293). Ask for a free copyof Your Personal Estate and Will Planning Guide.

cancer.ca

HOME AWAY FROM HOMEBY ENISE OLDING

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ing

Eleanor Roberts didn’t think twice about offering a sizeable donation to the Saanich Silver Threads Centre, which she fondly refers to as “the Hamp-

tons.” “I became aware they needed some money and I just did it,” she says. “I want this Seniors’ Centre of mine to keep going!”

Eleanor was 14 when she came to Victoria. “Grandfather needed someone to look after him in his 600-square-foot house, so mother came with her two girls while the boys were away at war.” Eleanor laughs when she recalls how crowded that little house was when three brothers came home from the war. The family stayed in Victoria and even-tually each of the siblings married and set off on their own journeys.

Although her mother had come from a well-to-do family, over the years, she grew poorer, having lost her husband and raising her five children. Life was difficult for her moth-er and Eleanor subsidized her from her own earnings.

Eleanor worked as a bookkeeper in the family sheet metal business started by her husband, Howard. Involvement with the business and responsibilities of her own growing family of two boys and a girl filled her time. But once the children

Eleanor Roberts

NOVEMBER 2009 17

were grown and the business sold, Eleanor and Howard de-voted a great deal of time to the couples’ club to which they belonged. “We were always active and had lots of friends,” she says. And even though numbers have diminished over the years, there is still a vibrant core group of about 30 peo-ple that continues.

Travel has featured in Eleanor’s life and she particularly enjoyed a trip to Las Vegas with a girlfriend recalling the fun they had at a Donnie and Marie Osmond show. They wanted audience participation and Eleanor found herself on stage. “It was around Christmas time, so we sang Christmas songs,” she laughs, “Trouble was, nobody took any photos, although they did tell me I’d done a great job.” Having sung with the Sweet Adelines and been in a choir as a teen-ager, Eleanor is no stranger to singing. It’s a pastime she enjoys and thinks she might take up again.

“I need to be around people,” she says. So, if she’s “not at home, I’m at the Hamptons,” to meet with friends, enjoy entertainment or be involved in one of the many activities at her “home away from home.” Eleanor loves her active life and when she saw there was an opportunity to contribute towards enriching the life experiences of seniors, she took it, investing in her own and others’ well being. “It would be very nice if people who are living comfortable lives and are financially secure, to give to someone who requires some-thing. Give to something close to their hearts, maybe.” SL

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Contact us at: Make-A-Wish BC & Yukontel. 604 688 7944 toll-free 1 866 277 [email protected]

Your gift today ensure the wishes of tomorrow.

We are dedicated to fulfilling the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions, to enrich the

human experience with hope, strength and joy.

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Phone (250) 385-1114Fax (250) 361-3554

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Since 1973, the Canadian Section of Amnesty International has promoted and protected human rights at home and abroad, through ongoing campaigning, outreach and education programs. By remembering Amnesty International in your will and estate planning, you will be helping to build a future where the fundamental dignity of every person is respected worldwide.

For information and assistance, contact: Heather Warren, Gift Planning Associate

(613) 744-7667 ext. 239 [email protected] www.amnesty.ca/plannedgiving

1-800-AMNESTY

Charitable Reg. No.

11878 5914 RR 0001

Your Legacy

Is Her Future.

18 SENIOR LIVING

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GVEF - Planned GivingSenior Living Magazine

4.625”h x 3.42”w - B&Wprepared by Art Department Design 381-4290

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LIFETIME

The Greater Victoria Eldercare Foundation enhances the care, comfort and dignity of hundreds of

elderly people living in long term care facilities and generally supports the care of elderly persons living in Greater Victoria. Your legacy will help

us purchase medical equipment & home-like enhancements and fund research & education into

the health of older persons for generations to come.

For more information, please contact us: phone: (250) 370-5664 or visit : www.gvef.org

The call of the Klondike brought Clive Piercy’s an-cestors from Yorkshire to Victoria, where they set up business provisioning the miners who were

heading to the goldfields. The family established itself in Vic-toria working and contributing to the community – from the pioneering Piercy Mercantile Company to Clive’s Chateau Victoria Hotel.

Clive says when he started out in business he was busy training, borrow-ing money and working long and hard just to get things going. Later, as his ventures stabilized, he contributed in many ways to the com-munity by supporting various local causes from the Pacific Opera to Pancakes with Mr. and Mrs. Claus.

Along the way, he took time to enjoy the outdoors, being particularly keen on river and ocean fishing. He’d venture out with his German Short-Haired Pointer dog “Shaker” in search of game, taking annual trips into Alberta and spending end-less hours in cold duck blinds. So strong was their bond that Clive and his dog are immortalized in bronze, sitting by the

fountain in front of the Chateau Victoria. When his mother required caregiving 24-hours a day, Clive

and his wife Ann were in a financial position to provide the professional care needed and much appreciated. They won-dered, though, how others in similar circumstances managed. Thus were sewn the seeds for a challenging undertaking.

Clive and Ann worked with Lori McLeod, Execu-tive Director of the Greater Victoria Eldercare Foun-dation, to create a respite care facility.

“We wanted a quality care facility based on the hotel model,” says Clive, “where people who stayed there were treated like guests rather than patients.”

It had to be comfortable, homely, with a reservation system and hotel style furnishings and décor and be run within the parameters of healthcare protocol and requirements. A chal-lenging undertaking that successfully resulted in the Piercy Respite Hotel, which, as the handbook notes, provides a safe, hospitable and supportive environment for guests, and peace

PROVIDING RESPITEBY ENISE OLDING

“We wanted a quality care facility... where people who stayed there were treated like

guests rather than patients.”

NOVEMBER 2009 19

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Every donation to the Saanich Legacy Foundation, no matter how small, helps to create a stronger, caring and more vibrant community. The Foundation supports a wide range of programmes

and events involving seniors, youth, arts and culture, the environment and recreation, and has also been a conduit for special funds, assisting families in need. Next year we will begin public fundraising for construction of the new David Foster Arts Centre.

We need your support to enable us to fulfill our mandate. Your tax-deductable gift can leave a legacy of financial assistance and hope for future generations. As a donor, you can choose to designate your gift to a specific fund or area of interest, or choose an endowment which will benefit Saanich in perpetuity. Please consider what a difference you can make today.

“We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.” Sir Winston Churchill, 1874-1965

For full details on past, present and future projects,and how to donate, please visit our website at

www.saanichlegacy.ca or email [email protected]

Dementia Care For Over 30 Years

Community Day Programs Available��Visit us online for program details and schedule.

Community Day Programs Available

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Nanaimo Travellers Lodge

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Accredited Canadian Facility Since 1994

By naming the Queen Alexandra Foundation in your Will, you can help children cope with today’s health care challenges and those in the future.

of mind for their family caregivers while they have a break from their caregiving responsibilities.

“Sometimes, it is intimidating for people who are caregiv-ers to drop their family members off at a facility,” says Clive.

Once people realize this respite care facility is like a hotel, both caregivers and guests are relieved. Some people, like the guests known as the “three amigos” have struck up lasting friendships while they were at the respite care hotel and now co-ordinate their stays so they can see each other.

Although the Piercy Respite Hotel is now well-established, Clive’s hands-on interest has not waned. He’s a regular visitor and continues to work with all parties, sharing his expertise and providing information when required. That opportunity to contribute a substantial amount to the “Together We Care” campaign resulted in Clive becoming involved in a project that was dear to his heart, gave him a chance to use his hotel-ier skills and provide a resource to the community. “Looking back on it, I feel very proud that I did it. It was the best thing I did in my business,” he says.

It wasn’t easy for Clive and Ann to go public with their do-nation but, says Clive, “because we did go public, other peo-ple came forward and contributed and equaled the donation.” It’s crucial to become part of the project to which you donate, he insists, “it doesn’t matter what it is, donate to the charity of your choice to your ability, and become part of it.”

Piercy Respite Hotel 250-370-5641

20 SENIOR LIVING

Green Lake

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Decide Today to Help TomorrowYou can help the 1 in 10 Canadians living with liver disease by supporting the Canadian Liver Foundation in your financial and estate planning.

Call us or visit www.liver.ca to find out more about donating stocks or RRSPs, making will bequests or gifts of life insurance. To request a planned giving kit, email [email protected]

BC/Yukon Regional Office109 - 828 West 8th Avenue, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1E2Phone: 604-707-6430 Toll-free: 1-800-856-7266Email: [email protected]. Learn how. Visit LIVER.ca

On the corner of Newport Avenue and Currie Road in Oak Bay, there is a garden where the colours of blooming hybrids, floribundas and climbing roses

visually delight; their scents gently linger in the air. Visitors passing through a pair of wrought iron gates leading into the garden are greeted with a stone plaque announcing: “ADA G. BEAVEN ROSE GARDEN. This park was donated by the late Ada G. Beaven 1867-1958.”

Ada Georgina (Pemberton) Beaven was born to Joseph

Despard Pemberton and his wife, Theresa on May 23,1867. When the Hudson Bay Trading Company decided to sell some of their wilderness farmland, Pemberton was among the first to purchase 1,200 acres. His property stretched from his home at Rockland Avenue and St. Charles to the waters off south and east Oak Bay including Gonzales Point and the Victoria Golf Club. With its views of mountains and sea, Ada grew up in the family home her father named “Gonzales.”

At an early age, Ada learned to shoot snipes (seabirds), fish, hunt, ride horses and, with her five siblings, explored every inch of her father’s land. She grew up in an era when British Columbia was rapidly growing, and its politics con-stantly changing.

Robert Beaven was premier for only seven months. After his defeat, five different men became premiers of British Co-lumbia between February 1883 and August 1898.

Perhaps it was through her brother, Frederic, a long-time president of the Victoria Horticultural Society, that Ada met her future husband, Hugo. The eldest son of Robert Beaven, Hugo was a respected banker who hunted, fished, rode horses and loved gardening, especially propagating roses.

ROSES FOR REMEMBRANCEBY JUDEE FONG

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NOVEMBER 2009 21

Ada never remarried and remained at Arden until she died at the age of 91 in 1958. She was a familiar sight in her 1941 Packard driving along Oak Bay Avenue. Unselfishly giving her time and money to charity, Ada was a gener-ous benefactor to the CNIB, Salvation Army, Veteran’s Hospital, Goodwill Enterprises for the Handicapped, the Protestant Orphanage and the Victoria Art Gallery.

Visitors enjoying the tranquil beauty of the Oak Bay Rose Garden can thank

Ada Georgina Beaven, a woman who enjoyed giving, and still gives pleasure long after she has passed. SL

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Seniors Serving SeniorsPromoting the well-being

of seniors in GreaterVictoria

Your gift will support the work of 100 volunteers and valuable services

that help seniors and their families during time of need.

Seniors Serving Seniors#109 - 1022 Pandora Avenue

Victoria, BC V8V 3P5www.seniorsservingseniors.bc.ca

PHONE 250-382-4331

LEAVE YOURLASTING LEGACY

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South Island Dispute Resulution Centre250.383.4412www.disputeresolution.bc.ca

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For 53 years Silver Threads has provided programs and services for older adults in the community, offering something for everyone.

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To make a dona�on or talk about other ways to support, call Edie at 250-382-3151.

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Tanya Sterling, BComm, CA, CSA, FDSSterling Financial Services250-857-1857 [email protected]

At Sterling Financial, we not only assist people with their financial affairs, we teach people how to tackle the issues. If you’re planning to give a financial donation to a charity, we can help with intelligent solutions.

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Both were 35 years old when they married in 1902 and, from all accounts, it was a happy marriage. When Ada’s mother, Theresa, died in 1916, she left to each of her surviving children, a portion of “Gonzales.” With Ada’s inheritance, the Beavens built “Arden,” designed by Samuel Maclure and located on Beach Drive and Margate.

The Beavens were socially active hosting charitable events, garden par-ties and hunts at Arden. Hugo devoted his spare time to his flower garden, es-pecially his 2,000 species of roses cre-ated from 800 stock plants. He became famous for his roses, and Arden became renown for its gardens.

When Hugo died in 1937, Ada eased her anguish by donating a piece of Ar-den and 500 rose plants to create a garden in Hugo’s memory. The garden was a peaceful place for Ada and visi-tors to quietly enjoy the tranquil setting surrounded by Hugo’s fragrant roses. A few of the original Beaven roses still thrive among the many roses in the Oak Bay Rose Garden.

ROSES FOR REMEMBRANCE

22 SENIOR LIVING

“We Navajo are pretty superstitious,” says Ranger Alvaree. She pulls a strand of tiny lavender beads and dried juniper berries

from under the collar of her Navajo National Monument shirt to show us. “These are ghost beads; they help keep the spirits happy when we enter the ruins.” Chuck and I and one other hiker are standing above a vast canyon in northern Arizona, ready to descend 700 feet [213 m] to the Betatakin Pueblo ruins – a former Anasazi village that is now Navajo National Monument. The Anasazi were pueblo dwellers, and the word anasazi means (roughly) “Those who lived before us” in Hopi or Navajo, depending on who’s relating the story. The heavily protected ruins can only be entered in the company of a Nav-ajo guide. Twenty-five people per day are allowed to enter the ruins, and we’re lucky to be here in November – we three are

the only outsiders to do the five-mile [8 km] hike today.Our trailhead allows a wide panorama of the ravines and

farmland below us. Navajo still live and farm in the canyon and, on its floor, we can see a few sheep, horses and a corn-field – empty after the fall harvest. A creek sidewinds through the orange dirt among yellow cottonwoods, and gives way to the soft, rounded fingers of sandstone that jut up from the canyon floor in front of the cliff face.

As we start down the trail, our young guide stops to point out one of many juniper bushes. Besides becoming ghost beads, juniper berries are ground into a paste and added to

REVERENCE

AncientModernRUINS

STORY AND PHOTOSBY BONNIE LOWE

NOVEMBER 2009 23

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blue cornmeal mush. Alvaree points to a nearby shrub with bark peeling off like paper, explaining that an Anasazi mother would use the bark as diapers – her cra-dleboard had a hole in the bottom, where she could reach in and feel whether the baby was wet; if so, she could discard the wet bark and peel the new bark for a fresh diaper. Farther down, we stop to look at a yucca plant. Alvaree tells us the Anasazi used yucca root for cleansing and that her grandmother still washes her hair with it. (A prayer is still required before digging up the plant’s roots.) As Alvaree teaches us about the plant’s uses, I realize she’s not only describing how the Anasazi used them, but how modern Navajo still use them – the crushed leaves of the sage bushes surrounding us are made into a tea that clears congestion when inhaled, and helps with digestion and stomach aches when sipped. It also alleviates pain when rubbed on the skin.

The trail is clear and descends in a se-ries of switchbacks, zigzagging through red sandstone formations, sage, juni-per and yucca down to the canyon fl oor, where the terrain fl attens to a cottonwood-studded trail and fi nally to a chain-link fence and locked gate – somewhat of a non-sequitur after the open trail. The gate and fence protect the ruins from intruders who, without supervision, might damage the site or steal the thousands of relics that have been left just as they were found.

When we reach the gate, Alvaree sug-gests we take a short rest and, since there is no eating allowed past the gate, have a snack. We pull apples and trail mix from our packs and sit on rocks to eat.

After our rest, Alvaree unlocks the gate, and a quiet reverence seems to come over all of us as our feet crunch over the leaf-carpeted trail. We round a bend and look up at the village of Betatakin. Ana-sazi occupied the village for around 50 years, about 900 years ago. No one is sure why the cliff dwellers left – archeologists believe the food sources ran out, possibly due to drought.

We stand at the edge of the ruins and look up at a huge dome-shaped alcove in the sandstone wall – the layers of sand-stone have peeled off and fallen over

the millennia, forming the alcoves that served as shelter to protect the settle-ments in these canyons. The village is terraced, with two or three levels of rooms, and we’re allowed to walk up the narrow footpaths into most of them; though only the walls remain, the rooms were once roofed.

The walls are made of sandstone bricks, wood and mortar. Alvaree tells us that the women of the village did the masonry, while the men left the village to descend the steep cliffs in order to

Modernfarm corn, beans and squash at the can-yon bottom. The men would also climb up the canyon walls to hunt for game on the plateaus above the canyon rim. Alvaree points out precarious-looking handholds above us in the face of the cliff. The men would be away for days or weeks at a time, so the women stayed in the village to protect and care for the children, making them the builders as well as the caretakers.

One of the rooms is the kiva – a ceremonial room where the men gath-

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ered for communal business, as well as ceremonial activities. The kiva originally had a roof with a small round hole at the top, where the men could enter; the women danced on the kiva roof during ceremonies. The hole represents a portal from other worlds into the physical world. The Navajo belief (simplified) is that in the beginning, there were four worlds, and the original man and woman (and the animals), eventu-ally emerged into our world through a hole in the earth, like the hole in the kiva.

Some of the rooms were full of sup-plies when local ranchers discovered the ruins in the early 1900s. They are believed to be storage rooms, Alvaree tells us. One was full of sandals, and another was full of corncobs. In one of the rooms, we saw a cob that had been on the floor since before the ruins were discovered – I noticed it was much smaller than what we grow today.

The artifacts that are still here, un-touched, since the ruins were discovered, are amazing. Alvaree pulls a small card-board jewelry box out of her backpack and shows us a potsherd. She tells us that two weeks previously, a visitor to the ruins had picked it up – totally taboo – and stolen it. Out of guilt, the thief mailed it to the centre and asked, with great apologies, for it to be returned to its rightful place. Alvaree plac-es the painted piece on the ground, where some other potsherds are strewn. The piec-es are tempting – thick clay, painted on one side with beautiful faded blue-and-red pat-terns.

We spend about an hour wandering the ruins (with restrictions). Alvaree watches us carefully. This is one of the quietest places I’ve ever been – the only sounds are our hushed voices and the rustling of the cottonwoods. As I stare across the treetops to the opposite cliff, a raven glides silently down the canyon into the yellow-leafed trees beneath us. Alvaree seems to be re-garding the ruins as if for the first time, although she’s given this same tour about 200 times.

“Medicine men run in my family, and I had to get permission from my father and grandfather before I took the job as guide,” she says. “My grandma is still upset with me for disturbing the spirits here.”

I think of those ghost beads and wish I

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were wearing some myself. As the shadows grow along the canyon, we walk another

short trail to see three wall paintings. They have faded over the years – the Navajo park service decided to leave the ruins just as they are and let them evolve to what they naturally would become without interference. One painting depicts a white circle with the image of a man in the centre. Alvaree tells us the Hopi recognize it as a Hopi symbol, so the Anasazi here at Betatkin must have been Hopi.

She finally tells us it’s time to start back, but we will go at our own pace (meaning our tour and time with her are over). She lets us go ahead while she waits. When I look back, she is gazing up at the alcove and the ruins.

Chuck has to wait for me as I stop to catch my breath on the steep hike back up the trail. The elevation is about 7,000 feet [2134 m], so I use the altitude as my excuse – plus the fact that I turned 60 this year!

When we reach our car, I start to realize what an enlight-ening experience the past four hours have been. The canyon and ruins have a kind of beauty that most people don’t get to

see. I’m gasping for air, but I think of how easy it would have been to skip the hike and settle for merely peering over the guardrail at some vista point along the road and only imagin-ing the ruins, believing that it would require too much effort and time. As usual, Chuck convinced me that the strenuous hike would be worth it and, as usual, he was right. Meeting Alvaree gave me a new understanding of not only the ancient Anasazi, but also the modern Navajo.

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On May 12, 2009, Gordon Campbell was elected as Premier of British Columbia for the third time, fol-lowing victories in 2001 and 2005. This made Camp-

bell the fourth politician in the history of the province to be elected for three consecutive terms, and the first one since Bill Bennett in 1983.

Campbell has won his seat in every election or byelection he has contended in, and in addition to his historic third term as pre-mier of the province, he earlier served three consecutive terms as mayor of Vancouver. It would be fair, however, to say that this is not how the young Gordon Campbell envisioned his future. He laughs, saying, “Virtually none of my life [so far] was what I thought it would be.”

To this day, he calls Vancouver home. “I was born in Vancouver in the Willow Pavilion at Vancouver

General Hospital, I was raised in Vancouver, and aside from my four years at college and two years overseas, I have lived here

my entire life,” he says.Born January 12, 1948, he was the second child of Peggy and

Charles Campbell. His sister Catherine was first born, and broth-ers Robert and Michael followed.

Tragedy struck the family when Gordon was 13. His father Charles, an internist and the Assistant Dean at the UBC faculty of medicine, died, and left the family without their breadwinner and the children without their father.

“My mother was a school secretary in Vancouver,” Gordon re-calls. “She took care of the four of us and though she had family in Montreal, she decided to keep us in B.C. My mom is my No. 1 hero. We were never well off but I never felt poor. My mom never left us in a position where we thought, ‘Gee, too bad for us.’”

While growing up, Gordon worked at a variety of jobs, includ-ing paper-boy and delivery boy for the university pharmacy. “My first job was cleaning the gutters at a local pool when I was six years old,” he says. “I worked the whole summer and made a total

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of $1.25. I had to borrow money from my parents just to buy a model (kit).”

Following high school, Gordon headed off to university, though the route he took to get to Dartmouth College in New Hampshire was anything but direct. “I applied there because friends of friends of my father were playing bridge with my girlfriends parents and they were talking about universities. One of them decided to send me the Dartmouth calendar.”

That summer, Gordon took a summer job in Montreal while living with his grandparents. “My aunt and uncle and I decided to drive down and have a look at the campus. It’s the classic picturesque New England college with the white buildings, up on a bit of a hill, with a quad in the middle and a beautiful steepled library. I fell in love with it and fi gured there is nothing wrong with applying.”

He was soon accepted at McGill but put on the waiting list for Dartmouth. Gordon’s uncle asked a friend, a Dartmouth graduate, to fi nd out why he was only on the waiting list. The friend discovered that Gordon was in need of fi nancial aid, and there was none available for Canadians. “So this guy, who I have never met to this day, decided he was going to call around to the Canadian Alumni of Dartmouth to see if they would put together a scholarship. They did and the college said, ‘Great. We’ll also give him a loan and a job.’”

Though he entered the hallowed halls of higher learning with thoughts of becoming a doctor, like his father, Gordon soon changed his mind, eventually graduating with a Bach-

elor of Arts in English with some courses in Urban Studies. He laughs, “I got to class, and this is very hard to believe for a lot of people, I actually had one English professor who totally turned me on to English while I was reading Paradise Lost. I was hooked on English. That’s what I liked.”

With a degree in his pocket, Gordon returned to Vancouver and went to work at City Hall for the fi rst time, working on the capital plan and in the social planning department. While there, he would meet two people who would go on to play vi-tal roles in shaping Gordon Campbell, and infl uencing his life decisions. One was a young newly elected Alderman named Art Phillips and the other was a young woman named Nancy, whom he would marry a year later.

The young newlyweds decided they wanted to expand their horizons so they agreed to work for CUSO for two years, teaching at a little Nigerian town called Yola, which is locat-ed near the border between Nigeria and Cameroon. Gordon worked at the government secondary school with boys, while Nancy taught at the secondary school for girls.

“I was paid $180 a month while I was there and we saved a quarter of that and sent it home,” he recalls. “Housing was provided and, at fi rst, I lived in a traditional mud home with plaster on the outside walls and a large verandah overlooking either the sand or the river, depending on the season. It was spectacular but they felt it wasn’t appropriate for us, so they moved us into a 1960s prefab that didn’t have any of the allure of the traditional home. It was an exceptional experience.”

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Gordon enjoyed teaching English, History and General Studies to young men who ranged in age from about 13 to 24. “Any time you teach, you learn way more,” he says. “I remember getting my students to understand Mark Anthony’s speech in Julius Caesar, the one that goes, ‘Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ear’, and why it was such a mov-ing speech. I was going through the speech when the bell rung, and I could tell I was doing a good job because they were transfi xed.

“When I fi nished, they all cheered and one student ran out of the classroom to the outside verandah and said, ‘Literature is too too interesting!’ It was one of my great teaching mo-ments. You know when the class doesn’t move when the bell goes you’re doing okay.”

Though the couple didn’t travel outside of Africa during their tenure there, it was not all work for Gordon and Nancy. They made many new friends from around the world. “We travelled all around Nigeria and West Africa on a Honda 175, which is a pretty small bike,” he says. “We did it and it’s something I will never forget.”

When they returned to Vancouver in 1973, Gordon spent the summer working for Alderman Art Phillips, who was pre-paring to make a bid to run for mayor. Gordon applied and was accepted into law school at UBC.

That September, after only four days of classes, he had a revelation. “I remember sitting in my in-law’s sunroom on a

rainy Sunday, reading torts and contracts and thinking, ‘this is really boring.’ I had spent the summer working around the city, on television ads, really interesting and exciting stuff. I phoned Art and told him I wasn’t sure I wanted to go on to law school. Art told me the election was on the 13th of De-cember and that he would hire me until then. Then, if he was elected, he would hire me as his assistant.

“I called the Dean of law school, who happened to have been my next door neighbour when I was a kid, and said, ‘Hey Curtis, I don’t think I should do this.” And he said, ‘Well, Gordy, I agree!’”

In December, Phillips won the election and Gordon spent the next four years as his assistant, while Nancy obtained her teaching degree and started working in the Vancouver school district. Their fi rst son Geoffrey came along in 1976, followed by Nicholas three years later.

When Gordon wrapped up his work in the mayor’s offi ce, he joined Marathon Realty and took classes at SFU in the evening, which earned him an MBA in 1978. Three years lat-er, in 1981, he founded Citycore Development Corporation, where he stayed until he made the decision to run for political offi ce in the Vancouver civic election.

“The reason I ran in 1984 was that Expo ‘86 was coming and all I heard from council was negative, and I thought this was crazy. This is a great city and someone should be a posi-tive voice,” he says. “When I decided to run, no one thought I could do it, but I was fortunate enough to get elected. I de-cided early on I was going to say what I thought and why I thought it.”

After serving his term on council, Mike Harcourt decid-ed to leave the Mayor’s seat and Gordon decided to give it a shot. “It made sense for me to run because if I lost, I could get my life clarifi ed and go back to my business, and if I won, I could get my life clarifi ed and leave my business and serve as mayor.” Gordon did win that election and went on to serve two more terms as a mayor who was a strong advocate for literacy.

The tough times British Columbia went through in the 1990s were largely responsible for Gordon’s move into pro-vincial politics. “I saw that we were losing opportunities, and

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the deeper into the ‘90s we got, the more I could feel British Columbians getting down on themselves,” he says. “I remem-bered they used to have a kind of swag-ger, and they didn’t really have that then. I wanted to run because I thought it was important that my kids should know that this was a great place to live. Gordon Wil-son decided he was going to have a leader-ship race and a lot of people encouraged me to run. I decided to try it and the rest is history.”

While Gordon enjoys his life in the public eye, for the most part, he is willing to admit there is a heavy price to pay for living life in the fishbowl. “It is important that you try to get some personal time, and I do that, but I wouldn’t ever pretend that I have a lot. Having said that, when I was in business, I spent a lot of time on business. That’s the kind of person I am, putting a lot of myself into what I am doing.”

Gordon and his family make sure to put time aside every Christmas season to get together. Even though they all lead busy lives, they are committed to seeing each other over the holidays, a time Gordon treasures. “That is the time we have no ap-pointments, no phone calls,” he says. “It’s the family together and it’s a great time.”

Gordon has been around politics long enough to know every politician faces a heavy demand on their personal time. Al-most too late, he learned a lesson about the balance between public life and personal time.

“When I ran for mayor, I remember telling my sons to please tell me if there was ever anything important enough for me to be at,” he recalls. “What’s inter-esting is they didn’t tell me. I think you have to be alive to these things yourself. I remember Nicholas saying to me, ‘I’d like you to come to a soccer game.’ Now, there were no soccer games he thought were important enough for me to go to, but every game was important for me to go to. That was my bad: I should have figured that out.”

Fortunately, Gordon Campbell finally made it to one of his son’s games and sub-sequently made more time for his children while they were growing up. It was a hard lesson, but an important one. SL

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Keys to Happiness

NOVEMBER 2009 31

»Remembering the service and sacrifice

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Carole James, MLAVictoria-Beacon [email protected]

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Keys to HappinessBY TIFFANY AUVINEN

For some people, happiness is natural because they do what they love. They have a passion for life, and try to enjoy every moment.

Three people from various backgrounds, a police offi cer, real-tor/entrepreneur and social worker shared their ideas on how to make the most of life.

Some say that “following your heart” is the key to a fulfi lled life. In 2008, Tom Barry was the oldest member of the Cancer Society’s Tour de Rock; he helped fundraise over $1.6 million for childhood cancer research. As a police offi cer, he saw hun-dreds of accidents and troubled teens and adults. Despite Tom’s exposure to the darker side of life, he’s worked to enhance the communities where he’s lived and maintains a positive attitude while living life to the fullest. Family is his fi rst love, but he also believes in fi nding a passion to give one’s life meaning.

“I’ve fallen in love with bike riding and it is probably the activity that makes me most happy,” he says.

Tom believes that without following their hearts, peo-ple may do things the “right way” only to fi nd out later they’ve chosen the wrong path.

“I think that depression about a life situation is often brought on with being in the wrong relationship and/or job. It is so important that you choose a partner with simi-lar interests and values,” says Tom. “You don’t have to be carbon copies, but being able to spend 24/7 together without fi nding fault, is fantastic.”

Deborah Coburn, a realtor for more than 20 years, agrees that family is very important.

“It was a huge loss for me when my parents passed away within 10 months of each other,” she says. “I rarely spent a day without communicating with them. Now I have wonderful grandchildren, Sydney who is six years

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Tom Barry cycling in a Victoria Day Parade.

Deborah Coburn with her grandchildren Sydney and Brendan.

32 SENIOR LIVING

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old, and Brendan, fi ve years old. I love them beyond words and want to open their worlds to all I can.” Deborah works hard in her profession to give everything she can to her family.

“For me, it is easier to give than to receive. As a child, I was known to give away new crayons and even clothes to someone I felt needed them even more.”

Feeling good about herself and what she does is vital, so Deborah takes time to not only enjoy her family but also work and be playful.

“I try to enjoy every moment,” she says. “I play a game while driving my car. I try to get others driving to smile back at me. It really works!”

Just like Tom, Deborah believes her passion for her career gives her more happiness each day. “Working in real estate fi ts my personality to a T since I get to help others, as well as challenge myself at the same time.”

Deborah believes she has to push her-self continuously, but that doesn’t mean

she isn’t happy with herself. She realiz-es her goals take time to obtain and that patience and persistence help develop her skills in golf, one of her favourite hobbies and her sideline businesses.

Not only does Deborah manage mul-tiple projects, but she also volunteers. Currently, she’s helping with a fashion show fundraiser in support of the Cana-dian Cancer Society. Deborah has been successful fi nding silent auction items as well as selling tickets to colleagues and close friends. She’s doing her part to help in the community.

Solange Valiquette moved to Vancou-ver Island as a single parent. She studied social work at the University of Victoria and has helped cancer patients and sur-vivors for more than 10 years as a peer support co-ordinator with the Canadian Cancer Society. She has been nominated for numerous community achievement awards, and she always has a smile on her face because she knows she’s mak-ing a difference. CHLY 101.7 FM radio interviewed Solange regarding living on

purpose in 2007. The Cancer Society’s volunteers look to her for inspiration and motivation, and her positivity helps them continue the fi ght against cancer. Solange is also the co-founder of Elder-Safe Support Services.

Many activities make her happy, in-cluding her work but, most importantly, the fond memories and experiences with her family, such as sailing around Van-couver Island and spending one year sailing to Mexico and Hawaii.

“I fi nd that every day brings its own blessings. My early morning walks when I hear the birds’ symphony cel-ebrating the onset of the spring; walk-ing in the woods, seeing natural beauty around me, and having the ability to capture it in photos,” says Solange. “But what makes me the happiest is having my family around me, my children and grandchildren bouncing with life and joy. That’s true happiness.”

Solange knows people have daily stresses, just like she does, but appreci-ating the world and the people in it de-

NOVEMBER 2009 33

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creases her stress. “I think this is a gift from my mother who had this marvel-lous sense of wonder,” she says. “I tend to appreciate gifted and kind people, and the many reasons to celebrate life, day after day.”

She thinks that if someone feels de-pressed, it is important to acknowledge his or her situation and fi nd out what has

been helpful in the past, and how to ap-ply some of this information to change the circumstances. “I also suggest that as much as possible they move away from stressful situations and negative people and surround themselves with support-ive and caring people,” says Solange. “Finally, try to be grateful for all the lit-tle steps toward a happier life.” SL

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Solange Valiquette playing a board game with her grandchildren.

34 SENIOR LIVING

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SL

Computer experts are report-ing that “scareware” attacks are on the rise.

Scareware is a sneaky technique used by hackers to steal personal in-formation and spread viruses. Hackers have recently exploited companies like Google, Twitter and the New York Times as part of a massive scareware attack on consumers.

In mid-September, visitors to the New York Times’ website suddenly re-ceived a pop-up window that looked like a message from their own computer warning that their computer had been infected with a virus. The user was then told to visit a website to purchase and download antivirus software that would fix the problem. The supposed antivirus software actually installed even more viruses and malware onto the computer, and the user’s credit card number was now in the hands of hackers.

The same scenario on the New York Times website is playing out all over the Internet. According to Computer World

Magazine, hackers are not only using pop-up ads, they are also “poisoning Google search results.” Hackers moni-tor the news and hot topics online and, through search engine optimization techniques, are able to ensure that their websites make the top results. Victims who click on the fake search results re-ceive a scareware pop up.

Better Business Bureau (BBB) rec-ommends the following tips for compu-ter users to protect their computers from a scareware attack:

Never let your guard down. A scare-ware attack can happen on trusted news sites like the Victoria Times Colonist and New York Times, in search engines results from Google, and now even on Twitter.

Protect your computer. Install up-dates to your operating system, pur-chase antivirus software from a name you trust and keep that software up-to-date. Also, make sure all security

patches and updates are installed for your web browser and programs like Adobe Flash Player.

Take immediate action during an at-tack. If you receive a scareware pop-up window, experts recommend forcing the window to close through your task manager. To do this, hold down ctrl, alt, and delete at the same time, open your task manager, find the browser in the list of running programs and click “end task.” Finally, run an antivirus scan with legitimate, trusted software.

For more advice on fighting off hack-ers and staying safe online, visit www.vi.bbb.org

NOVEMBER 2009 35

Scareware Attacks on the Rise

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36 SENIOR LIVING

View of Roatan from Valor

BY MICHAEL RICE

BYGONETreasures

SL

On the Home FrontA while back, I found a big ball of butcher’s cord that

had been tucked away over 60 years ago in a base-ment. This discovery made me think about what life

must have been like at home in the tumultuous days of the Second World War.

While to some, war meant excitement and adventure, to oth-ers it meant sacrifi ce and “making do” while pulling together and “getting the job done” during years that would change so-ciety forever.

Everything signifi cant was needed for the war effort, be it scrap metal, paper and balls of string. Rationing of meat, sugar, gasoline and liquor became a fact of life that lingered through the late ’40s, and old ration books and little blue meat ration tokens still turn up in drawers and button jars. For a while, our nickels weren’t nickel – they were tombac – a brown alloy of copper and zinc – and later plated steel, which rusted where the plating wore off. There was Morse code around the rim reading “we win when we work willingly,” at a time when our country’s work ethic was at its zenith, down to pails in classrooms where children deposited bits of scrap metal and even precious toys to help keep our soldiers safe.

Posters hung everywhere with slogans reading “Loose Lips Sink Ships” and “Report All Suspicious Persons,” and still others urging women to don coveralls and work in fac-tories (remember Rosie the Riveter?). Mothers worked sev-eral jobs to raise kids in days when daycare was unheard of. Many children didn’t meet their fathers until war’s end and looked anxiously every day for a letter from overseas saying their dads were safe.

The most famous Canadian wartime photo shows a fi ve-year-old boy, Warren Bernard, running after his father’s regi-ment marching off to war down a hill in New Westminster, and which was captioned “Wait For Me, Daddy, I’m Coming Too.” Copies of this photo hung in classrooms throughout the province for decades after the war, and looking at a copy now, as I write this, brings tears to my eyes.

Ladies wore sweetheart pins that were miniature depictions of their loved ones’ regiments, beautifully enamelled in silver or gold. Men who were too old or otherwise unable to serve in active units, joined the Veterans Guard or the Home Guard or ARP (Air Raid Patrol), or like my own dad, the Fire Brigade, which dealt with the aftermath of bombings.

As the years pass, most mementoes of the home front are gone, thrown away

or lost in a lifetime of moves.

Did your mum work on “Bundles For Britain”? The British War Relief Society received knitted socks and sewn goods from Canadian wives and mothers to help Allied sailors keep warm on the frigid North Sea. Donations of cloth-ing were mended, made over or cut up for woolen patchwork blankets. Much time was spent rolling bandages and packing boxes with chocolate and cigarettes to be sent to troops, while young ladies were encouraged to write to “a soldier overseas” to remind him he was not forgotten.

There were songbooks and sheet music with patriotic words to “White Cliffs of Dover” and “Keep The Home Fires Burning” printed on cheap paper, and signs in windows urging everyone to buy war bonds to pay for tanks and fi ghter planes. These

bonds paid a then high three per cent interest, and surpris-ingly many of these, as well as booklets of war savings stamps, were never redeemed and often come to light.

Sir Winston Churchill was seen as a hero and souvenirs showed him decked out in bowler hat and cigar with “we shall never surrender” emblazoned on them. Other popular souve-nirs included ceramic bulldogs draped in Union Jacks and maps showing occupied countries and the progress of the war.

As the years pass, most mementoes of the home front are gone, burned, thrown away or lost in a lifetime of moves. I’m pleased when I can retrieve them from boxes destined for the dump to research and appreciate what they represent. Every-thing I’ve mentioned is collected today.

If you have home front items you’d like to know more about, please email me and I’ll share some information. Also, if you are a next-of-kin or a direct descendant of someone who served with the Canadian or British forces during the war who did not receive his or her medals, you should know that these medals can still be claimed. Contact me and I’ll send you the govern-ment address you’ll need to start the process.

Oh, and if you still have that ball of butcher’s cord, use it to tie up some clean, good condition warm socks, mittens and win-ter clothing and drop them off at Our Place in Victoria or a thrift shop near your home. Do this in memory of not just our soldiers but also the mums and kids who kept our home fi res burning.

Comments or suggestions for future columns are welcome and may be sent to Michael Rice P.O. Box 86 Saanichton BC V8M 2C3 or via email to [email protected]

ClassifiedsBUSINESS / VIRTUAL ASSISTANT Correspondence; general bookkeeping; faxes; document editing/finishing; office organizing. Business services for small businesses and individuals. 100% Confidential. CHW Inc. 250-886-3975. [email protected]

SAANICH VOLUNTEER SERVICES needs volunteers to visit, drive, garden, or do home repairs for seniors at home. Call Heather at 250-595-8008.

WANTED: OLD POSTCARDS, stamp accumulations, and pre-1950 stamped envelopes. Also buying old coins, medals and badges. Please call Michael 250-652-9412 or email [email protected]

COLLECTOR SEEKING vintage/collectable cameras, binoculars and microscopes. Nikon, Leica, Contax, Rolleiflex, Zeiss, Canon, etc. Mike 250-383-6456 or e-mail: [email protected]

WRITTEN A BOOK? Aldridge Street Editing can get your manuscript print-ready. Transcription - Editing - Cover Design - Book Layout. www.aldridgestreet.com Call 250-595-2376.

CITY HAUL JUNK AND BRUSH REMOVAL will hang lights. Clean gutters, rake leaves, deliver large gifts and Christmas trees. John 250-891-2489.

HOME INSTEAD SENIOR CARE - Would you like a little assistance? Meal preparation, light housekeeping, laundry, shopping, appointments, or respite. We also hire seniors. Call 250-382-6565.

RUTH M.P HAIRSTYLING for Seniors in Greater Victoria. In the convenience of your own home! Certified Hairdresser. Call - 250-893-7082.

GENCARE HOME SUPPORT SERVICES. Companion care, personal care, housekeeping and many more services. Call 250-585-1238. E-mail [email protected]

UP TO $5000 PAID FOR OLD PRE-1970’S GUITARS by Fender, Gibson, Gretsch etc. Estate appraisals undertaken. 30 years experience. Call John Newman 250-537-9197.

WANTED ROOM AND BOARD. Quiet, clean, 40’s male. Will trade chores for lower rent. Or house sitting. Call John 250-891-2489.

HISTORIAN FOR HIRE. I can help you capture your per-sonal or family history and genealogy, for the benefit of your children and grandchildren. In Victoria, 250-477-6989.

2 BDRM FURNISHED CONDO. Close to bus. W/D, F/S, DW, G. Non-smoking, no pets. Available October 1. $975/month. 250-217-8516.

WHAT’S FOR DINNER? now offers delicious healthy sin-gle serving meals. Introductory offer of free delivery. Call 250-298-4346.

LEARN COMPUTER BASICS PRIVATELY AT HOME. Surf the net, email, exchange photos, twitter, pay bills online, contact family and friends. I’m a computer-savvy, senior lady with patience. Connect with the world. Stimulate your

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING $30 for 20 words or less. $1.25 per extra word. BW only. Boxed Ad - Small (2.2 x 1.2) $110. Boxed Ad - Large (2.2 x 2.4) $210. Add BW Logo - $25. Red spot color 10% extra. Plus 5% GST. All Classified ads must be paid at time of booking. Cheque/Credit Card accepted. Ph. (250)479-4705 or toll-free 1-877-479-4705. Deadline: 15th of the month. Make cheque payable to: Senior Living, 153, 1581-H Hillside Ave., Victoria BC V8T 2C1

OCTOBER 2009 39

brain. Macintosh or Microsoft. Hourly fee with mileage. Victoria 250-516-5980.

RJH HAIRSTYLING in the comfort of your home for every-one in your family. Serving the Victoria area. Please call Debi at 250-477-7505.

PERSONALS

ARE YOU LONESOME LIKE I AM? And would like a true friend? I am a nice Christian Senior widow with many inter-ests. Please phone 250-665-6422.

Jim Conlon, PhD, Author, From the Stars to the Streets, Unspoken Hunger for Sacredness and Depth

Nov 25 (7:30 - 9pm)1st Met United, 932 Balmoral Rd, Sponsors

• Programs in Earth Literacies • www.livinglanguageinstitutefoundation.ca

and First Metropolitan United Church. Register www.firstmetvictoria.com, click events.

Tickets at First Met United Church [email protected] (250)220-4601

NOVEMBER 2009 37

ClassifiedsBUSINESS / VIRTUAL ASSISTANT Correspondence; general bookkeeping; faxes; document editing/finishing; office organizing. Business services for small businesses and individuals. 100% Confidential. CHW Inc. 250-886-3975. [email protected]

SAANICH VOLUNTEER SERVICES needs volunteers to visit, drive, garden, or do home repairs for seniors at home. Call Heather at 250-595-8008.

WANTED: OLD POSTCARDS, stamp accumulations, and pre-1950 stamped envelopes. Also buying old coins, medals and badges. Please call Michael 250-652-9412 or email [email protected]

COLLECTOR SEEKING vintage/collectable cameras, binoculars and microscopes. Nikon, Leica, Contax, Rolleiflex, Zeiss, Canon, etc. Mike 250-383-6456 or e-mail: [email protected]

WRITTEN A BOOK? Aldridge Street Editing can get your manuscript print-ready. Transcription - Editing - Cover Design - Book Layout. www.aldridgestreet.com Call 250-595-2376.

CITY HAUL JUNK AND BRUSH REMOVAL will hang lights. Clean gutters, rake leaves, deliver large gifts and Christmas trees. John 250-891-2489.

HOME INSTEAD SENIOR CARE - Would you like a little assistance? Meal preparation, light housekeeping, laundry, shopping, appointments, or respite. We also hire seniors. Call 250-382-6565.

RUTH M.P HAIRSTYLING for Seniors in Greater Victoria. In the convenience of your own home! Certified Hairdresser. Call - 250-893-7082.

GENCARE HOME SUPPORT SERVICES. Companion care, personal care, housekeeping and many more services. Call 250-585-1238. E-mail [email protected]

UP TO $5000 PAID FOR OLD PRE-1970’S GUITARS by Fender, Gibson, Gretsch etc. Estate appraisals undertaken. 30 years experience. Call John Newman 250-537-9197.

WANTED ROOM AND BOARD. Quiet, clean, 40’s male. Will trade chores for lower rent. Or house sitting. Call John 250-891-2489.

HISTORIAN FOR HIRE. I can help you capture your per-sonal or family history and genealogy, for the benefit of your children and grandchildren. In Victoria, 250-477-6989.

2 BDRM FURNISHED CONDO. Close to bus. W/D, F/S, DW, G. Non-smoking, no pets. Available October 1. $975/month. 250-217-8516.

WHAT’S FOR DINNER? now offers delicious healthy sin-gle serving meals. Introductory offer of free delivery. Call 250-298-4346.

LEARN COMPUTER BASICS PRIVATELY AT HOME. Surf the net, email, exchange photos, twitter, pay bills online, contact family and friends. I’m a computer-savvy, senior lady with patience. Connect with the world. Stimulate your

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING $30 for 20 words or less. $1.25 per extra word. BW only. Boxed Ad - Small (2.2 x 1.2) $110. Boxed Ad - Large (2.2 x 2.4) $210. Add BW Logo - $25. Red spot color 10% extra. Plus 5% GST. All Classified ads must be paid at time of booking. Cheque/Credit Card accepted. Ph. (250)479-4705 or toll-free 1-877-479-4705. Deadline: 15th of the month. Make cheque payable to: Senior Living, 153, 1581-H Hillside Ave., Victoria BC V8T 2C1

OCTOBER 2009 39

brain. Macintosh or Microsoft. Hourly fee with mileage. Victoria 250-516-5980.

RJH HAIRSTYLING in the comfort of your home for every-one in your family. Serving the Victoria area. Please call Debi at 250-477-7505.

PERSONALS

ARE YOU LONESOME LIKE I AM? And would like a true friend? I am a nice Christian Senior widow with many inter-ests. Please phone 250-665-6422.

Jim Conlon, PhD, Author, From the Stars to the Streets, Unspoken Hunger for Sacredness and Depth

Nov 25 (7:30 - 9pm)1st Met United, 932 Balmoral Rd, Sponsors

• Programs in Earth Literacies • www.livinglanguageinstitutefoundation.ca

and First Metropolitan United Church. Register www.firstmetvictoria.com, click events.

Tickets at First Met United Church [email protected] (250)220-4601

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Ad size: 4.75"w X 7.25h"Colour: 4 colourPublication: Senior Living (November Issue)Format: PDF 300dpi or EPSE-mail address: TBDDeadline Date: October 9, 2008

1157e_v.1_3 Oct 9, 2008

For questions or concerns regarding this file contact:

Sharon Washington 905 522 8589

[email protected]

38 SENIOR LIVING

LEARN MORE: Look for our article at www.seniorlivingmag.com “Ask A Professional”

Music has been central to George Corwin’s life since childhood and he vividly recalls raising his 10-year-old voice in a performance of St.

Matthew’s Passion.Born in the States, George’s many faceted musical talents

were honed and polished at Ithaca College and, during this period, along with his singing, he performed with orchestras and bands as percussionist and trombonist – emerging as a triple threat.

In the ’60s, he enrolled in the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, N.Y., where his outstanding abilities soon marked him as a candidate for their faculty.

George immigrated to Canada in 1969 and became part of the University of Victoria Music Faculty, until he retired as Professor of Music in 1995. In that capacity, he founded and conducted the University Orchestra together with a fac-ulty/student chamber orchestra and the University Chorus and Chamber Singers. He also presided as artistic director of the Festival Contemporary Music Ensemble for 17 years and,

if that wasn’t enough, he continued to conduct throughout Canada, the U.S. and South East Asia to glowing notices.

He speaks of the influence of such luminaries as Vaughan Williams and Igor Stravinsky, revealing it was advice from Stravinsky that led him on his lifelong quest to truly bring to life each composer’s unique musical voice.

George says his favourite times are when he is studying musical scores – trying to pull each nuance from the notes the composer has written. Each bar and musical phrase holds an important key that unlocks the composer’s voice. One of his favourite quotes is from Mendelssohn: “The meaning of music is too precise for words.”

“But, I am not a creator,” says George, “I am a re-creator. My job is to bring to life the musical words exactly as the composer would have expressed them.” When attending concerts, he takes along the score as he simultaneously reads and emotionally absorbs the music.

The Civic Orchestra of Victoria has been fortunate to have Maestro Corwin at the helm for the past 10 years. This will

BRINGING MUSIC TO LIFE BY ALIXE WALLIS

Phot

o: J

ames

Ham

NOVEMBER 2009 39

SL

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BRINGING MUSIC TO LIFE

“The Mikado in Concert”Saturday Nov. 7th - Victoria High School Theatre Saturday Nov 14th - Duncan Christian Reformed ChurchSunday Nov. l5th - Mary Winspear Centre All performances 2 p.m.Tickets - $25 adults $20 students/seniorsInfo: 250-477-8868 or www.civicorchestraofvictoria.org

be his final season. Orchestra Manager Sally Clarkson says, “As a conductor,

he is both supportive and demanding. What is evident is his commitment to the orchestra, his sense of humour, his pas-sion for what he does and the people with whom he does it.”

While the search is on for a new conductor, the COV, together with the Victoria Gilbert and Sullivan Society, is busy rehearsing for their first concert of the season. With a cast of 50 singers, accompanied by 50 orchestra members, this three-performance concert version of The Mikado “will be a combination of introductory dialogue leading into the universally loved music and lyrics of the famed duo Gilbert and Sullivan and will be a first for Victoria audiences,” says George.

Though he’ll be celebrating 80 years on his next birthday, George says he doesn’t yet feel 60! The enthusiasm and vig-our with which he discusses his lifelong affair with music gives truth to the mantra, “80 is the new 60!”

40 SENIOR LIVING

with Sharon MarchLet’s Paint!

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Senior Living’s 50+ Active Living Celebration is, indeed, about “active living.” This popular annual event, to be held on March 5, 2010, is intended to

showcase the many hobbies, interests and activities that draw participation from the 50+ age demographic.

As this demographic swells with aging baby boomers who are starting to hit their 60s, our society is seeing a compel-ling shift in the activities attracting this group of people. No longer willing to hang up their running shoes in favour of the stereotypical rocking chair – today’s pre-seniors are bringing their interests and passions with them into their senior years and shattering the stereotype of “what is a senior” to pieces.

People once thought past their prime are climbing moun-tains, careening down river rapids, joining cattle drives, jump-ing out of planes, cycling cross-country, cleaning up streams, GPS caching around the world, helping build low income houses, joining teams fi ghting AIDS or hunger in develop-ing countries, and riding motorbikes. These activities barely scrape the surface of what people are doing to stay active and engaged throughout the entirety of their life.

Universities and colleges are experiencing an increase in the number of seniors attending courses, as interested audi-tors or pursuers of a life-long dream to get a degree.

Senior entrepreneurship is also on the rise. Some are start-

ing businesses to generate more cash fl ow, while others are taking the opportunity, with retirement, to start their own business – often something they’ve wanted to do but couldn’t while they were the prime breadwinners of the household.

Cruise lines are cashing in by hosting seminars and work-shops on a variety of themes aboard their luxurious fl oating hotels – why not learn something while you travel between exotic locations?

The organizers of the 50+ Active Living Celebration are looking for individuals and groups willing to demonstrate and share their activities or hobbies with others. If you are a participant in any activity that demonstrates the new lifestyle choices of seniors today, please consider sharing your inter-ests with others at this upcoming March event.

The cost of the exhibition space, provided to individuals and special interest groups over the age of 50, is being under-written by Senior Living with the generous support of local businesses and community sponsors – the only charge is a $25 registration fee per individual or group. Participants will be selected on the basis of how well they match the “active living” theme.

Please contact event planner Jill Stefanyk at McAllister Media 250-380-2299 for an offi cial application form or email [email protected]

Senior Festival – All About Active Living

SL

NOVEMBER 2009 41

November 18th is International COPD Day. This is a chance for people with “Chronic Obstructive Pul-

monary Disease” and those caring for them to make others more aware of the disease. Early diagnosis and treatment is needed to improve the lives of people with this disease.

COPD is a chronic condition of the pulmonary systems (the lungs and large airways called bronchi). It makes breathing diffi cult and includes emphysema and bronchitis, or both. It cannot be cured, is preventable and treatable but not always diagnosed. While fewer people are getting heart disease and stroke, more people are getting COPD. It is now more common in women than men.

It is most common over the age of 40 (unlike asthma). Smokers get it most often (80-90 per cent of patients with COPD). Other people at risk (10-20 per cent) are those who have been exposed to dust, smoke or gases through their work or where they live.

Some of the symptoms include regular coughing, regu-larly producing phlegm, shortness of breath, wheezing dur-ing exertion or at night and frequent, persistent colds.

People who exhibit some or most of these symptoms should talk to their primary health care provider (Nurse Practitioner or Physician). They can order a test called Spirometry, if it is needed.

Treatment is focused on preventing the disease from worsening and can include medications inhaled into the lungs to reduce swelling and open airways to make it easier to breathe. It’s recommended that patients with COPD have a pneumonia vaccine and the infl uenza vaccine yearly.

Community education programs that focus on activity and healthy lifestyle behaviours are available for people living with COPD.

The key is early diagnosis and treatment to maintain fi t-ness and an enjoyable life. Prevention is better – talk to children and grandchildren about the risks of smoking. Be a role model. Quit smoking – the single, most important way to lower the risk of developing COPD.

For more information, contact local Better Breathers Clubs, a Nurse Practitioner or Physician and the Canadian and/or BC Lung Associations.

www.lung.ca/diseases-maladies/copd-mpoc_e.phphttp://victoria.tc.ca/Health/BetterBreathers/www.bc.lung.cawww.health.gov.bc.ca/tobacco/cessation.htmlwww.goldcopd.com/PatientGuide.asp?l1=3&l2=2www.bcnpa.ca

Call 250.756.0799

Proof 2Seniors Living Magazine

RaeLeigh Buchanan 1-877-479-4705 toll freerbuchanan@seniorlivingmagcom

Peace of mind, comfort and securityare just part of daily life at Lakeside Gardens – your private apartment, nutritious meals, weekly house-keeping and caring staff available 24 hours a day.

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SL

Senior Festival – All About Active Living

42 SENIOR LIVING

The year that saw the Duke of Wellington bring the arrogant Napoleon to his knees at the Battle of Wa-terloo in Belgium was the year that witnessed the

birth of Canada’s first Prime Minister. John Alexander Mac-donald, the third of five children born to Hugh Macdonald, an unsuccessful businessman in Glasgow, Scotland, arrived in January 1815.

Five years later, Hugh and his wife, Helen, immigrated to Kingston, Upper Canada in search of a better life. But his business ventures were no more successful in Canada than they had been in Scotland. John was fortunate enough to get some good schooling before he left at the age of 15, but he never went on to university – a decision he always regretted.

While still only 15, he went to Toronto (then called York) to apprentice as a lawyer. He was a voracious reader and a keen student with wide interests, so he had no trouble working under a brilliant and ambitious young lawyer named George Mackenzie. His mentor’s sudden death opened the door for Macdonald to start his own law practice in Kingston and he

in Victoria: 250-475-0105

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Look for our articles at www.seniorlivingmag.com/ask-a-pro

Hawaiian Luau Open HouseNovember 14th � 2 to 4 pm

Come dressed in your Hawaiian attire! Prizes for best costumes

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Lilia’s polynesian dancers & music by Jake Galbraith band

CFAX radio on site

soon rose to the top of his profession. Moving from com-mercial to criminal law brought him into the public eye and his courtroom experiences honed his powers of argument and persuasion that prepared him well for his future political ca-reer. He discovered he could win over a jury with his charm-ing personality, sharp wit and storytelling gifts, far more than by his legal expertise.

Then came the rebellions of 1837. In Lower Canada, the French and English rebels were pitted against the British Colo-nial government. In Upper Canada, William Lyon Mackenzie (the grandfather of future Canadian Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King) spearheaded a violent revolt against the current political powers for economic decline, nepotism, patronage and unfair favouritism of certain religious groups.

When the rebellions were finally quashed, Mackenzie was exiled and a series of sensational trials for treason against the perpetrators began. This gave Macdonald the opportunity to rise to stardom as he successfully battled the causes of eight of the accused, securing their acquittals.

REVISITED Victoria’s Prime MinisterVICTORIA’S PAST

BY NORMAN K. ARCHER

The tale of Sir John A. Macdonald

NOVEMBER 2009 43

»

But then he took an enormous risk when he agreed to ad-vise some American raiders who had stormed over the border with a madcap scheme of liberating Canada from the yoke of British Colonialism. In the skirmish, several Canadian sol-diers had been killed, one of the bodies apparently mutilated and at the ensuing court martial, bitter feelings were running high. Macdonald found himself in an unpopular position. Even his amazing persuasive powers were not enough to save the accused from the gallows. However, the event disturbed him profoundly and was forever seared in his memory, col-ouring some of his policies in later years.

Following a short term as a Kingston alderman, his politi-cal career began when he was elected to the Provincial Legis-lature in 1844, as Conservative Representative for Kingston. His rise to a Cabinet position was soon eclipsed when the Conservatives were not returned to power and, being some-what disenchanted with the leadership, he helped establish a new forward-thinking party, the Liberal-Conservatives. When this party came to power in 1854, Macdonald became Attorney General, then joint Premier.

Macdonald was the driving force that brought together the haphazard, chaotic and disjointed political scene to a consen-sus at Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, resulting fi nally in Confederation on July 1, 1867. The uniting of the two Canadas (Upper and Lower) was of paramount importance to secure the stability of the country on the world stage. He drafted the British North America Act to enshrine the union

For your Personal Demonstration on Vancouver Island contact Bill Walsh

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2590 Bowen Road, Nanaimo DL#30960 (formerlyTOM HARRIS CHEV CADILLAC)

in the statute books. The Conservatives formed the govern-ment and Macdonald became Canada’s fi rst Prime Minister. He was knighted the same day.

He was an extremely active political leader. Throughout his career, he balanced aggressive self-interest groups adroit-ly, often walking a knife-edge, but managed miraculously to keep Canada together during the crucial early years. He en-acted legislation to help the poor and homeless and he intro-duced a welfare system. He bought “Rupert’s Land” (about one-third of Canada) from the Hudson’s Bay Company, he persuaded British Columbia to join Confederation in 1871, he founded the North West Mounted Police (now known as the Royal Canadian Mounted Police) and he laid the initial plans for a trans-continental railway to unite the fl edgling country from coast to coast.

Then the “Pacifi c Scandal” broke. Macdonald was accused of taking bribes for railway contracts and the mud stuck. He was forced to resign in 1873 and the Liberals came to power.

All his life, he was plagued with sickness, unhappiness, grief, debt, drunkenness and a wide range of other personal problems. He quipped, “Fortune has emptied her chamber pot on my head.” He lost his Kingston seat at the next General Election in 1878, but Victoria rose to his defence and accept-ed him as their Conservative Candidate. He was elected with an overwhelming majority and represented Victoria in Parlia-ment for the next four years, serving again as Prime Min-ister. Victorians were delighted that their Member of Parlia-

Victoria’s Prime Minister

44 SENIOR LIVING

100s OF ARTICLESMore than just the Articles you read in our Magazine!

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BUSINESS DIRECTORYFind Senior-focused Businesses in Your Community.www.seniorlivingmag.bc.ca

DISCUSSION FORUMTalk to other Senior Living Readers - pick your own Topic or join a Discussion in progress. www.seniorlivingmag.com/discussion

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AUGUST 2009 VANCOUVER ISLANDSenior Living

Special Housing Edition

TO ORDER a copy...Please mail a cheque for $5.25 ($5 plus GST), along with your name, phone number and address, to Senior Living, 153, 1581-H Hillside Ave., Victoria BC V8T 2C1. We will mail you a copy of this resourceful hous-ing guide upon receipt of payment.

Up-to-date listings of senior housing facilities throughout Vancouver Island, including Independent/Supportive Living, Assisted Living and Complex Care. This guide is an indispensable resource to: • seniors looking for alternative housing • seniors moving to Vancouver Island from other parts of BC or out of province • children of seniors who are assisting their parent to

Listings include addresses and contact information, housing costs, number of units in the housing complex, hospitality services, optional home care services, amenities and security features.

select a housing option • professionals who work with seniors or their families • businesses that provide services to seniors

��

Are you over the age of 50 and involved in

an activity you’d like to share with others?

Contact Jill Stefanyk, Event Manager

McAllister Media250.380.2299

[email protected]

About 50 exhibition spaces are reserved for individuals and groups who best match our theme of Active Living. Apply today to be a part of this exciting event.

A full day of activity and entertainment.

NOVEMBER 2009 45

dian Prime Ministers to die in office.Canada owes an enormous debt of gratitude to Sir John

A. Macdonald, charismatic leader, volatile firebrand, incisive thinker, powerful orator and dynamic personality, rightly de-scribed as the “Father of the Confederation” and “Founder of the Nation.” A 2004 Public Opinion Poll ranked him among the 10 greatest Canadians and while his portrait continues to adorn the $10 bill, he will still be admired – fortune’s chamber pot notwithstanding. SL

Time to winterize.Winterizing protects your irrigation system against freezingand expansion, which can damage piping, fittings, valves and sprinkler heads. Winterize now to keep your system safeand ready to use when the weather warms up!

For more information about winterizing your in-ground or micro/drip system visit www.crd.bc.ca/water or call250.474.9684.

Call today to experience the Beltone difference.

1-800-748-349910 Vancouver Island locations to serve you.

ment was the Prime Minister because they were convinced it meant the promised railway connection to the rest of Canada that was to be their reward for joining Confederation. But it was not to be. During his second term of office, the Canadian Pacific Railway was finally completed after enormous cost overruns, terminating in the new city of Vancouver, much to Victoria’s chagrin.

He dealt firmly with the Louis Riel rebellions that enhanced his popularity with many of the English, but soured his repu-tation with the French, causing him considerable trouble for the rest of his life.

Following one of his bouts of sickness, when he was 34, he took a vacation in England, paid for by his gambling win-nings, where he married his stunningly beautiful first cousin, Isabella Clark. All was well for the first few months, until Isabella developed undiagnosed severe pain. To relieve her symptoms, she drank large quantities of liquid opium and al-cohol and their life together became a nightmare. Their first son, Alexander, was born in 1847, following a particularly agonizing labour. Alexander was the victim of crib death a year later. In 1850, their second son Hugh was born. His fa-ther was never fond of Hugh and his aunt raised him after Isa-bella’s death in 1857. Even when Macdonald had the honour of introducing his son as a new Member of Parliament, the young man received little praise from his father.

Isabella’s protracted illness drove Macdonald into heavy debt and he turned to the bottle for relief, seeking his comfort in bars and lounges. Once, he flooded the podium with vomit during an election debate. His opponent seized the opportuni-ty to shout, “Is this who you want to represent you? A drunk?” Macdonald is said to have replied, “These constituents would rather have a drunk Conservative than a sober Liberal!”

At the age of 52, Macdonald married Susan and their only child, Margaret, suffered from severe physical and mental handicaps.

Strain, overwork, excessive drinking and gallstones took their toll as Macdonald quickly aged. A severe stroke robbed him of his powers of speech and the old warhorse died a week later on June 6, 1891. He was 76. Having held the position for 19 years, he was the first of only two Cana-

Norman Archer is an historical city tour guide in Victoria and the author of Tales of Old Victoria. Contact him at 250-655-1594 or [email protected]

46 SENIOR LIVING

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Live safely and independently in your own homewww.bclifeline.com

Contact the program nearest you. Victoria Lifeline 1-888-832-6073

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Nanaimo Lifeline Program(250)739-5770 or (250)947-8213

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IN THIS DIRECTORY, CALL 250-479-4705

HERITAGE MANOR - DUNCAN(250)748-3488

Monthly rent from $2600 (includes all meals). Laundry, housekeeping, hairdresser, transpor-tation to appointments, bathing, personal care & medications. 24hr RCA on site. Beautiful grounds near Hospital. Family environment.

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Success in advertising isn’t a one shot effort. To get the best results, planning your advertising budget to ex-tend over a year gives you the best bang for your buck.

Senior Living’s Resource Directory provides frequency at a price small businesses can afford. It keeps your company name consistently in front of consumers where they see it

every month.

Call for more info.

NOVEMBER 2009 47

SL

• Companionship • Meal Prep.• Housekeeping • Shopping• Errands • Respite & Personal Care

Live safely and independently in your own homewww.bclifeline.com

Contact the program nearest you. Victoria Lifeline 1-888-832-6073

Eldersafe Support Services1-866-457-8987

South Vancouver Island and Ladysmith

Nanaimo Lifeline Program(250)739-5770 or (250)947-8213

Mid Island, Cassidy to Bowser

Comox Valley Lifeline Society1-866-205-6160

North Island, Cowichan Valleyand Chemainus/Crofton

Moving? Downsizing?We Can Help Get You Moving!

SENIOR RELOCATION SERVICES Free 1 Hour Consultation

(250)240-2816Insured & Bonded

Parksville, Nanaimo and Surrounding Areas

��

��

��

��

� ��

��


RESOURCE DIRECTORYA concise reference guide of services and products offered

by businesses and organizations on Vancouver Island

250-812-0400 www.fourwheelsfreedom.com

Low Overhead Prices from the Island’s only Mobile Showroom

• Service all makes and models • Sales of new and used scooters, powerchairs and walkers • Free in-home demonstration • Road-side assistance • Free service loaners • Financing • Processing secondary insurance claims • Safety orientation seminars

RECEIVE CARE IN THE COMFORT OF HOMEProviding your family with superior live-in & live-out nannies and elderly caregivers

[email protected] • www.platinum-care.com(604)668-5929 • 1-888-308-7971

Resources to maintain an independent lifestyleCompression stockings, diabetic socks, fashionable canes, Dr. Comfort diabetic/orthopaedic shoes, an

excellent book selection, & full prescription services.Feel at home here.

204 - 1530 Cliffe Ave. Courtenay 250.338.5665toll free 1.877.214.6337

��

Support ServicesThe most trusted name in

home health care

• Better Business Bureau A+ rating• Consistent caregivers• RN-supervised staff• Not-for-profit - all proceeds go to improving quality of care

250-385-0444www.eldersafe.com

SHOP LOCAL STORES& SAVE MONEY!

FREE COUPONS from LOCAL STORES that YOU CAN PRINT FROM HOME

visit us online at...

Join our optional online mailing list to learn about the newest coupon deals.

NEW COUPONS ADDED DAILY!

www.CityWideCouponDirectory.com

��

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Affordablelive-in care for seniors

www.internationalnannies.com

250.881.0885

"When home is where you want to be"

LTD

250.590.9521“CALL FOR COMPASSION”

HOME SUPPORTRob Mason (L.P.N.)(250) 590-2432

yCo

mpassion • Caring • Continuit


RESOURCE DIRECTORY

• ECONOMICAL • 12-MONTH EXPOSURE

• TO LIST YOUR BUSINESS

IN THIS DIRECTORY, CALL 250-479-4705

HERITAGE MANOR - DUNCAN(250)748-3488

Monthly rent from $2600 (includes all meals). Laundry, housekeeping, hairdresser, transpor-tation to appointments, bathing, personal care & medications. 24hr RCA on site. Beautiful grounds near Hospital. Family environment.

Are you looking for an economical way to advertise

your product or service?

Success in advertising isn’t a one shot effort. To get the best results, planning your advertising budget to ex-tend over a year gives you the best bang for your buck.

Senior Living’s Resource Directory provides frequency at a price small businesses can afford. It keeps your company name consistently in front of consumers where they see it

every month.

Call for more info.

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Losing a partner is a devastating event and many survivors are

unaware of the benefi ts available to them or how to manage those benefi ts.

FSNA, which now operates as the Federal Association of Federal Em-ployees, is a not-for-profi t organization that assists in protecting these benefi ts and promoting the rights and interests of federal retirees.

More than 168,000 members belong to 85 branches across Canada. Advice is provided for pensioners in various areas, such as estate planning, income tax preparation and interpretation of health and dental benefi ts provided un-der the Public Service Health Care Plan (PSHCP) and the Pensioner’s Dental Service Plan (PDSP).

Recent improvements to these plans were negotiated by the FSNA, and it has assisted in enhancing these benefi ts

in areas such as travel insurance.When necessary, volunteers visit

those retirees hospitalized or house-bound, in order to ensure that the enti-tlements under the various pension and medical programs are being applied for, and received, appropriately.

Local branch volunteers are avail-able to members and, when request-ed, will counsel retirees on programs available to all who qualify.

Those represented are former members and spouses of the Public Service, Canadian Forces, RCMP and federal judiciary receiving pensions or annuities.

To volunteer with these programs, contact your local branch – listed on the FSNA website at www.fsna.com.

Federal employees can enjoy peace of mind when they receive the benefi ts and support they deserve.

CALLING ALL FEDERAL RETIREESNEWS BRIEF

BY AL TULLY, DIRECTOR, FSNA NANAIMO

48 SENIOR LIVING

Refl ections

BY GIPP FORSTER

THEN & NOWTHE COLLECTORS

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Reflections,Reflections,��

and Other Breakfast Foods

A Collection of Published & Unpublished Writings by Senior Living Columnist Gipp ForsterMAGAZINE

Limited Edition

128 pages REDUCED PRICE

$10.00

Name_____________________________________Address___________________________________City______________________________ Prov ____ Postal Code____________ Ph _________________ ____ BOOKS @ $10.00 each = $_________SHIPPING ($3.95 PER BOOK) = $_________ SUBTOTAL = $_________GST (5% on SUBTOTAL) = $_________ TOTAL = $_________

“Reflections” MAIL-IN ORDER FORMReflections, Rejections, and Other Breakfast Foods

by Gipp Forster

Please allow two weeks for shipping.

Make cheque payable to Senior Living MAIL TO: Reflections Book Offer 153, 1581-H Hill-side Ave., Victoria BC V8T 2C1

A collection of Gipp’s humorous and nostalgic columns. A wonder-ful read for yourself, and a thoughtful gift for friends and family members.

I have travelled my three score and 10 years plus and, all in all, life has been very good to me.

My dog no longer growls at me when I come in the door. My grown kids listen to my advice. They don’t fol-low it, but they listen to it. Every now and then, my grandchildren recognize me and ask what I’m doing here. And even though I started with nothing, I still have most of it!

My wife thinks I’m wonderful. It was only yesterday when I had men-tioned one of my accomplishments that she said to me; “Aren’t you Mr. Wonderful!” I don’t need a pacemaker yet, but I still try to keep pace with my maker. My knees may buckle while my belt won’t, but that’s why scooters and liposuction were created!

No matter what happens, I try to keep a positive outlook by saying: “Don’t give up! All is not lost!” Then my wife asks, “If all is not lost, what have I done with it?” I’m not always sure she understands me.

Because of certain ailments, I can no longer cut the grass, but I can still smell it after another cuts it or after a spring rain. Yes sir, all in all, life has been pretty good to me.

My wife and I have many earthly treasures, but when we’re gone, they’ll probably just be junk to someone else. Not all, but some. But it’s been fun collecting them. Wine glasses, three or four sets of dishes. We have fi gurines, Rock-well plates, old Reader’s Digests dating back to the early ’40s, old books, coins, CDs, DVDs and a massive Christmas collection. Add to that, 12 empty tubes of Bengay, but I’m not sure that’s part of a collection.

We have all of Kahil Gibran’s books, some Norman Rockwell books, an Andy Capp collection, a Calvin and Hobbs collection and the list goes on! We even have a collection of Senior Living magazines! My wife says she likes to keep track of the Ask Goldie column, in case I should ever write in. She says she would recognize it if it was me. I don’t write letters much any-more, so I guess she or Goldie won’t have to worry. In fact, I don’t write too much of anything anymore, other than my column and one love poem a year to my wife on her birthday. Now and then, she sends a love poem to me. I think we’re getting closer; she no long-er begins it with: “To whom it may

concern” but actually uses my name! But our most valuable collection is

years. Between the two of us, we have over 140 of them! Not all together, of course, but those that we have spent to-gether are golden and priceless. They’re woven of many things: Tears and laugh-ter, joy and sorrow, seriousness and hu-mour, gain and loss, regret and reward; all the things that make two lives one, and cause us to go on despite the cir-cumstances. We’ll bring that collection with us when we leave this tired old earth. Not much good to anyone else, I guess, but precious to the collectors.

No sir, I guess I won’t complain about the cards life has dealt me. Times and circumstances may not always have been happy, but at no time were they ever dull. Tomorrow is another day, and if I’m here to experience it, I’m going to greet it with a smile! I’m going to run in its valleys and rest by its springs. If the good Lord decides to create a new day for me, then I’m going to rejoice and be glad in it. I’m going to be contemplative and still. My wife just raised her glass of orange juice and said: “Hear, Hear!” Then she got up and left the room. I wonder if it is because I said: “Where? Where?”

Life is good, but it sure can be con-fusing at times. SL

R E T I R E M E N T L I V I N G B Y

enhancing lives.

www.reveraliving.com

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Our residences offer a range of retirement living options tosuit your unique tastes and needs. At Revera, your options may be endless, but your choice is easy.

The Kensington 250-477-12323965 Shelbourne Street, Victoria

Parkwood Court 250-598-15753000 Shelbourne Street, Victoria

Parkwood Place 250-598-15653051 Shelbourne Street, Victoria

Better care for a better life

Home Health Care

Home care designed especially for you

In the Victoria area, please call

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Leave your mark for future generations.

A planned gift to the University of Victoria can create many bright futures. Just ask Geoff Burton, a second year mechanical engineering student. Thanks to an estate-established scholarship, Geoff has the means to pursue his passion.

Your generosity will help ensure that future generations of talented students like Geoff receive a quality education. You can establish a fund in your name, or the name of a loved one, to support any university program you wish. Planned gifts are forever.

Find out how you can create a lasting legacy in your will or estate plan by contacting Natasha Benn, Planned Giving Development Offi cer at 250-721-6001 or by e-mail at [email protected]

“The scholarship I received has given me the fi nancial peace of

mind that I will graduate debt-free without having to work during the school year. It is a wonderful gift I

hope to be able to give back to the community later in my life.”

november 2009 senior living magazine island edition

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