November 2009 Senior Living Magazine Vancouver Edition

PLANNED GIVING EDITION

The Royal Westminster Regiment

Positive Premier

Vancouver’s 50+ Active Lifestyle Magazine

NOVEMBER 2009

Lest We Forget

Gordon Campbell

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NOVEMBER 2009 1

MAGAZINE

NOVEMBER 2009

(Vancouver & Lower Mainland) is published by Stratis Publishing.

Other publications by Stratis Publishing:• Senior Living (Vancouver Island)• Senior Lifestyle: A Housing Guide for Vancouver Island PublisherBarbara RistoEditorBobbie Jo Reid [email protected] MantleAdvertising ManagerBarry Risto 250-479-4705Toll Free [email protected] Sales Staff RaeLeigh Buchanan 250-479-4705 Terry Cushing 250-479-4705Ann Lester 250-390-1805Skip McCarthy 250-896-6678 Mathieu Powell 250-589-7801Contact Information – Head Offi ceSenior Living Box 153, 1581-H Hillside Ave., Victoria BC V8T 2C1Phone 250-479-4705Toll-free 1-877-479-4705Fax 250-479-4808E-mail offi [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 writ-ten permission from the publisher. Senior Living is an indepdendent publication and its articles imply no endoresement 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 Liv-ing Vancouver & Lower Mainland is distributed free in Vancouver, North & West Vancouver, Burnaby, New Westminster, Richmond, Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, Port Moody, Delta, Twawwassen, White Rock, Surrey, Cloverdale and Ladner. ISSN 1911-6373 (Print) ISSN 1991-6381 (Online)

SPECIAL PLANNED GIVING ISSUE

FEATURES 4 A Positive VoiceGetting to know British Columbia’s Premier Gordon Campbell.

8 Don’t Be Snookered by Great Gran’s AgeThe torchbearer at the 2009 Richmond BC Seniors Games picked up her sport at age 65.

12 Scratching the Surface:AustraliaThis vast and fascinating land Down Under could take a lifetime to explore. 18-21 Planned Giving Section18 Charities Need You to Give20 A Generous Spirit21 Charitable Giving Strategies

22 A Classic by the BayThe Sylvia Hotel is an historic building that dates back nearly a century.

24 Lest We ForgetFormer commanding offi cer Herb Hamm of The Royal Westminster Regiment.

30 The InterviewAfter a grueling application process, Julie and Ted Adamson fi nally call Canada home.

DEPARTMENTS26 Classifi eds27 BBB Scam Alert28 Crossword

COLUMNS 2 The Family Caregiver by Barbara Small

3 Forever Young by William Thomas

10 Between Friends by Doreen Barber

29 Ask Goldie by Goldie Carlow

32 Refl ections: Then & Now by Gipp Forster

Cover: B.C.’s third-time Premier Gordon Campbell at Canada Place. Photo: Kevin McKay

Senior Living Vancouver is available at most Recreation Centres and Libraries in the following municipalities:

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November 11Lest We Forget

2 SENIOR LIVING VANCOUVER & LOWER MAINLAND

felt were in the best interest of all con-cerned.

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 feel-ing that way internally. Their comment pushes a button we installed ourselves – so it highlights what we are already feeling. If we change our internal per-ceptions and expectations, 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 caregiv-ers. Guilt seldom achieves any positive outcomes. Next month: Caregiving over the Holidays

THE FAMILY

CAREGIVERReducing Your

Feelings of Guilt

Barbara Small is the Program Devel-opment Coordinator for Family Care-givers’ Network Society located in Vic-toria, BC. www.familycaregiversnetwork.org

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 providing 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 long-er 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 between the way family caregivers are and the way they perceive they should be. They spend time berating

themselves for what they see as fail-ure instead of focusing on the caring and compassion they bring to a fam-ily member’s situation. 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 inappro-priate. Or perhaps guilt comes from helplessness because they can’t do anything about their family member’s illness or disability.

Look beyond the guilt. Caregivers 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 ex-pectations of what we are capable of doing, as well as what we imagine we should be doing. It is important to re-mind ourselves that we are doing the best we can 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

NOVEMBER 2009 3

FOREVER

William Thomas is the author of nine books of hu-mour including Margaret and Me about his wee Irish mother. www.williamthomas.ca

Odd, okay really stupid book titles

BY WILLIAM THOMAS

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I’ve written a number of books with odd titles de-signed to catch the reader’s eye. Guys Not Real Bright And Damn Proud Of It!, Hey! Is That Guy

Dead Or Is He The Skip!?! (Apparently, I should have done a little more research for a book about curling.) The working title on the book about my mother Margaret was: All Humour Needs A Victim And Your Mother Should Come First. (I changed it, not because she didn’t like the title but because, even at the age of 89, she could still re-tain a lawyer.)

I always thought Roseanne Barr’s critical line about men would make for an interesting title for a book. The main title would read: Only A Man Can Read A Map while the subtitle would add: Because Only A Man Can Imagine An Inch Equals Ten Miles.

However, it never occurred to me that a boring book ti-tle could have such universal appeal. Britain’s Bookseller Magazine has just announced the winner of their Book-seller/Diagram Prize for Oddest Book Title of the Year. Beating out four other strange cover headings, this year’s winner is The 2009-2014 World Outlook for 60 Milligram Containers of Fromage Frais. The only way I’d buy this book is if it were printed on pages of fresh cheese, so I could eat it instead of read it.

Close but no cigar, four other odd titles were short-list-ed for the award. The Large Sieve and Its Application fell through the cracks while Techniques for Corrosion Moni-toring made the judges forget all about Watching Paint Dry. Strip and Knit With Style was right up there with Curbside Consultation of the Colon. This may be a fi ne book but, as a rule, I always try to avoid a situation that involves a panhandler asking me to drop my pants.

And by the way, Close But No Cigar would make a very good title for a book detailing the hundreds of times the CIA has tried unsuccessfully to kill Fidel Castro.

Looking down the list of previous winners of Oddest Book Title of the Year is interesting.

The Joy of Chickens sounds similar to The Joy of Sex, that runaway bestseller out many years ago and if it is about sex then it must have been written by a rooster.

Last Chance at Love: Terminal Romances sounds pret-

ty grim. I imagine the bride wore black, the groom wore an IV drip and Father Kevorkian said: “You may now, and quickly, kiss the bride.”

How To Avoid Huge Ships was defi nitely not written by a pirate from Somalia and Reusing Old Graves is no com-fort to someone who was hoping for peace and quiet in the hereafter.

Weeds in a Changing World doesn’t exactly ease the anx-iety of those 200 suitcase nukes being sold and smuggled around the world. Double doses of Miracle-Gro couldn’t make that title appealing.

From the shortest of odd titles Bombproof Your Horse (has to be authored by a roadside riding instructor in Iraq) to the longest People Who Don’t Know They’re Dead: How They Attach Themselves To Unsuspecting Bystanders And What To Do About It. That’s ridiculous! People who are dead but still moving know who they are. Their name tag ends with “Canadian Senator.”

Living With Crazy Buttocks is an intriguing title for a book.

High Performance Stiffened Structures is a book about industrial engineering and no, I will not make a joke about Madonna here.

The most understated title by far is Population and Oth-er Problems issued by China National Publications. Other problems? How about Home Recipes From Several Hun-dred Million Jobless Who Would Like To Wok The Leader Of The Chinese Communist Party Who Got Them Into This Economic Mess. Or, Thank God For Mao And Wal-Mart.

Proceedings Of The Second International Workshop On Nude Mice is probably only of interest to those who attend-ed the fi rst workshop. And they have all been chemically castrated at their own request.

Let’s hope that American Bottom Archeology has nothing to do with man’s prostate and that The Theory of Lengthwise Rolling does not have a photo of Rick Mercer and Pierre Berton on the cover.


A POSITIVE VOICESTORY AND PHOTO

BY KEVIN MCKAY

On May 12, 2009, Gordon Campbell was elected as Premier of British Colum-

bia for the third time, following vic-tories in 2001 and 2005. This made Campbell 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 contend-ed in, and in addition to his historic third term as premier 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 en-visioned 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 col-

lege 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 brothers 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 recalls. “She took care of the four of us and though she had family in Montreal, she decid-ed 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, including 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 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 Col-lege in New Hampshire was anything but direct. “I applied there because friends of friends of my father were playing bridge with my girlfriends par-ents and they were talking about uni-versities. One of them decided to send me the Dartmouth calendar.”

That summer, Gordon took a sum-mer 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 beauti-ful steepled library. I fell in love with it and figured there is nothing wrong with applying.”

NOVEMBER 2009 5»

A POSITIVE VOICE

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He was soon accepted at McGill but put on the waiting list for Dartmouth. Gordon’s uncle asked a friend, a Dart-mouth 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 avail-able for Canadians. “So this guy, who I have never met to this day, decided he was going to call around to the Canadi-an 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, even-tually graduating with a Bachelor 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 Eng-lish. That’s what I liked.”

With a degree in his pocket, Gor-don 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 vital roles in shap-ing 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 Nigeri-an town called Yola, which is located near the border between Nigeria and Cameroon. Gordon worked at the gov-ernment 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


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traditional mud home with plaster on the outside walls and a large veran-dah overlooking either the sand or the river, depending on the season. It was spectacular but they felt it wasn’t ap-propriate 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.”

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 get-ting my students to understand Mark

Anthony’s speech in Julius Caesar, the one that goes, ‘Friends, Romans, coun-trymen, lend me your ear’, and why it was such a moving 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, ‘Litera-ture is too too interesting!’ It was one of my great teaching moments. You know when the class doesn’t move when the bell goes you’re doing okay.”

Though the couple didn’t travel out-

side 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 work-ing for Alderman Art Phillips, who was preparing to make a bid to run for mayor. Gordon applied and was ac-cepted into law school at UBC.

That September, after only four days of classes, he had a revelation. “I re-member 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 work-ing 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 elec-tion and Gordon spent the next four years as his assistant, while Nancy ob-tained her teaching degree and started working in the Vancouver school dis-trict. 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 Mara-thon Realty and took classes at SFU in the evening, which earned him an MBA in 1978. Three years later, in 1981, he founded Citycore Development Corpo-ration, 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

NOVEMBER 2009 7

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thought this was crazy. This is a great city and someone should be a positive voice,” he says. “When I decided to run, no one thought I could do it, but I was fortunate enough to get elected. I decided 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 clarified and go back to my business, and if I won, I could get my life clarified 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 the deeper into the ’90s we got, the more I could feel British Columbians getting down on themselves,” he says. “I remembered they used to have a kind of swagger, 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 Wilson decided he was go-ing to have a leadership 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 appointments, 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. Almost 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 interesting 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 subsequently made more time for his children while they were growing up. It was a hard lesson, but an important one.


Norma Spencer, as the oldest participant in the 2009 Rich-mond BC Seniors Games,

was bestowed the honour of torchbearer to light the cauldron at the Opening Ceremony in the Olympic Oval. The Games, which took place in September, was the largest sports event ever held in the city, drawing over 3,800 athletes participating in 29 sports.

To the strains of Chariots of Fire and in the company of MLA Rob Howard, Norma walked across the stage area of the crowded arena with the torch in one hand and a cane in the other. She ap-peared to be fragile, although her smil-ing eyes held a high-spirited twinkle.

This 95-year-old great-grandma snooker player extraordinaire looked anything but frail at the tournament the next morning. Her cane hung idly on the back of a chair. Norma circled

the table scrutinizing each shot, sink-ing ball after ball until she won gold in the Women’s 75+ age category.

“I only started [playing] at age of 65,” she says. “I was a volunteer mak-ing sandwiches at a snooker match in a seniors centre. Some of the players called me over to try out a few shots. I was hooked, but never took the game seriously until 2000.”

Since Norma became “serious” about playing snooker, she’s racked up a number of Seniors Games wins. These include: Gold in Kelowna 2000, Silver in Surrey 2001, Silver in Prince George 2002, Silver in Chilliwack 2003, Bronze in Penticton 2004, Bronze in Cowichan 2005, Bronze in Abbotsford 2006, Gold in Nanaimo 2007, (she missed the Games in Prince George in 2008) and Gold at this year’s Games.

Norma was always sports minded.

Long before entering snooker tourna-ments, one of her favourite excursions was as a volunteer and spectator at the BC Seniors Games, since their incep-tion in 1988.

Born and raised on a farm near the hamlet of Crane Valley, Saskatchewan, physical activity and sports were a part of everyday life. Norma and her broth-er walked or rode horseback to a school either two-and-a-half miles [4 km] or four miles [6.4 km] away (depending on which school the lone teacher, cov-ering an extensive rural area, was sta-tioned at). During her school years, she zeroed in on softball, and some of her most memorable times were travelling to challenge other girl’s teams in the surrounding villages and towns.

In her late teens, while kicking her heels up at a country dance, she met a suave, good-looking fellow named

Don’t be Snookered by Great-Gran’s Age

BY IRENE BUTLER

Phot

o: R

ick

Butle

r

NOVEMBER 2009 9

Don’t be Snookered by Great-Gran’s Age

Henry Spencer from the big town of Dunkirk (at least big compared to Crane Valley). She later exchanged vows with Henry in the living room of the same house where she was born and raised. The newlyweds moved to Expanse, a town at the end of the CPR line where Henry worked in the salt mine (now a ghost town with a com-memorative plaque attached to a siz-able rock, and the shell of the old post office and school).

When their two prairie-born sons were still preschoolers the Spencers moved to North Vancouver, where Henry first worked at the shipyards, and later became a welder, while Norma added to the family income as a post office/drug store clerk. Her sports of choice during this time were bowling and swimming. They spent holidays camping, boating and fishing. After Henry retired in 1974, the cou-ple fished for salmon off their 30-foot [9.1 m] boat in the Pacific, and spun around Canada and the U.S. in their truck camper. In 1991, they moved to Burnaby, where Norma still lives; her soulmate Henry passed on in 1999.

Lawrence, Norma’s eldest son (aged 73) and his wife Barbara were at the snooker tournament cheering Mom on. They gave Norma two grandchildren, who in turn blessed Norma with five great-grandchildren. When her son Gary (70) married Fern, her three chil-dren from a previous marriage were lovingly added to Norma’s fold.

Great-Grandma Norma believes keeping active and having fun are keys to longevity. She hops a Handy-Dart van en route to the Dogwood Pavilion Senior Centre in Coquitlam twice a week to keep her snooker game fine-tuned. She swims most mornings in the pool of her apartment complex. “My future plans are to keep busy and enjoy life with my family and friends, and,” she gleefully adds, “win more snooker tournaments.”

To read more about the Senior Games, visit www.seniorlivingmag.com/bc-seniors-games-2009

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and scrutinizing our speech can result in a re-alignment of our thought processes.

“Our life is what our thoughts make it.” –Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius

Listening closely to our conversation, and that of others, can reveal a lot about the direction our lives are taking. Ex-cuses can reveal the bulk of what is not being said, and we can live so closely to half-truths that we do not consciously evaluate their impact on our lives.

Stop. And listen.

“Contemplation is the highest form of activity.” –Aristotle

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APRIL 2009

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GARDENING TIPS FOR APRIL(POST WINTER)

Herbal Remedies For Anxiety

COOL WEBSITES TO VISIT

YOUR HEALTH - Herbal Remedies For Anxiety And StressThis has something on wellness, health, may be pharma-ceuticals, cosmetics, herbal options, etc. Put article on website to track[READ MORE]

HOME REPAIRS (POST-WINTER)We will do a section that’s related to home renovations, repairs, etc. Handyman tips, etc. We will put these articles on our website to track them.[READ MORE]

HOW FULL IS YOUR LIFE?This is an inspirational, motivational article designed to be uplifting but thoughtful at the same time. We will put this article on our website to track it.[READ MORE]

YOU’LL WANNA SEE THIS!Something really extraordinary -- like the sand on the ocean, or this month, a car that plunges over an embank-ment in Arizona missing a drop into a ravine by inches.[READ MORE]

COOL WEBSITES TO VISIT (in addition to ours!)Will find interesting places readers can go on the web -- starting with www.iserenity.com and www.howisitmade.com

A CHANCE TO WIN ANDRE RIEU CD OR DVDNo entry necessary - this month every newsletter recipi-ent will be entered in the draw for several CDs and DVDs. More details about prizes. Draw date: April 15/09

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A FRESH LOOK to our Readers Newsletter. Tell us what you think...

“ASK A PROFESSIONAL”

RECIPE OF THE MONTHGARDEN TIPS FOR APRIL

ASK A PROFESSIONAL

New articles posted this month:

Article 1 by Advertiser AArticle 2 by Advertiser BArticle 3 by Advertiser CArticle 4 by Advertiser D

WELCOME NEW ADVERTISERES

We welcome these new businesses to Senior Living. It’s because of their sup-port that we can bring you this maga-zine every month. We encourage you, the reader, to let them know through YOUR patronage of their business that you appreciate them as well.

Advertiser AAdvertiser BAdvertiser CAdvertiser D

TITLEThis will be something inspirational, like the Tiger Woods blurb on the Business Newsletter. Blah, Blah, blah....And that’s how I look at my life. I will be better as a golfer, I will be better as a person, I will be better as a father, I will be a better husband, I will be better as a friend. That’s the beauty of tomorrow. There is no such thing as a setback. The lessons I learn today I will ap-ply tomorrow, and I will be better.” -Tiger Woods

TITLEAnother inspiring blurb....personal growth, etc. “If you think of the story of David and Goliath, Goliath is the problem you have currently in front of you. David needed only one slingshot and felled his problem. Then he got to go onto other problems. The point is that each one of us needs to focus that magnifying glass of attention on one specific thing, solve it, then go to the next thing.” - Mark Victor Hansen

My intention is to live forever. So far, so good!

QUICK LINKS APRIL ISSUE BUSINESS DIRECTORY EVENTS BOOKSTORE ASK A PROFESSIONAL SPEAK OUT COMPUTER TUTOR

��Newsletter for Senior Living Readers

APRIL 2009

��

GARDENING TIPS FOR APRIL(POST WINTER)

Herbal Remedies For Anxiety

COOL WEBSITES TO VISIT

YOUR HEALTH - Herbal Remedies For Anxiety And StressThis has something on wellness, health, may be pharma-ceuticals, cosmetics, herbal options, etc. Put article on website to track[READ MORE]

HOME REPAIRS (POST-WINTER)We will do a section that’s related to home renovations, repairs, etc. Handyman tips, etc. We will put these articles on our website to track them.[READ MORE]

HOW FULL IS YOUR LIFE?This is an inspirational, motivational article designed to be uplifting but thoughtful at the same time. We will put this article on our website to track it.[READ MORE]

YOU’LL WANNA SEE THIS!Something really extraordinary -- like the sand on the ocean, or this month, a car that plunges over an embank-ment in Arizona missing a drop into a ravine by inches.[READ MORE]

COOL WEBSITES TO VISIT (in addition to ours!)Will find interesting places readers can go on the web -- starting with www.iserenity.com and www.howisitmade.com

A CHANCE TO WIN ANDRE RIEU CD OR DVDNo entry necessary - this month every newsletter recipi-ent will be entered in the draw for several CDs and DVDs. More details about prizes. Draw date: April 15/09

TRAVEL ARTICLEWe have an article to put in this issue - RB [READ MORE]

Designed to Inspire, Entertain and Inform.

ADVERTISE HERESize??

ADVERTISE HERE

Size??

FREE LAUGHS

Can write a joke here.

Can we put a link to a pop-up cartoon (pdf), or a link to a funny video on our website?

SUDOKU OF THE MONTH

WEBSITE EXPANSIONThis month you will see some inter-esting INTERACTIVE additions to our website. We will be adding an EVENTS section, where the com-munity can post information about upcoming events. We will also be adding a “social” component called “SPEAK OUT” where visitors can post articles and comments.

A FRESH LOOK to our Readers Newsletter. Tell us what you think...


RECIPE OF THE MONTHGARDEN TIPS FOR APRIL

ASK A PROFESSIONAL

New articles posted this month:

Article 1 by Advertiser AArticle 2 by Advertiser BArticle 3 by Advertiser CArticle 4 by Advertiser D

WELCOME NEW ADVERTISERES

We welcome these new businesses to Senior Living. It’s because of their sup-port that we can bring you this maga-zine every month. We encourage you, the reader, to let them know through YOUR patronage of their business that you appreciate them as well.

Advertiser AAdvertiser BAdvertiser CAdvertiser D

TITLEThis will be something inspirational, like the Tiger Woods blurb on the Business Newsletter. Blah, Blah, blah....And that’s how I look at my life. I will be better as a golfer, I will be better as a person, I will be better as a father, I will be a better husband, I will be better as a friend. That’s the beauty of tomorrow. There is no such thing as a setback. The lessons I learn today I will ap-ply tomorrow, and I will be better.” -Tiger Woods

TITLEAnother inspiring blurb....personal growth, etc. “If you think of the story of David and Goliath, Goliath is the problem you have currently in front of you. David needed only one slingshot and felled his problem. Then he got to go onto other problems. The point is that each one of us needs to focus that magnifying glass of attention on one specific thing, solve it, then go to the next thing.” - Mark Victor Hansen

My intention is to live forever. So far, so good!

QUICK LINKS APRIL ISSUE BUSINESS DIRECTORY EVENTS BOOKSTORE ASK A PROFESSIONAL SPEAK OUT COMPUTER TUTOR

Between FriendsEXCUSES

SL

BY DOREEN BARBER

“Can You Have Teeth in a Day?” “A Look Inside ‘Salon Revive’”

“How to Buy a Walk In Bathtub” “Suffering From the Winter Blues? Try a

Happy Light®!” “Beware of the “Clawback: How to keep more of

your retirement income for yourself” “Does Aging Mean You Need to Move?

5 Key Questions to Ask” “Who is Bestway Tours & Safaris?” “Why a River Cruise in Europe?”

Do you have questions?ASK A PROFESSIONAL

Professionals answer questions about health, retirement, finances, housing, travel, and more...

www.seniorlivingmag.com/ask-a-pro

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“I’m too busy.” “I’m too old.” Do these words sound familiar? If so, how many times this week have you used or heard them? What if

the “I’m too busy” was replaced with “I intend to take time for myself to live the life I came here to live, and to do it without ignoring my responsibilities as a parent, spouse or employee.” –Dr. Wayne Dyer

I am referring to the excuses that are a refl ection of our inner truth or deep personal consciousness.

Repeating excuses is likely an old habit utilized as chil-dren and carried into adulthood. These short sayings can hold us to beliefs that we should have outgrown and exam-ined much earlier in life. They became our truth without our questioning their validity.

A common excuse is “I can’t change, I am the way that I am.” The truth is that we have the power of choice. We can change what we have come to believe about ourselves. Becoming aware of our declarations, analyzing each idea,

NOVEMBER 2009 11

Between Friends

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NUDE ON A FENCEby Eliza HemingwayFourteen short stories about people in compromising situations similar to being caught nude on a fence. Some are humorous, others poignant. 269 pages. Price $17.95

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GIPP FORSTER’S COLLECTED RAMBLINGSby Gipp ForsterA collage of over 150 anecdotes and insightful ruminations on life’s experiences, first aired on C-FAX radio, now provided in print format for your reading enjoyment. 188 pages. Price $10.00

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REFLECTIONS, REJECTIONS AND OTHER BREAKFAST FOODSby Gipp ForsterA collection of Gipp Forster’s published columns in Senior Living magazine, with other unpublished writings thrown in for good measure.Price $10

TO MOVE OR NOT TO MOVE?A Helpful Residential Options Guide for Seniors If you are a senior who has been wondering lately whether you should consider moving - then this is the book that can help you ask the right questions and

MY PATCHWORK LIFEby Patricia O’ConnorAfter training as a fashion model in Dublin Patricia O’Connor trav-elled Europe and the US, working for many top designers, then several years as a popular TV presenter, followed by a career as a stockbroker and real estate agent.182 pages. Price $14.95

THE SEARCH FOR JACQUELINEBy Patricia O’ConnorThe search for the truth behind the reported death of the mother of top model Annie O’Hanlon. Annie receives an ur-gent call from journalist Dermot Moore who believes her mother Jacqueline is still alive. Price $23.95

THE SPOILS OF ANGEL’S WARby Dave SheedThe story unfolds in England at the beginning of WWII. Angela Gibson, affectionately known as Angel, finds out that it isn’t always the plans that we make for our life, sometimes it’s the plans that life makes for us that determines the course of our life. 144 pages. Price $20.00

EMBRACE THE JOURNEY - A Care Giver’s Story by Valerie Green The very personal story of her own journey as a care giver to her elderly parents. Relevant for numerous adult children who are faced with a similar challenge. 96 pages. Price $14.95

IDENTITY THEFT: In Your Good Name by George GreenwoodOne in four Canadians has been directly affected or knows someone who has been a victim of identity theft. The best prevention is to be aware of the problem and how it is carried out. 173 pages. Price $26.95

RED TOMATOESby Les MacNeillIn 2001, a brutal attack while sailing the South Pacific, left Les MacNeill with 8 skull fractures, severe brain trauma, and a ruptured eye. Although not expected to live, he wrote this story of the trip, his recovery, and how he lives with his injuries. 100 pages. Price $14.95

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find the solution that is right for you. Maybe you find the maintenance of your current home more difficult due to diminishing ability or energy, or you simply want a lifestyle that allows you more freedom and less responsibility. Easy to read in-formation and suggestions to help you understand the decisions that need to be made and some of the solutions possible. Published by Senior Liv-ing. 128 pages.Price $9.95

THE SUNSET WATCHER by Barry ProudPeter is devastated when he learns of his half-brother’s murder in Colombia, but is determined to seek out those who knew him and learn the context of his last days. Peter’s experience as a bright

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Australia In 1787, the first fleet

left Portsmouth, England with its

load of convict passen-gers bound for what is now called Australia. Cap-tain Arthur Phillip aboard HMS Sirius was not taken with Botany Bay and went on to find one of the finest harbours in the world, in which a thousand sail of the line might ride in per-fect security the finest har-bour in the world, a place now simply called Sydney. Their journey of over eight months con-trasts sharply with our direct 15-hour 25-minute Vancouver to Sydney flight, which after a few movies, meals and snoozes deposited us on the other side of the world.

We’d booked the flight, four days stay in Sydney, New South Wales, and had tickets to a performance at the Sydney Opera House, and that was it. The plan was to spend four days in Sydney and then figure out where to go for the remainder of our three-week visit. The land Down Under offers an endless variety of travel experiences but, with the help of a local travel pro-fessional, we decided to visit the Great Barrier Reef and then the wet tropical rainforest area.

It was autumn in Australia and al-though leaves were swirling underfoot, the weather was spring/summer warm to us, and less packed with visitors. Dark-ness comes by early evening, so we started each day promptly and explored the city by foot, ferry, rail and bus. Ho-telled near historic Hyde Park with its Archibald Fountain, mature trees, grand walkways and Art Deco Anzac Memo-

rial our walking routes took us past many notable historic buildings and we gradually became immersed in the es-sence of the city. First off was a three-hour boat tour of the harbour, with its 254 km of shoreline and 54 sq km of water, to better orient ourselves. Hav-ing viewed such destinations as the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the vibrant Darling Harbour area and the Rocks from the water, we set off to visit them by foot making good use of the many walkways, which provide an endlessly changing panorama of stunning views of the city and harbour.

The iconic Sydney Opera House is an obvious must-see destination and we had tickets to a concert on a Sunday afternoon. At inter-mission, midst a very mov-ing performance of music by Mozart performed by full orchestra and com-plete with 300-voice choir, we sipped bubbly while standing in the up-per lounge overlooking the magnificent harbour.

With its historic bridge, myriad sailboats, fer-ries and other watercraft on sun sparkled water against a backdrop of deep blue sky it was one of those unforgettable magic moments.

No short travel article could do justice to the variety of delights that Sydney offers from the readily available incred-ible array of interna-tional cuisine to the 19th century Queen Victoria

Building (QVB). This remarkable site occupies a whole city block, with its centre dome, magnificent stained glass and superb shops, to the 30-hectare Royal Botanic Gardens, which embrac-es Farm Cove, to its 37 sandy beaches. There’s no lack of information on this clean, modern, historic and fascinating city, though even combined they likely only scratch the surface.

Flying direct from Sydney to Hamil-ton Island in Queenslands Whitsunday Islands, the temperature notched up a few degrees and now, to us, it was hot summer weather. Beaches, boats, bril-

liantly coloured birds, palm trees,

BY ENISE OLDING

Scratching the Surface:

Sunset Hamilton Island, Whitsunday Islands, Queensland

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One of the Sydney Opera House lounges overlooking the harbour and the bridge.

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NOVEMBER 2009 13»

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swimming pools, shuttle buses and won-derful food choices gave us the perfect spot for some R & R. But it was to the Great Barrier Reef that we were drawn, and a full day was needed.

Aboard the FantaSea high-speed cata-maran, we cruised through the Whitsun-day Islands to the Coral Sea, receiving snorkelling information and scuba expe-rience options, had one-on-one discus-sions with marine biologists as to what to expect upon arrival and what proto-col is required when at the reef and saw fi lmed footage of the area. But the actual experience surpassed even what we were anticipating after all that orientation. We rode in the semi-sub accompanied by a marine biologist who explained what it was we were seeing, we viewed the scu-ba diving lesson from the underwater ob-servatory and we indulged in a sumptu-ous lunch. But, snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef was the best experience.

Not knowing a single soul on the entire continent was a good thing, as we had to clad ourselves in stinger suits before going into the water. These lightweight, form clinging body suits with hoods and mitts offer protection against jelly fi sh and, in particular, the minute but deadly Irukandji. Looking alarmingly like a lumpy uncooked sau-sage in an insipidly pale pink number, I joined my aqua-clad husband and, once we’d gotten over laughing at appear-ance we entered the marvellous world of the reef.

We participated in sailing the 60-foot [18.3 m] former racing yacht Banjo Pa-terson a few days later as we headed out to the seven-kilometre white silica sand Whitehaven beach on Whitsunday Island. Unspoiled and quiet, this ribbon of beach with its crystal clear water and lush foliage is considered one of the top 10 beaches in the world. Beyond ideal, it is a place to simply be, wander slowly and marvel.

The marine biologist on board pre-pared us for more snorkelling at Chalk-ies Beach with its fringing reef and soft corals (this time in more fi gure fl attering neoprene suits). This is where we hov-ered over a turtle watching it munch un-

Scratching the Surface:


perturbed on bottom grasses and explored the corals.

Well fed, full of satisfaction at the wonders of this beauti-ful area and sailing gently back to the mainland, we learned about the real AB Banjo Paterson (1864-1941). He was the famous bush poet who penned Clancy of the Overflow and Waltzing Matilda. His image appears on the Australian $10 bill against the copy protection micro printing background of the words from The Man from Snowy River.

Once on the mainland and in a rental car, we head north to Cairns. Acres of sugar cane, banana plantations, cane train tracks and trucks, and towns rest in heat and humid-

ity seemingly unchanged since the 1950s. Off the main road, we headed into small communities meeting friendly and wel-coming people like those in Babinda, Queensland who told us theirs was the wettest town on earth, and to be sure to take the crocodile warnings seriously. We visited lonely beaches and, indeed, the further north we went, the bigger and more detailed beach notices became – crocodile warnings, stinger warnings, and cassowary warnings. We didn’t see anyone swimming, but we noticed the stinger nets at popular swim sites, and we never did see the legendary monstrously large cassowary bird.

Sister city to Sidney, B.C., Cairns is the gateway to tropi-cal Queensland and from here we headed into the wet tropi-cal rainforests. An unforgettably long day with our guide

Wayne took us into The Daintree and to Cape Tribulation, the only place in the world where the rainforest meets the reef. Meandering up the Daintree River, our guide pointed out crocodiles basking on the mudflats, snakes coiled in tree branches and a baby croc resting on an overhanging branch. A five-metre-long ancient male croc swam eerily along the bank and a later boat reported that he headed to that branch, knocked off the baby croc and then ate it. Thus, we learned a little more about the habits of crocodiles.

Interpretive walks through deeply shaded and densely

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Rainbow Lorikeets

The author on the white-silica sands of “Whitehaven Beach” on the eastern side of uninhabited Whitsunday Island.

NOVEMBER 2009 15

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wooded areas revealed the secrets of the vines, canopies and life within the rain-forests. Showing us an idiot fruit, Wayne explains that it comes from an ancient flowering tree native to The Daintree for 120 million years, the Ribbonwood or Id-iospermum Australiense.

We ended the day hot, sweaty, en-tranced and humbled at the ancient nature we’d experienced at Cape Tribulation, our furthest point north on this trip. Back along the winding coast road, past the magnificent northern beaches, we headed back into Cairns for a day of recovery be-fore making our way to Kuranda, a vil-lage in the rainforest 300 metres above sea level.

Taking the seven-and-a-half-kilometre Skyrail gondola journey up over the for-est, we could now see the forest canopy we have been viewing from the ground on our tour with Wayne the day before and appreciated it even more. A former hippy refuge, Kuranda is now a tourist haven with shops, restaurants, a bird-world, koala gardens and butterfly sanc-tuary. We headed away from the hubbub and were rewarded by finding a winding street, which evoked the 1960s and lead us to a drumming circle. A variety of mu-sicians with an array of instruments were engaged in one of their impromptu musi-cal gatherings.

We also found Jimmy Boongar Ed-wards in his rambling studio eagerly chat-ting with people about his art and what it represented. Having learned from his grandparents about the bush and his tribal peoples, he’s spent most of his life paint-ing the stories that were told to him.

Built for the gold rush, the historic Kuranda Scenic Railway with its heritage carriages took us back to Cairns through the Barron Gorge by way of 15 tunnels, around 93 curves, alongside waterfalls and over bridges.

A flight to Sydney, then another to Vancouver and we arrive amazingly the same time we left (due to the interna-tional date line) with a strong hanker-ing to return to Australia. We had, like many of the guidebooks, just scratched the surface of what that great land Down Under has to offer. SL


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COQUITLAMBREAD GARDENCHIMO POOL & SOCIAL REC CENTRE COQUITLAM CITY CENTRE LIBRARYCOQUITLAM LIBRARYDOGWOOD PAVILIONDUFFERIN SENIORS CENTREGLEN PINE PAVILIONMEDICHAIRPARKWOOD MANORPOIRIER COMMUNITY CENTREPARK & RIDERESIDENCES AT BELVEDERESHOPPERS DRUG MARTSUPER VALU DELTADELTA HOSPITALGEORGE MACKIE LIBRARYINSIDE RACK - RICKY’SKENNEDY SENIOR’S REC CENTREKINSMEN ASSISTED LIVINGLADNER COMM CENTRELADNER PIONEER LIBRARYLADNER PUBLIC HEALTH UNITMCKEE SENIORS RECREATION CENTRENORTH DELTA REC CENTRENURSE NEXT DOORPINEWOOD LEISURE REC CENTRESOUTH DELTA LIBRARYSOUTH DELTA RECREATION CENTRESUN GOD RECREATION CENTRETHE WATERFORDWINSKILL AQUATIC CENTRE FORT LANGLEYFORT LANGLEY LIBRARYIGA LANGLEYALDERGROVE MALLBROOKSWOOD LIBRARYDOUGLAS REC CENTREHARRISON LANDINGLANGLEY LIBRARYLANGLEY SENIORS CENTRELANGLEY SENIORS VILLAGELIFEMARK HEALTH CENTREMAGNOLIA GARDENSMARKET PLACE IGAMAIN SPOT NEWSTHE RENAISSANCE RETIREMENT RESORTTIMMS COMMUNITY CENTREWALNUT GROVE COMM CENTREWALNUT GROVE LIBRARY MAPLE RIDGEMAPLE RIDGE HOSPITALMAPLE RIDGE LEISURE CENTREMAPLE RIDGE LIBRARY

NEW WESTMINSTER22ND ST SKYTRAIN STNBRAID SKYTRAIN STATIONCARE POINT MEDICAL CENTRECENTENNIAL COMMUNITY CENTERCNTR OF INTEGRATION FOR AFRICAN IMMIGRANTSCENTURY HOUSECOLUMBIA ST STNEDWARD JONESHYACK HOUSENEW WESTMINISTER QUAYNEW WESTMINSTER LIBRARYNEW WESTMINSTER SKY TRAIN STNQUEENBOROUGH COMMUNITY CENTERROYAL COLUMBIAN HOSPITAL NORTH VANCOUVERCAPILANO LIBRARYCHURCHILL HOUSEEVERGREEN HOUSING ADMINISTRATIONKIWANIS LYNN MANORKIWANIS TOWERSLION’S GATE HOSPITALLONSDALE QUAYLONSDALE QUAY BUS LOOPLYNN VALLEY MEDICAL CLINICMEDICAL CLINIC - 1940 LONSDALE AVEMOUNT SEYMOUR MEDICAL CLINICNORTH SHORE COMMUNITY RESOURCESNORTH SHORE NEIGHBOURHOOD HOUSENORTH VANCOUVER CITY LIBRARYNUTRITION HOUSEPARKGATE LIBRARYPEMBERTON & MARINE MEDICAL CLINICQUEENSDALE MARKETSILVER HARBOUR MANORSUPER VALUTHE SUMMERHILLWAL MARTWESTVIEW MEDICAL CLINIC PITT MEADOWSPITT MEADOWS LIBRARYPITT MEADOWS REC CENTRESHOPPER DRUG MART PORT COQUITLAMAMICA AT MAYFAIRTERRY FOX LIBRARYWILSON REC CENTRE PORT MOODYEAGLE RIDGE HOSPITALPORT MOODY COMM SERVICESPORT MOODY LIBRARYPORT MOODY SOCIAL REC CENTRE

RICHMONDBRIGHOUSE LIBRARYBUS STOP - 6390 #3 RDCAMBIE COMMUNITY CENTRECAMBIE PUBLIC LIBRARYGARDEN CITY MED CLINICHAMILTON COMMUNITY CENTREIRONWOOD LIBRARYLANG CENTREMINORU AQUATIC CENTREMINORU ARENAMINORU SENIORS CENTRERICHMOND ADDICTION SERVICESRICHMOND CENTRE FOR DIS-ABILITYSEAFAIR MEDICAL CLINICSHOPPERS DRUG MARTSOUTH ARM COMMUNITY CENTRESTEVESTON COMMUNITY CENTRETHOMPSON COMMUNITY CENTREVOLUNTEER RICHMOND INFO SERVWEST RICHMOND COMMUNITY CTR SURREYAQUATIC CENTREARBOURSIDE COURTBUENA VISTA LIBRARYBUY RITE FOODSCHOICES MARKETCLOVERDALE LIBRARYCLOVERDALE REC CENTREFLEETWOOD COMMUNITY CENTREFLEETWOOD LIBRARYGATEWAY SKYTRAIN STNGUILDFORD PUBLIC LIBRARYGUILDFORD SENIORS VILLAGEIMPERIAL PLACEKENT SENIOR ACTIVITY CENTREKING GEORGE SKYTRAIN STNKIWANIS PARK PLACELIFEMARK PHYSIOTHERAPYMEDICHAIRNEWTON ARENA NEWTON GENERAL STORENEWTON LIBRARYNEWTON WAVE POOLN SURREY REC CENTREOCEAN PARK LIBRARYPEACE ARCH MEMORAIL HOSPITALPHARMASAVE 10654 KING GEORGEPHARMASAVE 9558 - 120TH STPHARMASAVE 15280 - 101ST AVEROSEMARY HEIGHTS SENIORS VILLSAVE ON SCOOTERSSCOTT RD SKYTRAIN STN (N)SCOTT RD SKYTRAIN STN (S)SEMIAHMOO PUBLIC LIBRARYSHOPPERS DRUG MARTSHOPPERS HOME HEALTHSOUTH SURREY ARENA

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NOVEMBER 2009 17

SOUTH SURREY INDOOR POOLSOUTH SURREY REC CENTRESTRAWBERRY HILL LIBRARYSUNRISE PAVILLION SURREY GARDENS / SURREY VILLSURREY MEMORIAL HOSPITAL SURREY CENTRAL SKYTRAIN STNTHE CHEMISTS PHARMACY TOM BINNIE PARK COMM CENTREWESTMINSTER HOUSEWHALLEY LIBRARYWHITE ROCK/ S SURREY PUBLIC HEALTH UNIT VANCOUVER1 KINGSWAY LIBRARY29TH AVE SKY TRAIN STN411 SENIOR’S CENTREAMICA AT ARBUTUS MANORARBUTUS MALLBARCLAY MANORBC WOMENS HOSPITALBREAD GARDEN BRITANNIA ARENA / LIBRARYBROADWAY & BURRARD WALK INBROCK HOUSE SOCIETYBURRARD SKYTRAIN BUS STOP - 750 BROADWAYCAPERS - 2285 4TH AVECAPERS - 1675 ROBSON STCAPERS MARKETCARE MEDICAL CENTRECENTRAL MARKET - 830 THURLOWCHAMPLAIN HEIGHTS COMM CNTRCHAMPLAIN HEIGHTS LIBRARYCHOICES MARKET - 1202 RICHARDSCHOICES MARKET - 3493 CAMBIE STCHOICES MARKET - 2627 16 AVE

CITY SQUARE FAMILY PRACTICECOLLINGWOOD HOUSECOLLINGWOOD LIBRARYCROFTEN MANORDENMAN COMMUNITY CTRDENMAN MALLDIAMOND HEALTH CARE CENTREDOCTOR’S OFFICE 777 W BROADWAYDOUGLAS PARK COMM CENTREDUNBAR COMMUNITY CENTREDUNBAR PUBLIC LIBRARYFALSE CREEK COMMUNITY CENTREFIREHALL LIBRARYFRASERVIEW LIBRARYFROG HOLLOW NEIGHBORHOOD GF STRONG REHABILITATION CTRGRANDVIEW TOWERSGRANVILLE ISLAND MARKETGRANVILLE MEDICAL CLINICHASTINGS COMMUNITY CENTREHASTINGS PUBLIC LIBRARYHOME INSTEAD - VAN, NORTHSHOREJEWISH COMMUNITY CENTREJOE FORTES LIBRARYJOYCE SKYTRAIN STN KENSINGTON COMMUNITY CENTREKENSINGTON LIBRARYKERRISDALE ARENAKERRISDALE SENIORS CENTREKERRISDALE LIBRARYKHATSALANO MED CLINICKILLARNEY COMMUNITY CENTREKILLARNEY MARKETKITSILANO NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSEKITSILANO PUBLIC LIBRARYKIWASSA NEIGHBOURHOOD HOUSELIFEMARK HEALTH CENTRELIFEMARK PHYSIOTHERAPY

LITTLE MOUNTAIN NEIGHBOURHOOD HOUSELONDON DRUGS - 1187 ROBSONMAIN ENTRANCE RACK MAIN ST SKYTRAIN STNMAPLE MEDICAL CLINICMARPOLE COMMUNITY CENTREMARPOLE LIBRARYMEDICAL CLINIC - 1280 GRANVILLEMERCATO MALL MID-MAIN COMM HEALTH CENTREMT PLEASANT COMMUNITY CENTREMT PLEASANT NGHBRHD HOUSENANAIMO SKY TRAIN STNOAKRIDGE LIBRARYOAKRIDGE SENIOR’S CENTREO’KEEFE SENIOR LIVING APTPARKVIEW TERRACEPHARMASAVE 595 BURRARDPLATINUM CARERAYCAM COMMUNITY CENTRERENFREW COMMUNITY CENTRERENFREW PUBLIC LIBRARYRENFREW SKY TRAIN STNRICHMOND/VAN HEALTH UNITRILEY PARK COMMUNITY CENTRERILEY PARK LIBRARYROUNDHOUSE COMMUNITY CENTREROYAL CENTRE MEDICALRUPERT SKYTRAIN STNSHANNON OAKSSHOPPERS DRUG MARTSIDNEY MANORSINCLAIR CENTRESORRENTO MARKETSTADIUM SKYTRAIN STNS GRANVILLE PARK LODGES GRANVILLE SENIOR’S CENTRE

SOUTH HILL LIBRARYSOUTHVIEW HEIGHTS AND TERRACEST PAUL HOSPITALSTRATHCONA COMMUNITY CENTRESTRATHCONA LIBRARY THUNDERBIRD COMMUNITY CENTRETROUT LAKE COMMUNITY CENTREUBC HOSPITAL VANCOUVER PUBLIC LIBRARYVGH EMERGENCYWATERFRONT SKY TRAIN STNWEST END AQUATIC CENTREWEST END SENIORS NETWORKWEST POINT GREY PUBLIC LIBRARYYMCA COMMUNITY SERVICES WEST VANCOUVERAMICA AT WEST VANCOUVERBUS STOP 2002 PARK ROYALBUS STOP 2051 PARK ROYALGLENEAGLES COMMUNITY CENTREHOLLYBURN HOUSESUPER VALUWEST VAN MEMORIAL LIBRARYWEST VANCOUVER COMM CENTRE WHITE ROCKHOME INSTEAD PACIFIC CARLTONSUNNYSIDE MANORTHE PENINSULA RESORT RETIREMENT 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

by an increase from another source – but those were rare situations.

Catriona Johnson, Executive Director of the Victoria Epilepsy and Parkinson’s Centre (VEPC) says their organization’s summer newsletter attracted 20 per cent less than it did last year but saw an in-crease 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 Cas-tle says, “We’ve just completed our high season 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 do-nation 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.

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 de-cisions about who they will fund and for how much.

Jane Sheaff, Executive Director Sen-iors Serving Seniors says donations from private sources have remained constant, but grants from foundations were down 90 per cent. Luckily, they were able to se-cure 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 initiatives province-wide from arts and culture to education, from environment to children and youth, from animal welfare to health and medical research and social

BY BARBARA RISTO, PUBLISHER

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As we were gathering material for this Planned Giving edi-tion 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 ex-perienced changes in the sources of their funding and the giving habits of their do-nors and supporters.

A recent survey of charities and foun-dations indicated drops in funding this year of about 35 per cent on average. This drop mostly reflects donations from pri-vate individuals. Some, however, are reel-ing from government or funding agency cuts as deep as 90 per cent.

Some charities, whose funding de-pends primarily on agency or government funding, have even had to close their doors. Those that have a mix of agency, government and private funding seem to have weathered the storm the best. In a few cases, a cut in one source was covered

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.

NOVEMBER 2009 19

issues. They hold over 1200 endowment funds for individuals, families, non-profi ts and cor-porations. In 2008, they distributed almost $60 million to community projects across B.C.

Lisa Pullan, Vice President, Development and Donor Services, says Vancouver Founda-tion has seen a decrease in contributions from donors of about 35 per cent since the economic downturn.

“To add to that, we’ve had many more organizations applying 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 now, more than ever, communities and their charities needed our support,” says Lisa.

“Regardless of the amount we have avail-able to fund worthy community projects, our staff and volunteers scrutinize and evaluate each grant request closely. This process gives us the confi dence that we’re making the most effective use of the dollars. With less available to grant this year, the importance of that proc-ess has been underscored.”

Despite the decreases in contributions, they’ve still managed to do relatively well in this climate, says Lisa. “Vancouver Founda-tion has a 66-year history in the community, and many generous donors with tremendous foresight have left gifts in their wills to support the community. They’re interested in leaving 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 increase in donations around the holiday season, and attendance goes up a bit during the last couple of weeks in December at Craigdarroch Castle, with families taking advantage of their Christ-mas music 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 think it is also a

period that people associate 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, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”

As we approach the fi nal months of 2009, let’s all see what we can do to make a difference for the charities in our com-munities.

Charities Need You to Give

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worked in the University of British Columbia Department of Psychiatry unit, which studied and researched “first psychotic breaks.”

Realizing there were serious gaps both in mental health services for families and communications proto-cols between medical professionals and families, Geri set about creating educational programs and a manual for families and consumers of medi-cal services for the mentally ill. Her focus was to explain the biochemistry of mental illness, as well as the impor-tance of medication when indicated to create balanced mental states. The creation of support groups for family members, as well as siblings, was also a feature of her agenda.

“It was an idea whose time had come,” she says about her ground-breaking work.

Geri’s sound fundraising efforts centred on the Emerald Ball event, founded in 1988, in Vancouver and lat-er held in Winnipeg and Toronto. The event, which continued for 18 years, resulted in the creation of a UBC Chair in Schizophrenia.

Not surprising is the recent honour bestowed on this energetic 70-some-thing Vancouver-based senior. Geri has been selected as one of 100 notable Ca-nadians of Irish lineage whose names will appear on the proposed Ireland Monument. As a descendant of Patrick

Cunningham, who came to Canada in 1768 from Sligo Ireland, Geri radiates what is known as “Irish Spirit.”

Focusing on a “healthier and green-er way of life,”

Geri, along with her sons Peter and Spencer, operates Bradley Organic Farms. She plays “a spirited and de-voted” role in the farm, which is named after Geri’s now deceased mother, who passed away at age 96.

Longevity through community building, friendship and connection seems to run in the family. With an ac-tive mother as role model, Geri forges on with regular fitness workouts at a nearby gym. A passion for freshly prepared inventive meals and good company spurs Geri on in the kitchen, which has always been a place of re-laxation and fun. Whether the menu is an elegant chicken curry or just casseroles of peasant-style cabbage rolls, guests are always treated royally “Chez Geri.” One recent guest, daz-zled by the prized meritorious service medal, asked and was granted the hon-our of wearing the splendid decoration as he enjoyed an elegant light supper at Geri’s table.

Geri completed her studies for a PhD in “Mental Health Management and the Importance of Early Interven-tion.” She is a member of the Interna-tional Honour Society of Nursing and Lamba Phi sorority.

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Geraldine Cunningham PhD exudes Irish humour, opti-mism and strength.

Her hallmark twinkling eyes and mis-chievous smile belie a life of hard work and unwavering dedication to the cause of mental illness and outreach through public education for families. In 2001, the Right Honourable Adrienne Clark-son, the Governor General of Canada, decorated her with the meritorious serv-ice medal. The honour, bestowed for a lifetime of service, recognized unique and extraordinary contributions that led to the betterment of quality of life for all Canadian families touched by the trag-edy of mental illness.

Dr. Cunningham’s work has helped people around the globe: Africa, Ber-muda, Hungary, Mexico, Japan, Ko-rea, China, Ireland, India, Greece and many parts of Russia. Funded by her-self, her family and later by The Wil-liam and Nona Heaslip Foundation based in Toronto, Dr. Cunningham’s efforts sprung from grief following the sudden 1981 passing of her daughter Sarah at the age of 22. Schizophrenia was named as the cause of death.

Using the foundation of a nursing degree, earned in 1952, Geri, as she likes to be called, took action follow-ing her daughter’s death. She returned to university where she earned a sec-ond degree – this one in the special-ized field of psychiatry. She ultimately

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

A Generous Spirit Charitable Giving StrategiesBY JACKIE BYRN

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For most people, charitable giv-ing involves annual donations to worthy charities. Typically,

these gifts are made out of income. In-creasingly, however, Canadians are mak-ing gifts from assets as part of an overall financial and estate plan. These kind of exceptional gifts involve careful plan-ning and can produce significant tax sav-ings.

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 eliminate 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 financial, tax and fam-ily needs. Using planning tools such as wills, trusts and insurance, it is possible to create larger benefits for a charity and generate greater tax advantages for the individual.

One of the most tax-effective simple strategies involves gifts of public secu-rities. Gifts of appreciated 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 regular credit. The capital gains are eliminated, rather than the regular rate of 50 per cent when sold. In addition, tax-payers receive a tax credit, which is typi-cally equal to the highest marginal tax rate in their province of residence.

This table compares the tax conse-

quences of donating cash proceeds of sold securities versus donating securi-ties in-kind. The marginal tax and tax credit rates are assumed to be 45 per cent for illustration purposes.

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 charity. When individuals donate a security with a capital loss, they can claim the capital loss on their tax return and receive 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 significant income for life and enable donors to make a special gift.

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 PLA

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PLAN TO END VIOLENCEEVA BC is a registered charitable provincial organization that provides support and training to 220 programs across BC who offer counselling and other practical services for those who have been traumatized by sexual and/or domestic violence. We are a leader who also undertakes research, develops and distributes resources and tools, educates the public, develops standards for the provision of safety based services and fosters the development of coordinated responses with all the relevant sectors in British Columbia.

Your gift will help us support BC communities to end domestic and sexual violence and to create a legacy of safety and hope.

For information call: 604 633-2506 or visit www.endingviolence.orgEVA BC - SERVING BC COMMUNITIES FOR 18 YEARS

Charitable Giving StrategiesBY ANDREW COVELL, CSA,

WEALTH MANAGER

A good financial 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 in-dividual’s values and personal priori-ties. Tax savings enable gifts, but they should be the servant of a person’s val-ues and priorities. When establishing estate plans, it is therefore important for individuals to review their personal ex-periences and the charities that are im-portant to them. Through consultation with legal, tax and financial advisors, an informed decision can then be made, which balances personal and family needs with philanthropic planning. SL


One of Vancou-ver’s best kept secrets for a

weekend getaway is The Sylvia Hotel, an historic building located alongside Stanley Park in English Bay. The hotel has been a signifi-cant Vancouver landmark for almost a century.

Guests who visit The Sylvia today come for the special old-world charm of the squeaky elevators and the unique-style rooms and suites. Two ancient, throne-like chairs grace the foyer as you enter the hotel and, eve-rywhere you look, there is a strong sense of history. In addi-tion, visitors savour first-class meals in the Beachside Dining Room with its adjoining Bistro and cocktail lounge overlook-ing the beauty of English Bay.

Certainly, the same Sylvia guests return each year and their frequent visits are due to outstanding service supplied by a friendly, unchanging staff, who are all a part of the charm of a bygone era. But who was Sylvia, the lady for whom the hotel was originally named?

Sylvia Goldstein was the 12-year-old daughter of Abraham and Sarah Goldstein. In 1912, her father, a Vancouver devel-oper, hired Seattle architect, W.P. White, to design a prestig-ious apartment building in English Bay. It was constructed by Booker, Campbell and Whipple Construction and was to be called the Sylvia Court Apartments in honour of Goldstein’s daughter. At that time, it was also the tallest building in down-town Vancouver. And, like the landmark building named for her, young Sylvia Goldstein also grew up to become a bit of a legend in her own lifetime.

Sylvia, the Goldsteins’ eldest daughter, spent her child-hood in Vancouver’s West End. She was an especially strong swimmer and practised regularly in the waters of English Bay under the tutelage of Joe Fortes, Vancouver’s first of-ficial lifeguard.

Barbados-born Seraphim (Joe) Fortes arrived in Vancou-ver via England in 1885 aboard the Robert Kerr and soon became a well-loved Vancouver citizen. His work included being a shoeshine boy, a handyman and a porter before be-coming a bartender at the popular Bodega Saloon. Once he had settled in his cabin in English Bay, the beach became his home where he loved to teach swimming to children who

fondly referred to him sim-ply as “Old Black Joe.”

Today, a seafood restau-rant on Thurlow and Rob-son Streets is named for Joe Fortes and, in 1927, five years after his death, a memorial in the form of a drinking fountain was erected near where he once lived by the beach. The words “Little Chil-dren Loved Him” adorn the fountain.

Sylvia Goldstein was, therefore, taught by the

best and her strong swimming abilities soon gained her much acclaim, including winning a prestigious race between Eng-lish Bay and Kitsilano Beach.

After completing a degree at the University of British Co-lumbia, Sylvia moved with her family to California in the 1920s. By then, the Sylvia Court Apartments, like many other buildings and homes in the area, had fallen on hard times. Over 2,000 homes went into foreclosure leading into The Great Depression. In 1936, the Sylvia, then in receivership, was transformed into an apartment hotel and by the beginning of the Second World War, many of the suites had been con-verted into single rooms in order to accommodate the crews of the merchant marine.

Long before that, however, young Sylvia Goldstein re-turned to Vancouver. While taking a boat trip with a group of Jewish singles, she caught the attention of her future husband, Harry Ablowitz, by diving off the boat into False Creek. The couple were married in 1928 and settled in North Vancouver. Together, they later founded the Harry Ablowitz Realty Company.

Both Sylvia and Harry Ablowitz were active in the Van-couver business community and in numerous Jewish organi-zations. Sylvia sat on the board of many Jewish community groups and helped to establish the Jewish Community Centre, the Louis Brier Home, a hospital at Oak and 41st Avenue and a golf course. She was a member of the National Council of Jewish Women and, until her mid-’90s, was still volunteering her services with the Jewish Family Service Agency, doing telephone checks for isolated seniors.

Meanwhile, her namesake hotel was undergoing changes. After the Second World War, the number of permanent resi-dents in the hotel began to decrease. In 1954, the hotel opened

A Classic By the Bay BY VALERIE GREEN

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the very first cocktail bar in Vancouver and, until 1958, was still the tallest building in the West End. The brick and terracotta exterior had been softened somewhat through the years by the growth of the Virginia creeper covering its starkness and adding an old-world charm to the grand old lady by the Bay.

By the 1960s, The Sylvia had also become a full-service hotel. Prior to the building boom in the West End during the 1960s, The Sylvia’s dining room, then on the eighth floor, had a restau-rant slogan of “first-class dining in the sky,” It was later relocated to ground floor level.

By then, The Sylvia was under new ownership. Norman Sawers and his daughter, Jill Davies, still own the ho-tel today. And, in 1976, the Sylvia Ho-tel was designated as a Heritage Build-ing, ensuring its survival as a landmark building in English Bay for years to come. When Sylvia (Goldstein) Ab-lowitz passed away at the age of 102 in April of 2002, the hotel flew its flag at half-mast.

Interesting events have been con-nected to The Sylvia throughout its long history. For example, a stray cat who wandered into the hotel one day and liked it so much it decided to check in permanently, became the inspira-tion behind two popular children’s books entitled Mr. Got To Go, writ-ten by Lois Simmie and illustrated by Cynthia Nugent. The Sylvia still welcomes guests with pets today.

Many famous people have also graced the halls of The Sylvia. They include English poet and novelist Malcolm Lowry, known best for his novel Under The Volcano; poet Robert Service, best-known for his writings on the Canadian North in-cluding The Shooting of Dan McGrew; Roderick Haig-Brown, Canadian writer and conservationist; and film actor Er-rol Flynn, famous for his swashbuckling roles in many Hollywood films. When Flynn came to Vancouver, he frequently stayed at The Sylvia and, in 1959, died in a friend’s West End apartment not far from the hotel. If you visit The Sylvia

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A Classic By the Bay

today, you can fantasize about whether you are staying in the room where one of these notables once slept.

The hotel management is currently asking past guests for “Memories” on their website at www.sylviahotel.com. These tales are being collected for the hotel’s centennial year celebration in 2012.

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Lest We Forget STORY AND PHOTO

BY KEVIN MCKAY

December 9, 1966 will forever be etched in the memory of Herb Hamm. That unforgettable day was when a telegram arrived at the Westminster

Regiment from overseas announcing that the regiment had just had the title “Royal” bestowed upon it from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth. What followed was “quite the celebration,” says Herb in his understated style. “It was a tremendous hon-our, and we were all delighted because it was a scarce title.”

The Canadian Armed Forces has a distinguished history of soldiers who fought valiantly in both world wars and contin-ue to do so today. Locally, The Royal Westminster Regiment proudly traces its roots back to November 21, 1863 when the New Westminster Rifle Company Number One was formed as the first militia unit raised in British Columbia.

Herb, the former commanding officer of the regiment for many years, also calls New Westminster home. Born at the Royal Columbian Hospital in November 1930 meant he was too young to serve in the Second World War, though he did spend time with the Army Cadets while attending high school. His father, who worked helping to dredge the Fraser River, joined the army and went overseas to Europe, a decision that had a positive influence on Herb, the eldest of five children.

“I also had two uncles serving,” says Herb. “All boys were into this stuff because it was wartime, and I had always liked that kind of stuff.”

While growing up, Herb played a lot of basketball and some soccer, but one activity he really enjoyed was sailing.

“I had a high school friend named Dickie who really liked sailing,” he says. “He invited me to come along one time, and I was hooked. We spent a lot of time sailing little two-men boats down at Crescent Beach.”

Herb also worked part time at Fraser Mills on weekends prior to graduating and attending classes at UBC for a couple of years.

But a university education was not in the cards. Instead, Herb got an advertising job with The Columbian newspaper. He worked his way up through the system, eventually leaving the paper 34 years later as director of the company. This trait of working his way up to the top would also be a hallmark of Herb’s second career as a reservist.

“When I was in Grade 12, we put on a one-act play in our school and also invited the Vagabond Players and a few oth-ers to do the same that evening,” he recalls. “The Vagabond Players approached me and asked me to join them, which I did gladly. I had no illusions about why they wanted me. I knew my greatest talent was that I was six feet tall and a young man.”

This decision would lead to a long and storied relationship

with the regiment. “When I was about 24, a fellow cast mem-ber was in the regiment and asked me if I would like to come along and try it. So, I joined the militia, the reserve forces as a private and became a corporal a year later. I stayed for another year before they suggested I take a junior non-com-missioned officer course.”

The course consisted of two summers of field training and staff work for the rest of the year. Herb gained the rank of officer cadet, followed by second lieutenant and then lieutenant.

“All of this happened during evenings, on weekends and at summer camps. It was an interesting time. I met plenty of interesting people who became great friends.”

Herb also found time to go on a blind date in 1959 with a woman named Jean, whom he would marry the following March. They bought a home in New Westminster and raised three daughters. All the while, Herb continued to rise through the ranks, eventually becoming a lieutenant-colonel and com-manding officer of the regiment on January 1, 1964, a post he held for four years.

NOVEMBER 2009 25

»

AUGUST 2009 VANCOUVERSenior 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 special housing edition upon receipt of payment.

VIEW ONLINE for Free...You can view the complete special housing edition on our website -- look for the Vancouver August 2009 Edition at www.seniorlivingmag.com

Contains articles pertaining to senior housing. Find out more about• senior housing options and alternatives • how to determine what kind of housing is right for you • how other seniors are managing their housing • professionals, services and products available to seniors who are living independently (aging in place) • and much more

Lest We Forget In May 1967, George Pearkes, the lieutenant-governor of British Columbia, invited the entire regiment to Victoria to re-ceive their new colours.

“We had quite a weekend,” says Herb. “We had a parade before the banquet with the lieutenant-governor and Princess Alexandra, the Queen’s cousin, who presented us with our new colours that were handmade of silk in England. There was an-other dinner afterwards followed by a young people’s ball for people under 40.”

In 1968, Herb left the regiment to serve as aid-de-camp for the next lieutenant-governor, Jack Nicholson. He did that for three years before returning to the regiment to serve as commanding offi cer for two additional years.

His military career would last for seven more years. “In 1973, I went to the Militia Area Pacifi c Headquarters in

Vancouver at Jericho, working for a year overseeing all the offi c-er training in Vancouver. At the end of the year, I was promoted to colonel, responsible for all the Vancouver District Militia.”

Following one more lateral move, Herb was promoted to brig-adier-general and commander of all the militia in B.C. – a posi-tion he held until his retirement from military service in 1979.

Wanting to make a clean break, Herb spent the next 14 years serving on the Library Board and then the Police Commission before returning to the regiment as curator of the museum around 1993, a position he still holds.

“I had no formal training, but I have learned a lot,” he says. “I am still learning today. I am also the president of the Royal Westminster Regiment Historical Society and secretary of the Royal Westminster Regiment Association, so they keep me busy. I also just fi nished a fi ve-year stint as president of the Senior Services Society.”

Herb has a small staff of volunteers to work at the museum with him, mostly former members of the regiment. They open the museum Tuesdays and Thursdays during the daytime and by appointment for groups.

Because of his long and distinguished involvement with the regiment, Herb is proud to speak about the honours the regiment has accumulated over the years – from its early involvement in the Chilcotin War to their presence in Afghanistan today.

Two members have been awarded the Victoria Cross, the high-est military honour that is bestowed for valour in the face of the enemy. In the First World War, it was Corporal Filip Konowal, and in the Second World War, Major Jack Mahony. In addition to this, Herb proudly adds, “During the First World War, only 16 people in all of Canada won three medals of bravery, and the 47th Battalion, our predecessor, had two of the men.”

The regiment continued with its record of distinguished serv-ice during the Second World War. In addition to the Victoria Cross, “The Westminster Regiment Motor Battalion was under enemy fi re for 232 days during the war, which was more than any other Canadian unit. They also never failed to take an assigned objective and, once it was taken, they were never knocked off. It is a good history and it keeps us on our toes today.”

The regiment was involved in almost every major Canadian


skirmish during both world wars in-cluding Vimy Ridge, Somme, Ypres, Passchendaele, and Flanders among many more. During the First World War nearly 900 men from the unit lost their lives, while more than 170 were killed in action during the Second World War. Those were the last casualties suffered by the regiment until Master Corporal Bason died in Afghanistan in 2008. To-day, the regiment deploys about 30 re-servists to the mission in Afghanistan at any one time.

“The missions last six months and we have two groups of reservists train-ing at any time. Each group gets trained for a year before being sent off.”

Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery had a special relationship with the regi-ment. Herb remembers, “When Mont-gomery was given his first command in India, when he was a colonel, we had a strong affiliation with one of the units he commanded. Later, in Italy he was in command of the Eighth Army, of which we were part, until he was called back to England to plan D-Day. After the war, he was Chief of the Imperial Defense Forces, and he would travel around the world to visit all the bases.

Now the regiment has one of Field Marshal Montgomery’s jackets on dis-play in the museum – just one of the many exhibits and artifacts that serve as reminders of the sacrifices made by brave men and women to ensure that we can enjoy the freedoms we often take for granted.

To make an appointment to visit the museum, call 604-526-5116.

BBB SCAMALERT

Better Business Bureau Better Business Bureau Better Business BureauBetter Business Bureau

BY LYNDA PASACRETA

Scareware Attacks on the Rise

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EVENTS ON-LINEFind out what’s happening in your area at the click of a button or post your community event to our website for FREE. Arts, music, dance, festivals, seminars, outdoor activities, and more.

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NOVEMBER 2009 27

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 hackers and staying safe online, visit www.mbc.bbb.org

Lynda Pasacreta is President of the Better Business Bureau of Mainland B.C. Contact the BBB to check a company re-port or Buyers’ Tip before you purchase or invest. www.bbbvan.org or 604-682-2711. To contact Lynda Pasacreta, e-mail her at [email protected]

BBB SCAMALERT

Better Business Bureau Better Business Bureau Better Business BureauBetter Business Bureau

BY LYNDA PASACRETA

Scareware Attacks on the Rise

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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. Hack-ers 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 com-puter warning that their computer had been infected with a virus. The user was then told to visit a website to pur-chase and download antivirus software that would fix the problem. The sup-posed antivirus software actually in-stalled even more viruses and malware onto the computer, and the user’s cred-it 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 “poi-soning Google search results.” Hackers monitor the news and hot topics online and, through search engine optimiza-tion techniques, are able to ensure that their websites make the top results. Victims who click on the fake search results receive a scareware pop up.

Better Business Bureau (BBB) rec-ommends the following tips for com-puter 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,


CrosswordPUZZLE GAMESMind

ANSWERS

Across

1. Humanitarian principles11. Western pact12. Completed13. Supplement14. Firmament16. Addition18. Composition in verse19. Inhabitant of Denmark20. Untidy21. Lament22. Youths26. Bends downward27. Wrong31. Way out32. The lowest female singing voice33. Wander34. Alcoholic drink of fermented honey35. An Egyptian descended from the ancient Egyptians

36. Dull37. Cushions40. Propagative part of a plant42. Beginning43. Management45. Whirlpool46. Monkey47. Crews52. Moolah53. Blessing56. Mother of Isaac57. Single unit58. Departing59. Structure for storing grain60. Synchronize61. Majestic62. Not asked

Down

2. Untie3. Created

4. Minute particle5. Not (prefix)6. Expression of appreciation7. First man8. Not one9. Taverns10. Obvserves13. Edible fruit14. Islands between Hawaii and Australia15. Something that causes fermentation17. Compound tissue in vascular plants19. Debutante23. Person who wields an ax24. Eats to a plan25. Declare28. Got up29. Ran with long easy stride30. Satisfied36. Castle water pits38. Male friend39. Look happy41. Approaching death44. Make lace48. The Orient49. Melody50. Germinated grain used in brewing51. Foot covering53. Male children54. Hog sound55. A single time58. General Services Administration

NOVEMBER 2009 29

Dear R.S.:Yes, I do think you are both playing with fi re. It’s up to the

two of you whether you are burned or not.At this point in your life, I’m sure you are aware that you

can’t throw responsibility out the window. It sounds like both of you experienced an unexpected relief from the challenges of family life while at school again. That is normal. But both of your families also made sacrifi ces so you and your friend could return to school and that is foremost in this situation.

If you look into the eyes of your trusting partners and chil-dren, you will fi nd the answer. I hope both of you make the right decision. Best of luck.

ASKGoldie

BY GOLDIE CARLOW, M.EDPhot

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Senior Peer Counselling Centres (Lower Mainland)New Westminster 604-519-1064North Vancouver 604-987-8138Burnaby 604-291-2258Richmond 604-279-7034Vancouver West End 604-669-7339Coquitlam – Tri-Cities 604-945-4480Vancouver Westside 604-736-3588

Goldie Carlow is a retired registered nurse, clinical counsel-lor and senior peer counselling trainer. Send letters to Senior Living, Box 153, 1581-H Hillside Ave., Victoria, BC V8T 2C1.

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Embrace the Journey - A Care Giver’s Story

Allow two weeks for shipping.

To order, please send cheque for $19.84 ($14.95 plus $3.95 S&H & GST) payable to Senior Living. Please include your clearly written ship-ping address and phone number.MAIL TO: Embrace Book Offer c/o Senior Living 153, 1581-H Hillside Ave., Victoria BC V8T 2C1

Are you a Care Giver or expect to be one? You are not alone!

Valerie Green’s personal story as a care giver to her elderly parents is the most rel-evant book on “aging in place” I have read to date. It provides a powerful insight into the challenges faced by every care giver. It unveils the challenges, heartaches, struggles and agonizing decisions that often need to be made along the way. If you are currently a care giver, or anticipate being one in the near future, this book is a must-read. - Publisher Barbara Risto, Senior Living magazine

96 pagesSoftcover 5.5” x 8.5”Price $14.95

Dear Goldie:I am a 60-year-old widow still living in my own home. Fi-

nancially, I am secure with a good pension. My husband died fi ve years ago after many happy years together. We never had children but I have a sister, brother and several nieces and nephews I’m in touch with frequently.

My problem is that an old love from my 20s has returned to my life and wants to resume a relationship. We were engaged during the war but, when he was overseas, he found some-one else and married her. The marriage lasted two years. I was heartbroken but later realized the man I fi nally married was far more trustworthy and reliable. We had a wonderful marriage.

I enjoyed the company of my former fi ancé but can’t forget what he did to me. Life is lonely, at times, and I wonder if we could still fi nd some happiness together. –J.L.

Dear J.L.:You are lonely and because you once loved this person, you

would like to have this relationship again to ease your loneli-ness. However, you must not confuse the two people in your past. Your former love was unreliable. Your husband was hon-est and concerned about your happiness and welfare.

Loneliness is usually caused by a lack of involvement with other people. Start inquiring about the volunteer groups in your community. Helping others can minimize your own prob-lems and give you greater insight into human relationships. There are many instances where you could make a difference in some person’s life just by being there for him or her. In turn, your own life becomes more fulfi lled.

There is no rush to marry again; especially to someone you do not completely trust. You can make new friends as a volun-teer and fi nd lasting relationships. You may even fi nd a reliable partner about whom you will feel no doubts.

Dear Goldie:Last fall, I returned to university to complete a degree. It

was a wonderful experience. The freedom from family prob-lems while I was studying was an unexpected reward. Also, I became close friends with a female student in the same circum-stances as me. Although we are both in our 50s, it feels like we are in our 20s again. We both plan to be back for courses next summer and look forward to carefree time together.

Goldie, so far, it has only been friendship, but we have a great time together. Am I naive to assume we are not playing with fi re? We both love our spouses and children dearly. –R.S.


At last, two years after submitting our application for permanent residence in Canada, I was request-ed to attend an interview in Sydney. My profession

as a librarian was awarded more points on the immigration assessment scale than my husband Ted’s career in architec-ture, thus determining that I would be the applicant. Before allowing myself to feel too smug, I was reminded that this was merely due to the economic circumstances in Canada at that time. Our score on the points scale, while not sufficient to ensure us entry, was enough to warrant an interview in which further points, if any, would be awarded. The responsibility for pleading our case rested with me: a daunting thought.

As we prepared to fly to Sydney from Western Australia, our emotions swung back and forth. Our initial confidence that our earlier years in Canada and our knowledge of the country would ensure us success was closely followed by the fear that being close to retirement age would exclude us.

It was our dream, our determination, to live out our retire-ment in British Columbia. After many years in the heat, dust and remoteness of Western Australia, we longed for moun-tains, lakes, cool fresh air and closer proximity to our children and grandchildren. We knew Canada well having met and married in Toronto. Despite moving on to other parts of the world, we had returned from time to time and had travelled from coast to coast. We saw the Maple Leaf flag introduced, went to Expo in Montreal, to hockey in Maple Leaf Gardens, and to Prince Edward Island before there was a bridge. Can-ada was in our life experiences and our memories so, having

decided there was nothing to lose, we had begun the applica-tion process, fortunately not knowing the long road ahead.

The frustration of waiting for a response caused a few sleepless nights. Had the application, with enclosed payment, arrived? We had been advised not to inquire unless we had not had a response within 12 months. That is a long time in which to be anxious. Just before the year was up, however, we were notified that our application had been received and the process had begun. Then came another long wait, leading up to the interview.

We arrived in Sydney two days early to get the lay of the land and find the Canadian Immigration Office, which serves the South Pacific region. Our days were filled with sightsee-ing, enjoying the beaches and historical sites and trying not to contemplate disappointment. This would have been the logi-cal time to come up with a Plan B.

Finally, it was the day and the time. I felt surprisingly calm as I walked through the door, and hoped I could relate on some level to the interviewing officer to give myself the best chance of success. The faces of other applicants gave nothing away as they emerged from their interviews. Just as I began to feel un-easy, my name was called and the folder of documents I had been asked to provide was taken from me. In a small office, a smiling young woman shook my hand firmly and introduced herself as Catherine. The interview began.

At first, there were the expected questions. “Why Cana-da?” “What will you do there?” As we moved on to education, Catherine was particularly interested in my experiences as a

THE INTERVIEWBY JULIE ADAMSON

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The author and her husband Ted Adamson

NOVEMBER 2009 31

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THE INTERVIEW mature university student, a subsequent career in librarianship and my love for the work. As we talked, she entered information on her computer and com-mented, “That is a wonderful story!” After more typing and conversation, there was suddenly and unexpectedly, the hoped-for magical words: “I’m go-ing to let you go, you know, Canada can do with people like you.” My hands shook. I could hardly speak for the lump in my throat. “Really?” I asked. “Really truly,” Catherine replied and with a few fl ourishes, she fi nished typing. “There. It’s done.”

It was hard to know what to say, how to thank her. She had been so much more than an offi cer doing her job. Her interest and encouragement had pro-vided every opportunity for me to tell my story and our hopes for the future. Catherine then asked what I would say to my husband. I knew he would see the result by my face and I predicted that we both would shed a few tears. “Cry-ing is fi ne,” she said and only then did she reveal that before I entered her of-fi ce she had wondered how she would tell me that I didn’t have enough points. We had talked for so long that the offi ce had closed and several doors had to be unlocked to let me out. As I said good-bye, Catherine gave me a fi rm warm hug of congratulations and wished us good luck. I met Ted as arranged, happy tears were shed and, over a late lunch, I told him every detail.

Of course, that was not the end of the story. There were medical examinations and more forms to fi ll in than I could believe would ever be read, but now we knew that our new life in Canada was in sight. At last we could look back on the previous two years of information gathering and form fi lling with some humour, and free of the frustration and anxiety that had, at times, almost made us give up the whole endeavour.

When one is near retirement age and is asked for every address lived at since age 18, and every place of employment and salary earned, it is a challenge. Thanks to diaries, old address books and friends with long memories, the in-

formation was gradually compiled. Next came police clearance from every coun-try in which we had resided. For no-mads like us, born in different countries and resident in several others during our working lives, it was time consuming and challenging. Many letters back and forth, fi ngerprints taken and signatures obtained. I marvel now at our patience and, for the most part, optimism. Nine months passed before we had all the re-quired information.

The medicals provided some humour as well as anxiety. Two doctors in our city were registered to examine pro-spective immigrants to Canada and the one we chose had a brusque nurse of a certain age. She was overworked, had bad legs and was not prepared to put up with nonsense from anyone, doctor or patients.

After a series of tests and X-rays, Nurse No-Nonsense called me at work one day and without preamble an-nounced, “You have TB and your hus-band has an enlarged heart.” I did not endear myself to her when I laughed

but I knew that both conditions were highly unlikely. The tests were re-peated with some additional gruelling ones thrown in and this time the results showed that we would not be a drain on Canada’s health services. On our last visit to the doctor, Nurse showed her softer side and wished us a safe journey. I hope she enjoyed the post-card we sent her from B.C.

Seven years have passed since Ted and I fl ew from Australia to Los Ange-les for a happy family reunion, then on to Vancouver where an immigration of-fi cer photographed us and stamped our passports. “Welcome. You are now of-fi cially permanent residents of Canada.” It was a moment to savour.

Life in B.C. has met all our expec-tations. We have come full circle from the days of our youth, our meeting and marriage in Toronto. The interview with Catherine will always remain crystal clear in my memory as it set the scene for our future. Two years and nine months of preparation and planning was worth every second.

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dating back to the early ’40s, old books, coins, CDs, DVDs and a mas-sive 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 anymore, so I

guess she or Goldie won’t have worry. In fact, I don’t write too much of any-thing 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 longer 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 together are golden and priceless. They’re woven of many things: Tears


Refl ections

BY GIPP FORSTER

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THEN & NOW

THE COLLECTORS

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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 hap-pens, I try to keep a posi-tive 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, Rockwell plates, old Reader’s Digests

and laughter, joy and sorrow, serious-ness and humour, gain and loss, regret and reward; all the things that make two lives one, and cause us to go on

despite the circumstances. 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 al-ways have been happy, but

at no time were they ever dull. Tomor-row 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.

But our most valuable collection is years... They’re woven of many things: Tears and laughter, joy and sorrow,

seriousness and humour, gain and loss, regret and reward; all the things that

make two lives one.

Mail to: “To Move” Book Offer c/o Senior Living Box 153, 1581–H Hillside Ave., Victoria BC V8T 2C1

If you are a senior who has been wondering lately whether you should consider moving - either because you find the maintenance of your current home more difficult due to diminishing ability or energy, or you simply want a lifestyle that allows you more freedom and less responsibility - then this is the book that can help you ask the right questions and find the solution that is right for you.• What residential options are available?• Define your current situation - What residential option is right for you?• How to research and assess Independent and Assisted Living residences.• What do Independent, Assisted Living and Complex Care facilities have to offer?• How much does it cost to live in an Assisted Living residence? What subsidies are available?• Thinking of moving in with family members? Questions to consider before making your decision.• Are there any other residential options besides Independent, Assisted Living and Complex Care facilities?• If you choose to stay in your own home, what are your options and what should you plan for?• Who can help you decide what you can or cannot afford?• Funding sources available to seniors - tax deductions, housing subsidies, home care subsi-dies, equipment loan programs, renovation grants, etc.• Selling your home - how to find the right realtor or relocation services to assist your move.• Downsizing - Where do you start? How do you proceed?• Adapting your home to meet your mobility needs - tips and suggestions• Hiring home care services; do it yourself or hire an agency?• Legal matters - how to make sure you receive the care you desire should you not be able to communicate due to some incapacitating condition• AND MUCH MOREAdvice from professionals who are experts in the area of assisting seniors with their relocation questions and concerns. A handy reference guide for seniors and their families wrestling with the issues around whether relocation is the best option. This 128-page book provides helpful, easy to read information and suggestions to help seniors and their families understand the decisions they need to make.

Published by Senior LivingJANUARY 2009REG. PRICE: $14.95Buy it now! �ONLY $9.95

To Move or Not to Move? A Helpful Guide for Seniors Considering Their Residential Options

ORDER FORM - “To Move”Name_______________________________________________ Address_____________________________________________City_________________________________ Prov ___________ Postal Code_______________ Phone _____________________Email _______________________________________________

____ BOOKS @ $9.95 each = $____________SHIPPING $3.95 FIRST BOOK, $1.95 PER ADDITIONAL BOOK = $____________ SUBTOTAL = $____________ GST (5% on above SUBTOTAL = $____________ TOTAL = $____________

Shipping rates apply to British Columbia addresses ONLY. To have book mailed to addresses outside of BC, please call Senior Living 250-479-4705 for shipping costs. Please allow 2 weeks for shipping.

___ CHEQUE (make payable to Senior Living)___ CREDIT CARD ____VISA ____MC ____AMEXCARD NUMBER _________________________________________EXPIRY DATE ________________NAME ON CARD ________________________________________

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Documents

November 2009 Senior Living Magazine Vancouver Edition