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THE SENIOR TIMES AUGUST 2018

Seniors Resource Centre

721 Victoria Street

Prince George BC V2L 2K5

250 564 5888

theseniortimeseditor@gmail.com

PGCOS

Seniors Fair 2018 2

PGCOS ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 3

TRIVIA COMPETITION 2018 4

HELP WANTED 4

New Federal Minister of Seniors 5

Seniors Traded As Commodities 5

Festival of Trees 6

Understanding the Little Things 7

Senior Moments 7

Active Aging Project 8

Volunteers needed 8

Sudoku 8

Exploring the www 9

ASK 9

Advertisements 10 MARK YOUR CALENDAR 11

CALENDAR 12

NOMINATION FORM 13

INSIDE THIS

EDITION

NOTICE:

PG COUNCIL OF SENIORS

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 27, 2018

1:00 PM

KEITH GORDON ROOM, PG PUBLIC LIBRARY

Election of Directors. Refreshments served.

See page 3 this Newsletter for more information

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SENIORS FAIR 2018 THURSDAY AUGUST 16

PGCOS’s 12th Annual Seniors Fair is set to go in the Kin 3 Arena on Thursday August 16! This

annual event with a Western flavour will be open to the public between 10 am and 5 pm. Seniors’

admission to the Exhibition Grounds is $2 for the day (instead of the usual $5), and Grounds parking

is free. Come and visit our 60 different exhibitors where you can gather information on a wealth of

topics, including:

Community organizations

Debt counselling

Denturists

Elder abuse

Heritage Commission

Home support services

Hospice

Indoor and outdoor activities

Library home service

Retirement organizations

Seniors activity centres

Seniors’ housing options

Support groups

Volunteer opportunities

Some new exhibitors this year include:

Canada Revenue Agency

Connecting Communities Association

Enat Complex Care

Fireweed Chair Massage

Gateway Pharmacy

Guru Nanak Langar Gardens

Immigrant & Multicultural Services

Northern Interior Communities Association

Northern Twisters

Optimum Home Care Inc.

Hart Pioneers will be on hand for hands-on carpet bowling demonstrations. There will be plenty of

activities and free draws at different exhibitors’ tables, and passports will be available again this

year which can be used to vote on your favourite exhibits, and entered for free hourly draws be-

tween 12 noon and 5 pm.

Don’t forget to drop by the Old Boot Café right in Kin 3 for your refreshments. Lunch (sandwich,

chips or cheezies and beverage) is only $5! SEE YOU AT THE FAIR!

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PGCOS ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 27

The Annual General Meeting of the PG Council of Seniors is set for Thursday September 27, 1:00

PM @ the Keith Gordon Room, PG Public Library. An election of Directors will take place at that

time.

The PGCOS Board must consist of a minimum of seven (7) or a maximum of eleven (11) Directors.

Current PGCOS Directors include:

Jim Boer

Beryl Botham

Sharon Hollis

Wendy Schmidt

Ginny Parsons

Fred Archibald

Vic Steblin

Currently Jim Boer, Beryl Botham, Sharon Hollis and Wendy Schmidt have one year terms remain-

ing.

Directors are elected for two-year terms. In even-numbered years (such as 2018) up to six (6) Di-

rectors may be elected. In odd-numbered years (such as 2019) up to five (5) Directors may be

elected. Directors elect the President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer from amongst them-

selves at their first meeting following the AGM.

This year, PGCOS is seeking nominations for individuals with experience in non-profit boards or

committees and/or with crucial specific talents in fundraising, program development or public rela-

tions. Nominees should have the necessary skills to communicate and participate in a Board envi-

ronment, as well as have an interest in or passion for the issues and concerns of seniors and care-

givers of seniors.

Any PGCOS member in good standing may nominate or stand for nomination themselves through

the PGCOS election process. A nomination form is provided at the end of this newsletter.

Nomination forms must be submitted by Tuesday September 25. Oral nominations will also be ac-

cepted from the floor at the Annual General Meeting.

The population of seniors in this community is rising. Consider helping PGCOS continue to be a dy-

namic organization providing information, empowerment and advocacy for seniors and caregivers of

seniors by nominating or standing for nomination!

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3rd ANNUAL NATIONAL SENIORS DAY

DINNER & COMPETITION

Saturday October 6, 2018

@ ECRA, 1692 – 10th Ave.

Tickets $30 each

Tickets available from Seniors Re-

source Centre, 721 Victoria Street

Dinner 6:00 pm Cash bar

REGISTER YOUR TEAM OF FOUR COMPETI-

TORS TODAY!

(ONE MEMBER OF TEAM MUST BE AGE 55

OR OLDER!)

Lots of prizes! Lots of audience

interaction!

GET YOUR BRAIN WORKING! -

GREAT trivia questions!

Hosted by Prince George Council of Seniors

250 564 5888

CHRISTMAS HAMPERS

PROJECT COORDINATOR

PART-TIME SEASONAL POSITION

Successful applicant will be responsible for all aspects

of volunteer coordination, handling grocery donations,

preparing and delivering hamper bags. Hours will be

minimal to start with the heaviest demand December 10

to 18.

Applicants must submit a hand-written cover letter with

their resume and attend an interview panel. Successful

applicant must provide a completed Criminal Record

Check.

For complete job description, see www.pgcos.ca.

GOLDEN AGE SOCIALS

COORDINATOR

CONTRACT POSTION

Golden Age Socials are a local afternoon tradition

stretching back several decades, and are held five

times each winter between October and March. Suc-

cessful applicant will be responsible for communicating

with host groups and liaising with the Civic Centre staff,

advertising events, and communicating with various day

centres and seniors’ homes prior to each event. Suc-

cessful applicant must be present at each event to wel-

come and assist host groups and guests, make any

necessary announcements, and help with clean-up.

Applicants must submit a hand-written cover letter with

their resume and attend an interview panel. Successful

applicant must provide a completed Criminal Record

Check.

For complete job description, see www.pgcos.ca

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NEW FEDERAL MINISTER

OF SENIORS

Last month, Hamilton-area MP Filomena Tas-si , a first-term Liberal MP for Hamilton-West-Ancaster-Dundas Ontario and previous Depu-ty Government Whip, was named Minster of Seniors. This is a newly created portfolio. Ms Tassi was a corporate lawyer for six years be-fore turning to public service. She spent twenty years as chaplain at a local Ancaster Catholic Secondary School, and has a strong record of mentoring youth and volunteering for charities and organizations serving youth both locally and abroad. She has also served as a school board trustee.

Ms Tassi’s new position as Minster of Seniors is to “help the government better understand the needs of Canadian seniors and ensure that programs and services are developed that respond to Canada’s aging population”. The Prime Minster’s office stated “this will provide Canadian seniors and future retirees greater security and a better quality of life”.

Since Ms Tassi’s career experience to date has been focused on youth, seniors are encour-aged to inform and educate her about seniors’ needs and concerns — especially about sen-iors’ needs and concerns in the rural North. She can be contacted at (no postage re-quired!):

Filomena Tassi House of Commons

Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0A6 OR

Filomena.Tassi@parl.gc.ca

(SOURCE: Jamieson, Kathleen. National Pen-

sioners Federation Newsletter June 2018, Vol

18—Issue 2)

THE TRAFFIC IN SENIORS: SHOULD SEN-

IORS IN RESIDENTIAL CARE BE TRADED

AS COMMODITIES?

Amidst the euphoria that has greeted recent an-

nouncements of improvements in health care by

the BC NDP government, a major blind spot re-

mains: a refusal to stop or at least slow down

the privatization of seniors’ care in BC. Among

many examples of the ongoing trend to hand

over the care of BC’s most fragile seniors to the

free market is the situation confronting seniors

living on the Sunshine Coast of BC.

Seniors’ groups on the Sunshine Coast have

been protesting the plan of the previous BC Lib-

eral government to replace two publicly owned

long-term care residences in Sechelt with a sin-

gle privately built and operated long-term care

residence for more than two years. The con-

tract to build and operate the new private long-

term care facility was awarded in 2016 to a pri-

vate company, Trellis Seniors Services. It was

done without public consultation by Vancouver

Coastal Health Authority, the arm of the govern-

ment responsible for the delivery of public health

care on the Sunshine Coast, according to the

local media and concerned seniors living on the

Sunshine Coast. Health authorities implement

the health policies of the government in power.

Sunshine Coast seniors’ groups are demanding

with increasing urgency that the contract with

the private company, Trellis Seniors Services,

be cancelled, and for a publicly owned and op-

erated facility built instead. Trellis Seniors Ser-

vices is described as being part of “a web of

SENIORS TRADED AS

COMMODITIES

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companies with different names” operating private long-term care facilities in BC. It is noted that the

principal of Trellis Seniors Services, Mary MacDougall, is the former Chief Operating Officer of Re-

tirement Concepts, a chain of long-term care facilities in BC.

Retirement Concepts was traded twice in recent years. The second time, in 2017, it was traded to

Anbang, a large China-based insurance company with a murky history. Anbang has since been tak-

en over by the Chinese government. The fate of seniors’ facilities in BC, now owned by the Chi-

nese government, is unclear. What is clear is that fragile seniors who need extensive care be-

come pawns in these transactions.

Since the cost of providing care for seniors in long-term care is covered by the provincial govern-

ment, which pays a fixed amount per resident to the operator, it is a prized source of guaranteed in-

come for investors. Indeed, Trellis has announced that it is planning to build more private long-term

care homes in BC.

The situation on the Sunshine Coast raises an important question for all seniors in BC: Is the pub-

licly-paid provision of health care for BC’s frailest seniors going to continue to be turned

over to private operators that can buy and sell these facilities complete with occupants?

There is a larger question that needs to be considered: is the out-of-hospital, out-of-home care of

fragile seniors in facilities considered a necessary part of a publicly--funded, publicly-accountable,

quality health care system, or not? How has it come about that our oldest citizens can now be

traded as commodities that earn profits for big corporations?

Allison McCray from the annual Festival of Trees is asking if there are some retired folks in Prince George that would be interested in getting involved with the Festi-

val of Trees as they are seeking volunteers with some time to donate. Anyone interested can call Allison at 250-969-8642.

SENIORS TRADED AS COMMODITIES

CONTINUED ...

FESTIVAL OF TREES HELP WANTED

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Understanding that the little things can matter the most …

Caregiver Support

For those that are caring for a loved one with a life threatening ill-ness in their home.

Coffee for the Caregiver

A drop-in support group for caregivers that offers peer support, and relief from isolation. Thursdays 1 pm—3 pm.

Community Match

If you have been diagnosed as palliative and feel you need some extra support our volunteers will come to you. We offer emotional support, a good visit, and non-judgemental listening. We send our volunteers to your home and to the hospital. Sometimes, some to talk to outside your circle can be helpful.

Remote Hospice

For people that may not be able to leave their homes or live in rural areas we can provide support re-motely. This is a new program, to bring our support into homes through the use of technology.

Please call the Solace Centre for information

250 563 2551

A service provided by The Prince George Hospice Society

Listen LIVE — 93.1 FM

Livestream — www.cfisfm.com

1:00 to 2:-00 pm every Tuesday! SENIOR MOMENTS

Radio Program

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August 16 — Seniors Fair @ Kin 3

August 30 — Forests for the World Walk.

Pick up poster with more details at Ex-

hibit #6 (Better At Home Program) at

the Seniors Fair on Thursday August

16!

Every Sudoku has a unique solution that

can be reached logically. Enter numbers into

the blank spaces so that each row, column

and 3x3 box contains the numbers 1 to 9.

SODUKO SOLUTION below:

ACTIVE AGING PROJECT

PROGRAM UPDATE

SUDOKU

CRITICAL NEED …

MEALS ON WHEELS

VOLUNTEERS!

MEALS ON WHEELS — VOLUNTEER

DRIVERS NEEDED! 1 to 1.5 hour week-

ly commitment. Contact Alex 250 564

5888 weekday morning.

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Here is an interesting and informa-

tive thing that caught my attention on

the www recently.

Breathe Easier During Smoky Skies

https://blog.northernhealth.ca/health-

awareness/breathe-easier-during-smoky-

skies

My eyes, nose and throat are irritated from wild-

fire smoke in the air right now, so I’m sure I am

not the only one who could benefit from the infor-

mation at this website! There are great sugges-

tions for reducing your exposure to smoke includ-

ing not vacuuming while indoors—I like that one!

- and setting your car’s Air Conditioner to recircu-

late, spending time in a shopping mall, library or

art gallery, and keeping an adequate supply of

inhalers or medication if suffering from asthma or

other chronic illnesses. This website contains

several informative links to follow, such as

BCAIRQUALITY.CA — you will find info on cur-

rent air quality, including an interactive map for all

of BC. Plan ahead for outdoor outings and activ-

ities!

Northern Bear Awareness

https://northernbearawareness.com/

Did you know that In Prince George, there are

more bears shot in the fall than at any other time

of the year? Most of the bears destroyed feed

from residents’ garbage or fruit trees. This web-

site has great tips for keeping bears out of your

back yards, including addressing known attract-

ants such as household garbage, fruit trees, bird

feeders, compost, barbecues, and pet food. This

website includes a link to a FRUIT EXCHANGE

PROGRAM — you will find there a phone num-

EXPLORING THE WWW

ber and email address for contacting the North-

ern Bear Awareness Society for help with un-

wanted fruit.

Have you come across a particularly interesting, in-

formative or entertaining website or Facebook

page? Please share! Contact : theseniortimese-

ditor@gmail.com

ASK

Dear Seniors Resource Centre: I just recent-

ly turned 65. My circle of friends is quite small,

and want to expand it. I don't want to be isolat-

ed. What resources are there to meet new

friends, and be more active as a senior in PG?

Sincerely, Quite Sociable on Queensway.

Dear Quite Sociable: Belated Happy 65th

Birthday! There are 5 Seniors Activity Centres

in PG, 3 of which are in the downtown area.

Each Centre has their own activities and meals.

We suggest you try each of them to see which

one (or more) feels best for you. Drop by our

Seniors Resource Centre any weekday be-

tween 9 am and 3 pm for the list with their ad-

dresses. We encourage you to introduce your-

self and ask about volunteer opportunities and

upcoming activities when you visit any of the

Activity Centres.

We suggest you pick up the latest Community

Active Living Guide from City Hall (or

www.princegeorge.ca) for information on many

local recreational opportunities and events.

You might also check out the YMCA of North-

ern BC. Cheers! Seniors Resource Centre.

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MARK YOUR CALENDAR …

Thursday August 16 Seniors Fair @ BCNE — 10:00 am to 5:00 pm

Monday September 3 Seniors Resource Centre CLOSED TODAY

Thursday September 27 PGCOS AGM — 1:00 pm @ Keith Gordon Room,

PG Public Library DOOR PRIZES! REFRESH

MENTS!

Saturday October 6 3rd Annual TRIVIA DINNER & COMPETITION — DO YOU

HAVE YOUR TEAM OF COMPETITORS READY??? Tickets on sale now at Sen-

iors Resource Centre!

June 7 & 8, 2019 PGCOS Parking Lot Sale! Set your treasures aside for

us when you are fall and spring cleaning! Support

this GREAT fundraising activity!

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September 2018

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

2 3

Seniors

Resource

Centre

CLOSED

4 5 6 7

8

9

Grandparents’

Day

10 11 12 13

14 15

16 17 18 19 20 21 22

23 24

25 26 27

PGCOS

AGM

28 29

30 Oct 1

2 3 4 5 6

Trivia

Dinner &

Competition

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PRINCE GEORGE COUNCIL OF SENIORS -- Nomination Form for Director

Any paid-up member of an Association, Group, Organization of business accepted as a member of PGCOS is also a

member of PGCOS and may nominate or stand in nomination through the PGCOS election process. Individuals who

are paid-up Associate members of PGCOS may also nominate or stand in nomination through the PGCOS election

process.

PGCOS Classes of Members:

ASSOCIATION OR GROUP MEMBER: Associations or not-for profit groups or organizations with a primary interest in

seniors. Association or group members may nominate an individual affiliated with their association or group to

stand for nomination through the PGCOS election process.

COMMUNITY MEMBER: public organizations and community-based groups with an interest in the objectives of

PGCOS. Community members may nominate an individual affiliated with their organization or group to stand

for nomination through the PGCOS election process.

CORPORATE MEMBER: A business with an interest in the objectives of PGCOS. Corporate members may nominate

an individual associated with that business to stand for nomination through the PGCOS election process.

ASSOCIATE MEMBER: An individual with an interest in the objectives of PGCOS. An Associate member may be

nominated or stand for nomination through the PGCOS election process.

Name of PGCOS Member making this nomination______________________________________________________

Address_________________________________________________________________________________________

Phone #_______________________________________ Cell #____________________________________________

Email address___________________________________________________________________________________

I am a paid-up member of _______________________________________________________________________

(Name of PGCOS Member Organization – see above classes of members)

I am an associate member of PGCOS.

I am nominating this person _______________________________________________________________________

Their address____________________________________________________________________________________

Phone #______________________________________ Cell # ___________________________________________

Email address ___________________________________________________________________________________

This individual has been informed about my nomination.

This individual understands this nomination is for a two-year position.

This individual agrees to stand in nomination through the PGCOS election process.

Submit completed Nomination Form to PGCOS, 721 Victoria Street, Prince George BC V2L 2K7

FAX 250 564 9155