Kamloops Connector March 2021

March 2021 VOL. 29, NO. 11, MARCH 2021 POWERED BY KAMLOOPS THIS WEEK | A PROUD PART OF ABERDEEN PUBLISHING

We Would Like to Welcome You to Kamloops Food Policy Council! Page 2

Arts groups discover ways to adapt to pandemic challeng Page 3

International Women’s Day March 8, 2021 #ChooseToChallenge #IWD2021

A challenged world is an alert world. Individually, we’re all responsible for our own thoughts and actions all day, every day.

We can all choose to challenge and call out gender bias and inequality. We can all choose to seek out and celebrate women’s achievements.

Collectively, we can all help create an inclusive world.

From challenge comes change, so let’s all choose to challenge.

To participate in the day and the cause, visit international womensday.com to find out more about this year’s campaign.

Seniors & their Vintage Cars: The Bouwmeesters Page 5/6

Urban Chickens; The New Garden Gnomes?

Page 16

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Dreams in a Bubble Page 17

Bring on spring!

W

ith its increased sunshine and warmer temperatures, spring is a beloved time of year. For those who live in areas where the weather changes dramatically throughout the year, spring can be a respite from the snow and also a chance to enjoy the outdoors prior to the arrival of the muggy, hot days of summer.

Families, couples or individuals can create a bucket list of entertaining and perhaps educational spring activities.

• Unless you are a perennial victim of hay fever, get out in nature as soon as you can. Visit public gardens, parks and other areas known for dramatic tree blossom displays or spring bulbs or wildflowers. Wander along the Rivers Trail, drop in to visit the BC Wildlife Park or do a couple of trips around McArthur Park. Take in the sounds of nature and take in some good ole natural Vitamin D. • Watch a sunrise or sunset.

Take advantage of longer days by enjoying nature’s light show. Wake up extra early and start the day with the sunrise. If you’re not a morning person, then wait until the last of the amber and red streaks light the sky and watch the sun drop below the horizon and bring your camera along and document it.

• Fly a kite. There is a reason why the adage “March goes in like a lion and comes out like a lamb” is so fitting. Early spring weather can be gusty and unpredictable. Take advantage of windy conditions by flying a kite in an open field away from overhead wires.

• Head to a farm. Spring is not only about the rebirth of trees and flowers, but also a prime time for various animals to give birth to their young. A visit to an area farm or petting zoo can be a great way to catch a glimpse of some of these adorable littles as they enter and adapt to their new environments.

• Check out a nearby small town.

Take a road trip to an out-of-theway hamlet. Pack a picnic basket and check out the local sights while still maintaining your social distance. Hopefully sometime in the next year or so we can return to more immersive travel again, but until then just enjoy getting out of the house!

• Enjoy al fresco dining. While outdoor dining during the pandemic has been a necessity, do not forget how it also can be a relaxing way to enjoy a meal. Find a restaurant with a particularly scenic backdrop and dine outdoors.

• Visit a thrift shop or flea market.

Spring can be a great time to shop for antiques as well.

• Go horseback riding, hiking or for a leisurely walk somewhere you don’t usually go. Enjoy the scenery and change of pace.

Spring is a perfect season to enjoy various activities and get back out in the fresh air if you’ve been holed up all winter staying safe and warm.

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2 | MARCH 2021

We would like to Welcome You to Kamloops Food Policy Council

by Emily Pletsch, SKFPC Board Director

H

ave you ever heard the name Kamloops Food Policy Council (KFPC) and wondered who they are and what they do? We would like to introduce you to the organization and welcome you to join the network!

The Kamloops Food Policy Council is the first independent food policy council in Canada established in 1995. Over the past 25 years, KFPC has been advocating for food policy, educating the public on food related issues, establishing programs and supporting the creation of local food programs such as Gardengate, Foodshare, community gardens and

community kitchens. Today, KFPC is known for running three programs/projects, the Seed Saving Library, the Gleaning Abundance Program (BAP) and the Butler Urban Farm (BUF). All are welcome to volunteer by gleaning fruit or growing food! Visit the websites below to get involved. https:// kamloopsfoodpolicycouncil. com/gleaningabundance/ https:// kamloopsfoodpolicycouncil. com/butler-urban-farm/ Do you have a passion for issues in our community?

Our values at KFPC are all encompassing. KFPC has seven core values that guide our work: 1) A resilient food system: healthy land and water, 2) alleviation of poverty: equitable access to healthy, culturally appropriate food, 3) local economic vitality: support for regional food providers, 4) our network: celebrating people as gifts and the cultivation of connections,

5) indigenous food sovereignty: decolonizing relations and the restoration of ecological food systems, 6) food literacy: intergenerational knowledge transfer and sharing best practices and research, 7) food commons: the revitalization of local food assets and the sharing economy Collaboration is key at KFPC, this is reflected within our organization’s collaborative leadership structure.

All voices and ideas are valued which contributes to our ability to be nimble and flexible in the face of change. This past year showed us how important a resilient food system is, KFPC responded quickly in action to the changing world by providing recommendations to the Mayor’s Task Force on Economic Recovery and Renewal and launching a Resiliency Gardening Campaign to promote more local food production.

Prior to the spring of 2020, KFPC hosted legendary monthly potlucks. All are welcome to

enjoy delicious eats, connect with the community and discuss new work happening in the community. We look forward to a time when we can gather in person again, until then we are connecting online and keeping the conversation going. All are welcome to our monthly network meetings, join our mailing list to get the details!

Our March network meeting is part three of a series on Race and the Food System.

Cultivating a sense of community is what we aspire for at KFPC. No matter who you are or the organization you

may represent, KFPC’s network has a place for you. If you eat, you belong. Food is something that brings us together, and we love celebrating over it. Visit us at https://

kamloopsfoodpolicycouncil. com/ or connect with

Deborah Ogundimu our Communications and Administration Lead to learn more at deborah@

kamloopsfoodpolicycouncil. com

Seasonal Recipe - Honeyed Cream of Pumpkin Soup INGREDIENTS • • • •

4 to 6 large cloves, or ½ Garlic 2 cups (500ml) pulp Pumpkins 6 cups (1½ L) Chicken Broth 2 tbsp (30mL) Honey

• • •

½ tsp (2mL) Cilantro ½ cup (125mL) Cream Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

DIRECTIONS • Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).

• Place ½ garlic bulb on baking sheet.

• Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until tender.

• Peel garlic and purée in a food processor with remaining ingredients, except cream, until smooth.

• In a saucepan, heat pumpkin mixture over medium heat while stirring.

• Bring to boil and stir in cream.

• Remove soup from heat and let stand covered for 5 minutes before serving.

• Garnish each bowl with toasted pumpkin seeds.

Source: We Heart Local BC

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MARCH 2021 | 3

Arts groups discover ways to adapt to pandemic challenges

By Rebecca Kurtis, Kamloops Arts Council Admin Intern

A

rt changes lives.

Art is healing and can help individuals deal with stress and trauma. For that reason and many more, art organizations are important. With COVID-19 and current provincial health regulations, art groups are having to adapt and change how they operate. This is being felt worldwide and Kamloops is not an exception. A lot of the organizations are having to alter how they operate in order to stay open. We reached out to some of the local arts groups to see how they were adapting.

“The onset of the pandemic meant that plans for all of our regular programs had to be cancelled,” said Kim Mangan, Executive Director of the Kamloops Music Collective. “It took a couple of months before we were able to adjust to the reality of providing programming in a pandemic, but once we did, we discovered new opportunities to serve an often underserved demographic. For example, our online musicals have proven to be very popular with kids in outlying areas who wouldn’t normally have access to in-person programs.

While we are looking forward to the return of our popular in-person program, we are also excited about expanding the new programs that were developed during

the pandemic so that we can continue to make an impact through music.”

Dusan Magdolen, Executive Director of the Kamloops Film Society, stated “In order to pivot and stay viable during these unprecedented times, the Kamloops Film Society has partnered with the Twin Rivers Drive-In; launched a Private Booking option at the theatre; and evolved our Member Structure.

We are staying nimble so that we can adapt as quickly as possible to new opportunities. Though it’s not an ideal time to be in the movie theatre business, it has forced us to unearth excellent innovative initiatives.”

“The Academy of Dance is being resilient during these challenging times, by offering virtual classes to those who are not able to come to the studio due to the impact the virus may have on them, or their family. We offer many hybrid classes so that students can still engage with their peers while learning from home,” submitted Krista Faraday, CEO of Academy of Dance.

“At Kamloops Society for the Written Arts, we’ve been able to increase participation in some of our activities during the pandemic through online engagement. At the same time, hitting pause on some major events has given us the time and space to reflect on our organization, our goals, and our engagement strategies,” stated JP Baker of the Kamloops Society for the Written Arts. “That

enhances our immediate relevance, and our longterm sustainability. In other words, we’re more resilient overall.”

Here at the Kamloops Arts Council, we have had the same challenges.

Terri Hadwin, Executive Director said “Artists are resilient, they have a passion that has been instilled in them that is innate and a pandemic is not going to stop them from creating or performing. The KAC has kept every single one of our pre-COVID programming going while ensuring everyone stays safe. It means a lot of our events or programs went online in 2020. We wanted to provide some normalcy for the artists and the community so that even if they are staying at home, they can still be involved in Kamloops Arts Council activities. Our Kamloops Arts group partners are all making adaptations as well.

Music, Dance, Performing, Literary, Digital and Visual, we are all working event harder now to keep the arts strong in our region.”

The arts have been resilient during COVID, and they will continue to be until it is safe to return to normal levels, and even after a return to normalcy, the arts will be that much stronger for adapting and learning new ways of creating and sharing the arts.

The Kamloops Arts Council is located in the Old Courthouse Cultural Centre, 7 Seymour St. W www.kamloopsarts.ca

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erhaps you are one of the lucky ones and are already finding ways to maintain or create deep connections and live more richly through COVID, but chances are most of us are struggling to various degrees just to get through it.

As we endeavor to keep safely amused during this interminable pandemic, I suspect there will be a great My two cents deal of impulsive behaviour Moneca Jantzen once the lockdowns and Editor public health orders are rescinded. After a year or two of following rules and living relatively small lives, the temptation to book a spontaneous vacation or live life more richly than ever will be hard to resist for those that can afford it. That’s assuming some of us don’t end up so conditioned to living small that we can’t bring ourselves to get back out there in a big way.

I am reminded of my time living and working on a Quebec chicken farm. When it came time to “poignée les poulets” and load them into the truck for slaughter, barriers in the chicken house had been removed, but the mass of chickens would not go beyond the area in which they had been raised. I always thought that was so bizarre, but I kind of understand it a little too well now. Will we spread our wings again when the masks come off?

Many years ago I had a dog named Bear. I had adopted him quite spontaneously when I was still a university student and in my mid-20s. He was a beautiful dog; a border collie cross with a gorgeous plume of a tail. I used to let him walk me sometimes. I’d let him lead the way in order to add a little novelty to our walks. Nothing profound came of any of these canine-led adventures, but it was fun to surrender my fate briefly, in this small way.

I was reminded of this approach to dog walking the other day when I saw a TikTok about an app (Randonautica) that randomly directs you to a spot on the map within 10 kms of your current location. I haven’t actually tried it yet as far as hopping in the car and going to a chosen spot, but the idea is intriguing to me if only because I feel like I’m in the rut of all ruts. Clearly, an abundance of caution would have to be used as you wouldn’t want to trespass or follow your GPS into a lake or do something stupid or dangerous but the element of surprise is appealing.

This contemplation of spontaneity led me to look for other apps that could help generate ideas or get one’s creative juices flowing. I found apps for brainstorming and ones that offer writing prompts for both creative writing and journaling; even list making and goal setting. Finding tools to help keep life interesting when the boredom sets in is helpful. If you have a device and are looking for some inspiration, pop into the app store and have a look around for some new, and hopefully free, apps. Maybe they’ll lead you to a new idea or experience (and I’m not talking about Tinder!)

Speaking of devices, I have 2 old iPads that I want to give away. I would like to give them to individuals in a care home or someone that is isolated and living alone, in need, that requires a device in order to communicate with their family. I would even consider giving a device to a care home to use communally if possible. Please write to me and tell me how an old iPad would help you get through the rest of the pandemic and what it might mean to you and your family (or care home) if I were to choose you.

Send an email with your story to editor@connectornews. ca by March 19, 2021. Be aware that the iPads are used and increasingly obsolete but should be fine for Facetime and other forms of basic communication. They have covers but will not come with charging cables or blocks. These items will have to be replaced.

Voices of Experience www.connectornews.ca Telephone: (250) 374-7467 Office Hours: Monday – Friday 8:30 am – 4:30 pm Please address all correspondence to: Kamloops Connector 1365B Dalhousie Drive Kamloops, BC V2C 5P6 Publisher Bob Doull General Manager Liz Spivey (778) 471-7537 publisher@connectornews.ca Editor: Moneca Jantzen editor@connectornews.ca Graphic Designer: Dayana Rescigno creative@connectornews.ca Kamloops Connector is a monthly newspaper dedicated to inform, serve and entertain adults 45 and over.

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MARCH 2021 | 5

MP not running in next election

your voice in ottawa CATHY MCLEOD MP

A

fter 12 years as MP for the Kamloops-ThompsonCariboo riding, I have decided I will not run again as the Conservative candidate in the next federal election.

It has been an honour, privilege and pleasure to serve the people of this unique and diverse riding, and I will continue to work hard for you until the next election is called, whether that be in two weeks or two years.

There have been so many

initiatives that we worked on together, and wonderful people I’ve met. I see big changes like the road safety improvements made by twinning Highway 1 through Chase, and less visible, yet no less important, changes that have made life better for people.

In Ottawa, I appreciated the opportunity to make a real difference on the national stage in terms of helping influence the direction of our country.

When I look back over the years, I am proud of so much: reducing red tape for business during my time as parliamentary secretary to the minister responsible for CRA, improving mental health standards in federal workplaces while I was parliamentary secretary to the Labour Minister, and five years as Shadow Minister of Indigenous Affairs.

But I still have a few more chapters of life to write, so after four terms as your MP, I look forward to a change of pace.

I am so thankful for the support of my husband Gord and

our family.

I want to recognize the hardworking staff in my riding offices in Kamloops and 100 Mile House, and in Ottawa. These crosscountry teams have done so much to support me in my work and assist constituents over the years.

I’d also like to thank party supporters here and in Ottawa who’ve been behind me, and most of all, the constituents who had faith in me for four elections.

I hope that support will continue for whoever steps up to run for the Conservative nomination here in the next election as I foresee huge challenges for our country.

I believe Conservative leader Erin O’Toole and his team are the only ones that are going to be able to meet those challenges, and I personally will do whatever I can to make sure he gets elected.

Looks like I won’t be receiving mine until early July to midDuring the federal election campaign of 2015, MP Cathy McLeod toured the riding in her motorhome, with husband Gord at her side. Now, she’s September, but I am content to waving goodbye, announcing she will not run again after four terms as MP. wait my turn.

Seniors & their vintage cars Engel and Audrey Bouwmeester

By Dick Parkes,

Kamloops chapter of the Vintage Car Club of Canada

E

ngel and Audrey Bouwmeester are just entering the ranks of seniors and I am happy to finally be able to tell their story as this couple exemplifies what vintage motoring is all about.

Engel was born in Claresholm, Alberta in 1954 and moved with his family to Brocklehurst in 1956. Engel’s dad worked on farms and a sawmill in the area and eventually got into housing construction.

With four brothers and three sisters, Engel’s house was crowded!

Audrey was born in Vernon and after moving to Kamloops met up with Engel when a girlfriend was going out with one of Engel’s brothers and Audrey and Engel were married in 1974. Engel had finished up his schooling at Kam High and Audrey had graduated from across the river at Norkam. Following in his father’s footsteps, Engel entered the building trade and Audrey took a twoyear diploma nursing course in the second class of nursing at Cariboo College.

For many years Audrey worked out of the nursing float pool at Royal Inland Hospital and finished up the last 15 years of her nursing career in the outpatient ward, where some of our readers may

have benefited from her care.

Engel’s first car was a ‘62 Chevrolet Biscayne 2-door sedan that he bought from Fisher Brothers Motors for $125.

Those were the days! He later moved upmarket to a ‘69 Chevrolet pickup, then a ‘72 Chevrolet El Camino and then their first new car, a ‘77 Pontiac Trans Am. Engel had always liked old cars and located his first vintage car while working up in the Campbell Range area. A derelict ‘27 Studebaker 4-door sedan was spotted rusting away amongst some pine trees and when Engel and Audrey went to bring it home, Audrey wondered why someone would actually pay money for that old wreck! The Studebaker was missing the motor, transmission, radiator and shell, among other things, but Engel dragged it home and started his first restoration project, joining the Vintage Car Club in 1978. Looking at the before-and-after photos, you can appreciate how much work was required to turn this abandoned vehicle into a work of art. When our restored cars are exhibited, some folks assume that they were found that way, not realizing the many hundreds of hours and expense required to bring these cars back

Engel and Audrey Bouwmeester stand next to their 1924 Studebaker touring car . to life. The Bouwmeester’s ’27 Studebaker is a perfect example of this.

As sometimes happens in the vintage car hobby, once you start off with a certain marque, others of the same marque seem to follow. After the ’27 Studebaker was finished, Engel heard about a ‘24 Studebaker touring in Richmond and that became his next Studebaker project.

Studebakers just seemed to find Engel and there are now nine of them on his property, including two 1917 touring cars in boxes! Their most recent Studebaker purchase was a ‘54 Commander 4-door sedan that originally came from New

York. This was a complete car in good original condition, but Audrey and Engel are registered to be participants in the 2022 Cross Canada Tour and Engel thought that a few things needed attending to before making that daunting trip. One thing led to another, and of course, now the whole front end is off the car with the V-8 motor being rebuilt, new front suspension being installed and much rust removal and bodywork underway before a complete repaint. Engel estimates that it will be on the road this summer.

Continued on p. 6

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6 | MARCH 2021

Seniors & their vintage cars Continued from page 5 The Bouwmeesters are no strangers to long trips as they estimate that their first Studebaker, the 1927 sedan, has travelled over 40,000 miles since it was put back on the road. Back in 1985 they drove it to Las Vegas and back with a blown head gasket being the only hiccup.

In 1989, they loaded their four kids into the car and drove it along with eight other VCCC members’ cars in a Tour U.S.A event to New Jersey, with stops in Tennessee and Oklahoma on the way home. The only problem they had was a broken wheel which was welded up at a service station. This car has also travelled to many May Tours (the annual Vintage Car Club “convention”) all across the province.

I remember accompanying the Bouwmeester family to a May Tour in Victoria when they were driving their ‘24 Studebaker touring. This car only has a fabric top with no side curtains and on the way home it was cold and pouring rain. They were

stopped under a highway overpass, trying to get their kids dried out so we took one of them in our car (a warmer and dryer sedan) and another car club member took their daughter. Another memorable trip!

Over the past 42 years the Bouwmeesters have been exemplary Vintage Car Club members, participating in many functions, Club positions, building projects, and even chairing our 2004 Crossroads May Tour, when over 200 vintage vehicles descended on Kamloops for three days. They also belong to the Antique Studebaker Club, the Studebaker Drivers Club, the Hudson Essex Terraplane Club and the Vintage Motor Car Club of America and have toured all over Canada and the United States in conjunction with these clubs. Our old cars aren’t meant to be museum pieces and the Bouwmeesters enjoy vintage motoring and all the friends they meet along the way.

MARCH 2021 EVENTS March 8, 2021 is March 17th

Happy

St. Patricks Day

Bouwmeester’s 1954 Studebaker Commander before being taken apart (First Photo). They will be using this car to participate in the Cross Canada Tour next summer.

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1927 Studebaker sedan are before and after restoration, this being Engel’s first attempt at restoring a vintage car.

advisor photos. www.connectornews.ca

MARCH 2021 | 7

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Purpose-driven Retirement Needs a Financial Strategy

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oday’s retirees, and those of tomorrow, have had a sense of purpose their entire lives – and they don’t intend to give it up just because they’ll no longer be working full time. In fact, 51% of recent retirees said retirement is the time for “a new chapter in life,” compared with just 25% who said it was a time for “rest and relaxation.”

According to the 2020 Edward Jones/Age Wave Four Pillars of the New Retirement study. The same study found that 97% of retirees said it was important to keep learning and growing at every age. However, they find their purpose – contributing to the

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your own area – you investment portfolio community, growing probably can’t give as intellectually, gaining having returned a much as you’d like to new experiences and certain percentage. all of them without Or you might have so on – retirees will affecting your own need to be financially had different goals lifestyle today and the in mind than you do prepared. legacy you’d like to now. Or you might How can you leave for your family. have had a somewhat prepare for So, you may want different family a purposeful to take two distinct situation. Changes retirement? You steps. First, consider in any or all of these may want to start by establishing a budget factors could affect asking yourself these for how much you the age at which you questions: choose to retire. But if will give to charitable • Will I need to you conclude that you groups each year. prioritize some of my may need to postpone And, second, think goals? As a retiree, Seea page 2 about for financial including retirement for you may hope to advisor listing. philanthropy in couple of years, your do any number of your estate plans. decision could offer things. You might Because there are some advantages, want to take up a many vehicles and such as the ability hobby or learn a techniques available, to contribute more new skill (online you should consult to your Registered learning means you with your legal, Retirement Savings don’t have to travel tax and insurance, financial Plan (RRSP), far to continue If Tax you’re advertising professionals when Free Savingsremove Account your education), Member SIPC. drawing up your (TFSA) or similar volunteering in your estate-planning employer-sponsored local community, strategies. plan. In any case, it’s photography or It can be extremely a good idea to review gardening. Like rewarding to live PAGE 1your OF 2 retirement plans almost everyone your retirement periodically, perhaps else, you won’t have purposefully – but at least once a year. unlimited financial you’ll find it a lot • How can resources during your easier to do when I incorporate retirement years, you you make the right may need to prioritize philanthropy into my financial moves. financial strategy? these goals, worthy Giving back to your as they may all be to your sense of purpose. community may Member Canadian be a key element of • Can I still afford Investor Protection your purpose-driven to retire at the age I Fund. Member retirement. Yet, with planned? When you – Investment so many educational, first calculated your Industry Regulatory civic and cultural ideal retirement age, Organization of groups in existence you might have been Canada.

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FRIDAY

5

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Exercise Class 10:00 - 11 am

*The library is open when the centre is open* *Pool Tables are open subject to “want”.* *Please call the centre for more information regarding times etc. 250 378 3763* All health and safety protocols are in place.

VIRTUAL CHILDREN & FAMILY GRIEF GROUP Children ages 6-17 with family members who are grieving the death of a loved one

8 week virtual program Wednesdays March 24 - May 12, 2021 3:30 - 5:00 pm Create art, play games and participate in other fun activities to learn a variety of healthy way to express grief and remember our loved ones while we focus on continuing our bonds with them

Sponsored by:

Register by March 3rd dallas@kamloopshospice.com

Planning for Quality of Life and Well Being in Senior Years

by Shirley Palmer-Hunt Placement Executive at SPH Power at Work SPH Power at Work (SPH), an employment agency based in Kamloops since 2008 provides inhome caregivers to care for individuals in their home or one to one care in a residential care setting. I am often asked about what drives my passion to provide this service, especially since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. So, rather than writing a marketing rhetoric, I believe it is of more value for individuals and families who may want to consider the option of recruiting a caregiver from SPH to understand what underlies my passion and commitment to providing this valuable service. This approach to in-home caregiving is not a quick fix, but a considered approach that requires time to plan and implement.

It is a valuable and viable alternative when planning for the safety and well being and future needs of our loved ones.

The quality of life experience of persons in their senior years has been an important part of my inbuilt ethos since I was fourteen years old. I remember being a voluntary worker as a teenager in school visiting the same senior residence which was a bus ride away from where I lived until I left school in Grade 12. So, when I was told about the in-home caregiver service for seniors or persons with disabilities in 2008, the whole idea of tailoring services based on individual’s needs resonated with me.

My memories of visiting the seniors in their residence was of walking in a somewhat shy teenage girl, and leaving with my mind full of amazing stories that was surely told to me because I took the time to listen. I would sit ready to listen to the stories and the memories of the senior residents, because I could see beyond the outward image of a person presented

as aged, and as they shared their stories I would connect with eyes of a person and still see the twinkle of excitement, boldness and thirst for life as they did in their formative years.

Each week I would sit with a different person and after a few years, I would have visited with most of the residents in the care facility. Through their stories I lived through some great memories of childhood and sometimes it would be stories of young women and men who had served in the war, or had memories of those who served. Movingly, I would also hear some great love stories - because love had not diminished with years, and it seemed that where there was loss, there was a sense of a rekindled enduring love: that had walked the corridors from courting to experiencing motherhood, fatherhood and so much more. Taking time to listen to individual stories enabled me to consider and respect the journey of life that had resulted in a person reaching their senior years.

I believe these experiences have heightened my awareness and understanding that the contribution and presence of seniors is fundamental to the ongoing fabric and quality of family life and communities as a whole. We know it is so, because if we sit and engage with many people about their experiences and memories of their grandparents, the stories told are not only personal,

they are compelling and meaningful. A grandparent’s love is a unique and deep love, because at it’s best, this love crosses bridges and transcends multiple generations - It reminds us that we were present before and we take something from the past well into the future.

So, caring for our seniors and providing the best care for them is a central part of the existence of our vibrant society.

In the senior cycle of life I firmly believe that each person should be afforded the choice to make this a great time of memories and live in a safe, healthy environment and participate in society as much as they would like and find possible.

When I reflect upon my early memories of my grandparents and of visiting seniors in a residential setting, it is no surprise that when I first heard about the In-Home Caregiver Services and the quality of life that it affords seniors and persons with disabilities that I have been committed to it for so many years.

The onset of the COVID-19 has also seen a new dimension in the role of the in-home caregivers to increase safety and well being of seniors not only in their own homes, but also

offering one to one care in a residential facility, and we have families who can attest to the benefits of the one to one approach.

Email: sphpoweratwork@ gmail.com

www.connectornews.ca

MARCH 2021 | 9

The Miracle of Light Therapy

E

veryone knows about the importance of Vitamin D from sunlight. However, fewer are aware that there is another type of light that is just as vital to our health - Red and Near-Infrared Light! Over 3,000 peer-reviewed scientific studies showing incredible health and anti-aging benefits of red and nearinfrared light therapy. Wavelengths between 630 nanometers and 850 nanometers deliver the best biological responses. For example, at 660 nanometers, the light is more quickly absorbed by the skin, making it the goto for cosmetic treatments. At the 850 wavelength (near-infrared), it penetrates 1.5 inches deeper into your body, significantly aiding with muscle recovery, joint pain, and full body health.

PhotoBiomodulation (PBM) is activated by Light Therapy. It works by stimulating cellular regeneration & anti-aging systems through activation of cellular mitochondria. That enhances the ATP, the source of energy for every cell in the body Red Light Therapy also boosts circulation, bringing more oxygen and nutrients to your cells and tissues. What does this mean? When your cells are exposed to Red Light wavelengths, a host of regenerative effects occur, leading to younger-looking skin, enhanced muscle repair and even diminished scarring.

Would you like to experience the relaxing benefits of Light Therapy? Book an introductory session (we tailor the treatments to your needs) or, inquire about purchasing your own, very affordable light therapy products such as: • 4 spectrum LED 300 Watt Red Light Panel. This professional quality light panel - perfect for home use; lightweight; targeted or full body treatments. These panels have been uniquely customized (not available elsewhere in Canada).

• 7 Colour LED Facial Mask. All natural, highly effective skin toning, wrinkle reduction, collagen increase, colour balancing and age-spot reduction.

Applications: Arthritis, Reduces Inflammation and Chronic Pain, Collagen & Skin tightening, Speed-up Muscle Recovery time, Reduces Fibromyalgia and Osteoarthritis discomfort, assists with Neurological conditions including Dementia, Alzheimer’s Blue Light for Lou Gehrig’s, (ALS), Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson’s Diseases. Dramatically increases Male Testosterone production (naturally)!

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www.connectornews.ca

10 | MARCH 2021

Real Estate Purchase/Sale Changes 2021 Personal Injury ICBC Claims Civil Litigation Wills/Estate Planning Probate/Estate Administration Corporate Commercial

Kerri D. Priddle

Lawyer

Notary Services

PRIDDLE LAW GROUP

9th Floor - 235 1st Avenue, Kamloops 250-434-8911 www.priddlelaw.ca Open Mon - Fri: 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM

Comfort Keepers

She’s always been the independent type.

We aim to keep her that way.

We help to keep her independent spirit strong. Comfort Keepers® provides compassionate in-home care that helps seniors live safe, happy, and independent lives in the comfort of their own homes.

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SERVICES Companion Care Light Houskeeping Personal Care Respite Care Escorted Transportation

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ComfortKeepers.ca

Legal ease KERRI D. PRIDDLE

T

here is a trend this year towards increased costs for every aspect of the conveyance industry process – registration costs, insurance providers, banks, even the software companies for the conveyancing paperwork.

Current residential purchase and sale contracts seem to have shorter closing dates, which means rushing files. Therefore, there are added costs to order strata forms, insurance paperwork, and mortgage payout statements - all on a rush basis. Expediting all of

these comes with a hefty fee.

Lawyers’ legal fees have not increased.

However, the costs that lawyers have to pay out to service providers to complete the deals has.

Also, now there are extra steps required by both the government and lenders.

The government’s main new requirement is the Transparency Declaration that came into force on November 30, 2020.

The Land Title Act now requires all purchasers to file a transparency declaration containing any hidden interest in the land that is not going on the Land Title document.

The purpose is to combat Money Laundering by ending hidden ownership of property. The additional transparency of registering hidden interests prevents the chance that you get into business with someone you don’t want to.

Lenders also have new requirements to ensure the mortgages they give out are secure.

It is essential for people looking for a mortgage

to be upfront with their lender or mortgage broker and give them every document and piece of information about their financial situation. If a borrower provides the broker or lender the tools to do their job, it all goes smoothly down the line to the lawyer, who gathers the funds to complete the purchase or sale and does the final paperwork for registration.

Once the subjects are removed on a purchase, the contract is made, and the brokers and lawyers have to do everything they can to complete the deal. The purchaser cannot back out after that, even if their financing falls through simply because they did not provide a car loan document or something similar.

PTT is also very expensive - 1% on first 200,000; 2% on remainder up to 2 million dollars – On a $500,000 house that equals an extra $8,000. First time home buyers are exempt from that tax if the house costs less than $500,000.

Families often plan to put just one spouse on title so that the other spouse can save their first-time home buyer exemption from the PTT for their next home down the line.

The lender will require Independent legal advice for the spouse not going on title – this is worth the $500 now to save $8000 later.

However, this plan may not work if the family needs both incomes to qualify. This can also happen last minute if the lender’s underwriter back east suddenly changes the ‘stress test’ requirements or does not have all the financial records it needs at the time of closing.

During a pandemic, this last minute change also means that while also dealing with delays due to COVID-19 protocols, it means additional fees to service providers when the deal changes to add someone extra to paperwork.

As lawyers, we try and minimize the drama and cost, but the delays can be expensive in the end.

Better to be prepared!

Keeping feet healthy is fundamental

by Robin Clements, Robin’s Room Brrr, February has been a chilly one!

When temperatures drop it causes our blood vessels to contract and restrict blood flow to our extremities, reducing oxygen to the heart. As a result, your blood pressure and your heart rate increase. This is our body’s way of maintaining its core temperature. Medical conditions such as diabetes, blood clots, peripheral artery disease (PAD), obesity, and Raynaud’s disease can also contribute to poor circulation.

I have spent the majority of my 23 years as an Esthetician doing regular manicures, pedicures, waxing, facials etc. the beauty stuff. When my Mom was in her 40s, she developed Peripheral

Neuropathy which is a nerve damaging condition that causes tingling, numbness, muscle weakness and pain in the feet, legs, fingers and hands.

As she ages, the condition worsens. She is in her late 60s now.

In 2009, my Mom took a fall because of the unbalancing of her neuropathy that left her with a broken neck and bleeding on the brain. She spent over a month in the hospital ICU unit, and it was a very scary situation for our family. She now requires some basic care as she is not so mobile anymore.

I have always been a fan of feet (Pedicures) in my career, but this incident is why I expanded my skills and went to the

North American School of Pedology to really learn about feet.

My specialized training as a CMP (Certified Master Pedicurist) included extensive Infection Control, Biomechanics of the foot and Advanced Skin and Nail Pathology. With this I am able to treat diabetics.

Diabetics are at a higher risk and should not be treated without such certification.

I take pride in helping people with foot ailments just as much as I do my other beauty services, but if I can help with the pain or discomfort of your ingrown nails, corns, calluses and circulation, that makes my day.

If your feet/lower legs are feeling cold, numb, weak, or your leg muscles are aching, a Specialized

Pedicure at Robin’s Room will get your circulation going. This service includes an epsom salt soak, proper filing/shaping of the nail, removing dead skin from the cuticle to promote healthy growth, exfoliating of the lower leg and feet, a circulation flowing massage, and your choice of polish if you choose to wear it.

Seniors receive 10 percent off the regular price and Robin’s Room is wheelchair accessible. We follow Interior Health COVID-19 protocols and workplace safety precautions. Call/ Text 250-320-8860 to book or online at robinsroom. online. Hope to see you soon. Warmer weather is on the way.

www.connectornews.ca

MARCH 2021 | 11

Motorized Winter Vehicle Fun On the trail of the Bluebird

By Gary Miller, Retired Service Advisor & Certified Automotive Specialist It seems that I get a large amount of my subject inspiration from living in Kamloops and even more from the people here. Going into a local motorcycle/ATV/ snowmobile shop, some tidbits of information, maintenance wise, were brought to my attention regarding these vehicles.

In discussions with the local snow-machine and 4 trac shops I asked them for the most important bits of information that they would recommend to their customers.

General consensus was that most people do perform basic maintenance but fall victim to misreading their snow/environment conditions. The biggest issue is actually overheating despite winter/cold conditions.

At the base or start of your trek up the mountain you are not working the engine too hard but as you

machines do not suffer some of the same concerns because of different engine designs (4 stroke vs 2 stroke) but still can be victims of overheating.

Words of caution, let people know where you are going and when to expect you back, carry necessary survival gear and be sure your gas and oil tanks are filled!

I have experienced a low fuel situation that almost became disastrous so, information gathered and lessons learned.

Enjoy the ride. *You are still obligated to practice COVID-19 procedures.

Any concerns or questions please don’t hesitate to contact me at bigsix8280@ yahoo.ca.

climb and if there is not much loose snow you may run into an overheating problem. If the snow is ice-packed where the track cannot throw much snow towards the cooling system it will contribute to overheating. The snow being thrown up by the track is aimed or directed towards the cooling system which greatly assists with keeping the engine cooler.

Limited snow combined with an aggressive climb can and will result in an overheating condition.

Keep an eye on your temperature gauge, especially with the liquid cooled versions and if the temperature rises too high as indicated in the owner’s manual, slow down and take it easy. Unless there is a mechanical fault the temperature will decrease so you can make your way up to the meadow to enjoy your activities.

Quads or 4 Trac

By Naomi Birkenhead “Though you’re deep in blue You will see a ray of light creep through And so remember this, life is no abyss Somewhere there’s a bluebird of happiness”

Sandor Harmati wrote this infamous song for his friend, Jan Peerce back in 1934. For centuries and spanning many cultures, a Bluebird was thought to be a harbinger of joy, happiness and prosperity for you and your future.

It inspired more than just songs; Belgian Playwright Maurice Maeterlinck wrote the “Blue bird” in 1908 which was later converted into a film featuring Shirley Temple a favorite actress of mine, and outlines the importance of finding the happiness within one’s self.

I have to admit it is hard not to be drawn into a sense of peace when I come upon a flock of this medium sized member of the Thrush family, strung across the waving tips of the sagebrush like a sapphire necklace. We are fortunate enough to be in the migrating range of two

of only three species. The Mountain Bluebird and the Western Bluebird will begin to arrive early March.

The Mountain is a very aggressive bird soaked in Cerulean brilliance. Its foraging behavior is likened to that of a hawk. They can be seen hovering above the ground ready to pounce on the crunchy exoskeleton of their pry in open rangelands and sparsely treed grasslands.

The Western Bluebird boasts an indigo draping across its wings and back, contrasted by a rusty chest that trails up and over the shoulders like a harnessed breastplate. Often seen perching alone, flittering from fences and branches in valleys and open woodlands foraging for insects and berries.

Both Aves are secondary cavity nesters which became a huge factor of their decline during the early 1900s, thanks to the introduction of the European Starling and House Sparrow. These species are notorious invaders with a vicious appetite for hostile takeovers

leaving Bluebird nests in shambles. Sparrows and Starlings will with no conscious smash eggs and even going as far as killing the young and sometimes the adults in order to acquire a nest site.

Luckily we have kind hearted souls that diligently build, monitor and maintain nesting boxes in our region and provide information on migration, broods and population increases. The local Naturalist Club, the Southern Interior Bluebird Trail Society and the Northern American Bluebird Society are championing for the successful repopulation of this symbolic bird. Their websites provide wonderful information on how you can play your own citizen scientist role in supporting this endeavor.

Stay Curious Kamloops!

Bird tip: Bluebirds like platform feeders. They prefer a flat surface to perch and feed from. They are also attracted to mealworms left as an offering.

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www.connectornews.ca

12 | MARCH 2021

KAMLOOPS’ BEST SELECTION OF VQA WINES AND BC CRAFT BEER Find your St. Pattys Day Bevies at Lansdowne Liquor Store

We’re In Lansdowne Mall!

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ACROSS 1. Humanity’s genus 5. “Shooter” ammo 8. Shut loudly 12. S tate categorically 13. B arrel into 14. G enie or poltergeist 16. Algonquian war chief 18. H usky-voiced 19. F ur trader who established a post at Kamloops in 1812 21. E verything in sight 23. B ig Apple, briefly 24. M ake a selection 25. U p to this point 26. H awaiian garlands 28. “ Thirty days ___ September...”

30. S tock market setback 31. E xtremely eager 34. “ ___ I saw Elba.”

36. K amloops major waterway 40. O rangutan, for one 41. B ecame embarrassed 43. P ride parade acronym 46. N orway’s whitetailed eagle 48. S trong undertow 49. “ What have we here?!”

50. B ig kerfuffle 51. C Ds successor 54. _ __ as directed

55. Name that was given to the first outpost in the Kamloops area 59. Your annual fall car job 60. Sweet smelling 63. Comes down in a “wintry mix” 64. Seek answers 65. Large scarysounding lake 66. A few 67. Brownies’ old US org.

68. Arthur, 1975 tennis great

27.

29.

30.

32.

33.

DOWN 2. Eggs, scientifically 3. Stone from Stonehenge 4. Verbal test 5. Legal stand-in 6. Common infants’ complaints 7. Payer ending word, often 8. Polo or orienteering 9. Pinocchio, at times 10. Dry Arizona gully 11. Goes wide of the mark 14. Watchman, in a sheepish kind of way 15. Trial runs 17. Dudes 20. Polka follower 21. Draught pick 22. Mardi Gras follower

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oung weaned pig Y Gussy up Mississippi dike Strike caller, usually Periods of acceleration Divested (of) Unnecessary Ultimate consumers Cincinnati baseballers Turn green, perhaps Throws high in the air Many Halloween night characters Largest island in Asia Gypsy boy, to a gypsy Like a 20 degree angle Part of a screwdriver Bert and Ernie, e.g.

Come down in buckets Rough finger of rock Urgent request DC’s medical agcy. (abbr.)

Driving necessity?

www.connectornews.ca

MARCH 2021 | 13

Clearwater Seniors’ Activities

MARCH 2021

Virtual Options through Clearwater Community Recreation and Healthy Living Program in Facebook. Phone Lynne (250-674-8185) for further info.

SUNDAY

MONDAY

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7

8

14

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22

21

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28

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

2 Live Streaming 3 Live Streaming Sit & Be Fit with Sylvia “Somatika on a Chair” @ 10:30 am with Sharon WGCSS Meeting on 11:00 am Zoom at 10:30 am 9

10

16

17

THURSDAY

23

30

13

18

19

Legion’s 20 Take out Dinner Order between 1:00 - 4:00 pm, Pickup 5:00 - 6:00 pm

Community Volunteer Income Tax Program Starts

8

7

Income Tax by Appt. or Drop off 15

14

Income Tax by Appt. or Drop off 22

21

Income Tax by Appt. or Drop off 28

29

Income Tax by Appt. or Drop off

26

25

27

Book Club “Zoom” 2:00 pm

31

Live Streaming Live Streaming “Somatika on a Chair” Sit & Be Fit with Sylvia with Sharon @ 10:30 am 11:00 am

MARCH 2021

Calendar of Events

Salmon Arm, BC V1E 1H1 | Phone 250-832-7000 Fax 250-833-0550 1

6

12

320A Second Ave. NE (Office Hours: 9:00 am - 3:00 pm) MONDAY

SATURDAY

11

Seniors’ Resource Centre - Salmon Arm SUNDAY

5

Writer’s Circle “Zoom” 2:00 pm

24

Live Streaming Live Streaming “Somatika on a Chair” Sit & Be Fit with Sylvia with Sharon @ 10:30 am 11:00 am

4

FRIDAY

Writer’s Circle “Zoom” 2:00 pm

Live Streaming Live Streaming “Somatika on a Chair” Sit & Be Fit with Sylvia with Sharon @ 10:30 am 11:00 am Live Streaming Live Streaming “Somatika on a Chair” Sit & Be Fit with Sylvia with Sharon @ 10:30 am 11:00 am

Calendar of Events

TUESDAY

Foot Care 2 (by appt. only)

WEDNESDAY

Foot Care 3 (by appt. only)

Income Tax by Appt. or Drop off Foot Care 9 (by appt. only)

Income Tax by Appt. or Drop off Foot Care 10 (by appt. only)

Income Tax by Appt. or Drop off Foot Care 16 (by appt. only)

Income Tax by Appt. or Drop off Foot Care 17 (by appt. only)

Income Tax by Appt. or Drop off Foot Care 23 (by appt. only)

Income Tax by Appt. or Drop off Foot Care 24 (by appt. only)

Income Tax by Appt. or Drop off

Income Tax by Appt. or Drop off

30

Income Tax by Appt. or Drop off

THURSDAY

4

Income Tax by Appt. or Drop off

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

6

Income Tax by Appt. or Drop off 11

Income Tax by Appt. or Drop off

12

13

19

20

26

27

Income Tax by Appt. or Drop off 18

Income Tax by Appt. or Drop off

Income Tax by Appt. or Drop off 25

Income Tax by Appt. or Drop off

5

Income Tax by Appt. or Drop off

31

Income Tax by Appt. or Drop off

SUDOKU

Book Review

By Marilyn Brown

In Extremis: The Life of War Correspondent Marie Colvin

By Lindsey Hilsum Non-fiction, Vintage Publishing, 2019, 400 pages

Possibly one can judge a book by its cover. The middle-aged woman looks directly at the camera, the black eye-patch over her left eye the focal point of the photo; she is smiling, appearing self-confident and at ease in the black leather jacket. This is the internationally renowned war correspondent, Marie Colvin. Fellow war reporter Lindsey Hilsum writes of her friend and colleague with respect, affection, and at times, frustration. Hilsum highlights the rigours Marie Colvin endures covering not just a few battles, but many, in such places as Yugoslavia, the Middle East, Sri Lanka, and Chechnya. In a parallel series of a different sort of challenges the author describes some of the tumultuous relationships with the men whom Colvin loves at one time or another. Colvin’s professional and personal life are driven by her need for adventure, the thrill of “sailing on the edge of a storm”, which is, in fact, as a skilled sailor, her preferred leisure activity. Most importantly, she is determined to be the voice for the voiceless: the civilians barely surviving, or those not surviving at all, who live in the hell of a war zone.

Her determination, physical vigour, and mental toughness result in original and moving articles about the conflicts she covers. Even though the powerful London newspaper she works for at times urges restraint, Colvin is determined.

In 1999 she covers the conflict in Yugoslavia, one of a horde of reporters who want to be the first to interview the rebels in Kosovo. She goes where others fear to tread. As some reporters vacate the area rapidly becoming even more dangerous, Marie dons the flak jacket of a retreating colleague, armed with his explanation of how to apply a pressure bandage to oneself. She goes in. Her pattern: go in, go deep, get the story from not just the famous or infamous, but from citizens caught in the web of war, and tell the world. In the terrifying conflict in Sri Lanka, Marie sustains shrapnel to one eye, the damage causing permanent loss of sight. The nightmares, anxiety, depression, and alcoholism she experiences from this and presumably other war zones shake her physical and mental well-being. However, when later asked if it was worth it, getting the story and informing the world, she is steadfast in her resolve. She believes journalists make a difference. Both she and the author see the brutality that is the result of dictators around the world putting a choke-hold on their own citizens, first destroying or, at minimum, controlling journalism.

Colvin’s later reports on the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad are riveting. She is moved by the young mother with two little children who huddle with other moms and kids in “the widows’ basement” as Syrian government forces bombard the neighbourhood. Later, Marie Colvin and her photographer, Conroy, twice risk their lives to get to the action, crawling through a kilometres long storm drain in the neighbourhood of Baba Amr in Homs, Syria where rebels broadcast their stories.

Government forces “zero in” on the compound, prepared to obliterate the resistance.

To write this book the author, Lindsey Hilsum, relies on her own personal interactions with Marie Colvin, Colvin’s reports/articles to her employers, and Colvin’s journals.

Colvin at one time states, “Reports of my survival may be exaggerated”, indicating she understands risk management, and she queries, “What is bravery, what is bravado?” This book is a fascinating account of a complex woman. Recommended. Lindsey Hilsum is herself a recipient of awards for journalists, and is the author of “Sandstorm: Libya from Gaddafi to Revolution”.

2021

Payment Dates for Old Age Security & the Canada Pension Plan

If you have signed up for direct deposit, your Old Age Security (OAS) and Canada Pension Plan (CPP) payments will be automatically deposited in your bank account on these dates:

January 27 February 24 March 29 April 28 May 27 June 28

July 28 August 27 September 28 October 27 November 26 December 22

nth

www.connectornews.ca

14 | MARCH 2021

Growing your Storage

ONE & TWO BEDROOM UNITS

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everything organized SHAWN FERGUSON Everything Organized

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ver our lives most of us tend to acquire a lot of items due to interests and hobbies and that’s not including gifts and knicknacks. Where do we put all this stuff? For many it’s a cardboard box and down into a dark hole to be out of sight and out of mind. The problem is when day comes and you need to find the ‘whichamacallit’ or the ‘thingamajig.’ So back down into the dark hole to unstack your way to the very back where the items you most need seem to migrate

over time, every time. How can we fix this?

I’ve helped many people maximize their storage in homes and spaces that don’t always have a lot of storage space. When making an area for storage, you have to use all of the space to maximize the area. This means using the height of the room or space not just a single layer of boxes or a haphazard pile that’s ready to fall. In most cases this means some form of shelving or if you are under stairs storage, a rolling platform to hold many items that can be rolled out to help you get to the back of the storage area quicker and containers to store the items.

There are many options out there for storage containers from cardboard boxes to huge plastic totes that would hold enough water to bathe in. Cardboard boxes fail over time and absorb moisture that can destroy all of your items in the box if they were to get wet. For this reason I prefer totes but you really have to choose the right container for the job as they are not all equal.

KLEO’S KLEO’S KLEO’S PHARMACY PHARMACY PHARMAC

KLEO’S KLEO’S KLEO’S PHARMACY PHARMACY PHARMACY

KLEO’S PHARMACY Kleos’ celebrates

International Women’s Day

Kitchen Tile Backsplash Ideas

Come see us for tips intended to help women Whether you are looking for a welcome any health custom-design or a classic finish, related changes with these couple inspiring ideas will ect yourself and your family. No appointment necessary. yourself and your family.

No appointment necessary. be sure to spark your imagination dectyour family .

No appointment necessary . confidence!

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Measure the storage space and work out how to maximize the area. Ideally use all the same size and a medium size tote for most items as weight can become an issue with the larger totes and then they become awkward to move. I always ensure that it is durable quality plastic as the totes I use for my packing services are up to 14 years old and are still in great condition after MANY moves being loaded and shipped everywhere. Clear totes are nice for seeing what is in them, but those clear bins are more likely to break if dropped or in cold weather. Sometimes it is better to invest into a good labeling system instead particularly for longer term storage. With some planning and measuring you’ll have more space and be able to access everything you own with relative ease.

Do you have a topic that you would like Shawn to write about?

Please email him at Shawn@ everythingorganized.net

Mon - Fri: Saturday:

and help you create the kitchen of your dreams.

9am - 6pm Marble Tile 9am I know what you 3pm are thinking, we opened with “doesn’t have to cost a fortune” and dive right into talking about marble tile!

While marble tile does tend to be a little higher in cost, remember kitchen backsplashes do not, - that 5pm typically, require large tile square - footage.

2pmConsequently, some marble tiles work out to be very similar in price to other types of wall tile. Now if you love the look or marble but are working with a tighter budget there are hundreds of polished porcelain tile made to look exactly like real marble that will give your kitchen the same look and feel at a fraction of the cost.

Geometric & Texture When it comes to backsplash tile shape can be as important as colour. Keeping an open mind to

shapes such as pickets, hexagons, diamonds, triangles, arabesque, wave and many others can add a big style element to your kitchen.

As a rule of thumb, the closer you match the grout colour to the tile colour the more the pattern will disappear versus the more contrast from grout to tile colour, the more the pattern will be accentuated. If you prefer a more classic rectangle for your backsplash then you can add a bit of extra style through texture.

There are many tile, both in a glossy and matte finish that come with a bit of texture that can modernize the kitchen without getting too crazy.

When it comes time to choose a backsplash tile a great place to start is on the internet. Getting ideas to which type of tile look you prefer is a great starting point in the process and helps to cut down on being overwhelmed by the many different options on the market. As always if you have any questions please don’t hesitate to reach out!

rotect yourself yourandfamily.

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tiled kitchen backsplash is the perfect opportunity to take advantage and experiment with colour and pattern. It is also a fairly small canvas so it doesn’t have to cost a fortune. The kitchen is the heart of the home and the place people gather the most, so why not add a touch of personality and create a focal point that is unique to you.

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MARCH 2021 | 15

There is treatment for opioid addiction

HEALTH MATTERS MISSAGH MANSHADI Pharmacist

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ver the past 21 years, addiction has increased drastically in Kamloops.

When I started working here, there were three doctors and two pharmacies that did treatments in Kamloops for opioid addiction.

At present almost all pharmacies provide treatments and over a dozen doctors and nurse practitioners work in the field.

We all have an addiction of some sort whether it be our phone, alcohol,

work, cigarettes or opiates.

However, stigma and discrimination toward people that are addicted to opiates are much more severe in our society. This makes it harder for people to ask for help. I hope this article helps you to better understand what we do in the community so you can help yourself or others seek help before it’s too late.

First you need to see a doctor or nurse practitioner that can write opioid agonist treatment, which is a safe and effective medicationbased treatment for people who are dependent on opioid drugs such as heroin, oxycodone, hydromorphone (Dilaudid), or fentanyl. The treatment helps clients and patients who live with opioid addiction improve their day-to-day functioning, find stability, manage withdrawal symptoms, and work toward recovery.

This decreases the chance of drug related harms

such as hepatitis and HIV transmission as well as fatal overdose. The most common Opioid Agonist Treatment (OAT) uses medications such as Suboxone, Methadone or Kadian (extended-release Morphine) taken orally.

Individuals come daily to pharmacies and take those medications and after successful therapy, they can take it home and not come to pharmacies on a daily basis.

Each individual is different and treatment may take as little as a few months or as much as several years to deal with the emotional, physical and/or social issues that led to their opioid use in the first place. Generally, long-term treatment (that is, greater than six months) is associated with better health outcomes.

You may think that going to a facility for withdrawal management (Detox) or cold turkey is the best way to overcome

addiction, however research shows that most people who have stopped taking opioids without first being stabilized on opioid agonist therapy will lose their tolerance very quickly and relapse. This also can be fatal as they may use illicit drugs at the same dosage they were previously accustomed to and overdose. Encouraging these individuals to start with Opioid Agonist Therapy to stabilize and then taper down to Methadone or Suboxone and eventually Detox is the most successful way forward.

What we, the general public, can do is stop looking at these people as problems and encourage them to seek support. This can happen to you or your loved ones and no one is immune to it. If you are interested in starting or continuing this course of treatment, contact your doctor, nurse practitioner or pharmacist.

Hope Springs Eternal for 55+ BC Games Zone 8ers

By Linda Haas

I

t is time to spring forth and reactivate as much as possible, under the circumstances.

Our March 18 general meeting will be a virtual ZOOM meeting starting at 1:30 p.m. Please contact Peter zone8pres. peterhughes@shaw.ca by March 8 if you plan to attend so he can send you the link to the meeting. Be a little early to give you and Peter time to link up. Make sure your audio and video are working.

Jeff Herring submits his fifth piece of advice in ways to stop procrastinating: When you receive a project with a due date, move the date up one week. If it’s due on the 21st, make it due for you on the 14th. Sounds nuts but it works. A due date is an arbitrary mark in time set my someone else.

Moving up the date puts

you back in control.

On the subject of reducing procrastination, now that we’re well into 2021 we need to remind 55+ folk that memberships are due for this year.

Although the Victoria Games are postponed until 2022, we still need funds to run Zone 8 business, and prepare to get ready for a competitive season next year. More information to come soon.

Daniel Levitin, cognitive psychologist, neuroscientist, musician, and author of Successful Aging, offers this advice: Some people who seem to age more successfully than others can thank genetics; some of it is just plain luck.

But there are things all of us can do, starting at any age, to tilt the variables in our favour. I distilled them down to the COACH principle for lifetime brain health:

Stay Curious about the world and the people in it; Stay Open to new experiences; maintain active Associations with people (make new friends and keep the old ones you have); be Conscientious about your health— see the doctor regularly and commit yourself to successful aging, which includes following Healthy lifestyle practices, like a balanced, varied diet and good sleep hygiene.

Exercise helps too, but more important is movement and exploration. The act of walking or cycling in new environments keeps your brain young, because exploring and navigating rejuvenate the brain.

Speaking of new experiences, Zone 8 is working on a fundraiser this spring, which would involve a virtual silent auction. Potential bidders would pay a small entry

fee, then be able to submit bids on items in advance of, and on the final auction day. The highest bid would be the winner of the item or group of items. Persons donating items would send a photo and brief description, along with a minimum bid. Further details are in the works and will be made known before the end of March.

Zone 8 has a Facebook page which is now active: https://www.facebook. com/55plusbcgameszone8 If you wish to help as admin and moderate, contact Director Heather Sirianni: heather55plus@ gmail.com In the meantime, STAY SAFE, KEEP HEALTHY & THINK POSITIVELY!

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16 | MARCH 2021

Urban Chickens; The New Garden Gnomes? Story By Trudy Frisk

C

hickens are ‘in’ in urban Atlanta. In fact, right across the U.S. sales of chickens to urban residents are up by 25%.

Is this some new form of selfreliance? City people taking their eggs into their own hands so to speak? Not exactly.

“City folk are turning to chickens “, writes reporter Danny Flanders in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, “not just as child-friendly pets, but as garden accessories, call them live yard-art, at a time when the mere glimpse of a few fat birds puttering around in the petunias lays a big smile on their faces.

Call it the simple life. Credit the fresh eggs. Regardless, chickens are flying high, not just in Atlanta, but right across the country.”

This schmaltzy urban take on chickens just shows what good P.R. can do for a species.

Now, I respect chickens. There’s no better method of turning grasshoppers, grubs and seeds into eggs. Over decades hens have provided sustenance to the farm family and been a source of income for the farm wife. These days, however, few people know chickens personally.

But, they’ve heard the stories: the Little Red Hen, that thrifty provider, diligently working away in spite of other animals scoffing at her; Chicken Little, the world’s first non-human weather predictor, warning

that the sky was falling. Wise, dedicated, caring birds. Just the sort of thing for the back yard.

Someone should warn those city folk that, unless they change their assumptions about chickens, they are in for some nasty surprises.

First, they can kiss those petunias goodbye, along with most other yard plants. Those sweet chickens busily pecking around the property also bite and scratch and will uproot any plant they can get at. There’s a reason for constructing chicken runs. City gardeners will have to choose: chickens or petunias.

It’s not likely they’ll get to keep both.

‘Child-friendly chickens’ eh?

Now, there’s an urban myth in the making, unless chickens have changed considerably since I used to pass the henhouse at a full gallop hoping to out-distance the rooster.

Somewhere, in some breed, there may be roosters which have taken a pledge of nonviolence. I never met one.

Leghorns, Barred Rocks, Rhode Island Reds, one and all had roosters renowned for their ferocity. Size is no guarantee of gentleness; the bantam roosters were the toughest of all.

As for being child-friendly, we children were the ones they picked on because we were smaller and more vulnerable. I have the scar, faded now, from the time I ran headlong into a

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barbed wire fence trying to get away from the resident rooster.

I looked back to see if he was gaining and, when I turned forward again, ran full tilt into the fence.

So, a few weeks later when I noticed that rooster sneaking up on me as I was hanging out laundry, I had no compunction at all in smacking him with the clothes-line pole, He gave a muffled squawk and settled into a heap of feathers on the ground. But, not for long. Even my brother, a small pacifist at the age of six, was driven to defend himself. He succeeded, somehow, in trapping the rooster between his legs and pummelling him unmercifully when the rooster attacked him.

Nothing made an impression on that rooster until the Sunday afternoon when, drunk with confidence, he over-extended himself, and attacked our father.

Father was just coming out of the outhouse, doing up his braces and thinking solemn thoughts when the rooster launched himself from four feet away. He landed, talons out, right in the middle of Father’s back. The rooster soon realized his mistake. Dislodged from his perch, he ran faster and faster around the yard pursued by Father who was kicking at him while holding up his pants and uttering strong words.

‘Child-friendly”? I don’t think so. You may protest that this sort of behaviour is to be expected from roosters, but that hens are kindly, quiet, clucking creatures. Symbols of domestic coziness Hah! Those city chicken-lovers are about to discover the origin of the term ‘pecking order’. Far from all getting along in feathered sisterhood, chickens will drive the weakest away from food and shelter if they can. A fine example for the children of America.

It’s ironic that city dwellers are acquiring chickens just as they are being phased out in rural areas now becoming urbanized. Novice city chickenowners might well wonder if there are reasons their feathered friends aren’t welcome at close quarters.

The truth is chickens have several annoying habits not

shared by such common forms of yard art as cement rabbits or statues of little boys with wheelbarrows.

No matter how good-natured and supportive the neighbours, they won’t respond well to the clarion call of Randolph the Rooster every morning at dawn.

Chickens may not crow, but they cluck incessantly. Aspiring chicken owners should first peruse their city’s noise by-laws.

And all nature is a circle.

What goes into a chicken, whether it’s worms or chicken feed, must inevitably come out. Unless the chickens are penned- and there goes the value of interactive yard art the resulting manure will be all over the yard. Explaining to a chagrined canvasser for the Heart and Stroke fund that she’s just slipped on a pile of yardart droppings on the walk may mollify her. Then, again, maybe not.

Will chickens be permitted in high rises? Chickens on a 9th floor balcony could have serious consequences for residents below. Maybe city dwellers should closely examine a chicken roost before deciding against hamsters as preferred pets.

Chickens can be a serious nuisance at home. But will they stay home? Unlike ceramic frogs or statues of deer, chickens can fly.

There are consequences. Just ask people in Los Angeles. L.A. welcomes domestic chickens but hens only. Roosters are prohibited. “Problem solved.” you say? You don’t know nature.

L.A. also hosts fighting cocks. (roosters) Some bored domestic hens flew their coops. Some roosters bred to fight but tired of violence did the same. They met and mated. L.A. now has flocks of feral fowl with attitude; determined never to become anyone’s lunch and able to enforce their decision.

The U.S. is a litigious society.

The first time a phone rings in Atlanta and a neighbour accuses the next-door chickens of having attacked her cat, eaten her specially purchased garden ladybugs, wrenched out her pansies, and left droppings all over the pool deck, the chicken owner better hope that his insurance policy covers the depredations of domestic fowl. If not, it’s time to start thumbing through the yellow pages for a clever lawyer with a sense of humour. Even in the inter-active society, chickens as yard art seems to be pushing the envelope. L.A.? City lawyers may use nature as a defence.

If city folk want yard art that cheers but doesn’t bite, they should stick with gnomes.

Consider the good qualities of the under-appreciated gnomes. They present an image of industrious self-reliance without destroying the lily beds.

No gnome has ever pecked a newspaper carrier. Not one stands accused of leaving a mess on the doorstep for the boss to step in on his way into dinner. Gnomes, if their switches are turned off, never, ever, awaken the neighbourhood with hideous screeching at 3:30 a.m. Gnomes don’t need to be fed, they forage for themselves.

Gnomes aren’t a temptation to such predators as weasels, coyotes and skunks. Gnomes never lay eggs in some remote part of their own or someone else’s yard.

Best of all, when you put a gnome down, he stays there. No flitting about the place, hiding under the lilac, going wild, dodging out into traffic. There are no feral gnomes, Quiet, pleasant, colourful, requiring nothing more than to be moved before mowing, gnomes are definitely yard art for the discerning urban North American.

www.connectornews.ca

MARCH 2021 | 17

Dreams in a Bubble

Story by Rita Joan Dozlaw

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nergetic Verla complained to her retired husband Tom that she was disappointed that the hours of operation at the local gym were cut—a sign of the times. “Last night I dreamed I had a home gym, gee,” she mused. Her woes were not surprising in light of the 2020-21 Coronavirus pandemic. Their industrious son, Jake, part of their ‘bubble,’ quickly got wind of his mother’s lament.

The retired folks’ basement was unfinished except for a cedar sauna. With his parents’ permission on the design for a work-out room, Jake proposed a deal to his dad. In response, Tom said, “You can get your brother and buddies to help if you promise to record your time and save every receipt for reimbursement!” Jake agreed and asked only that his folks refrain from inspecting the project while it was underway. Tom hesitated… but shook hands on it.

“What are you gonna need, exactly, mom?”

“Oh, just nicer lighting n’ flooring I won’t slip on.” She giggled with an after-thought…

“Maybe a small mirrored wall like my favorite gym has. Your dad and I’ll shop around for equipment; that is, if you guys will set it up for us.”

“You’re on, mom!” Later, Jake’s enthusiasm spilled over to his wife and sister-in-law and, like bubble heads, they chin-wagged their creative ideas.

Guys being guys, Tom’s use of the room was figured in… perhaps a few aspects of a man cave. Jake took his mom’s dream to heart, though, and didn’t share the macho guys’ vision. Framing up and dry-walling, the young men built in a dazzling white quartz counter, a sink and a

cupboard underneath. They left space for a fridge. “After a workout and sauna of eucalyptus, a juice bar’s a perfect mate,” Jake professed... and that was as masculine as he got!

A window needed replacing; the back door needed refinishing; agreeably, the guys got rid of both and replaced them with double French doors. They painted the walls ‘Brick Rust’, tones which ran through the finely-woven striped wall to wall they laid last of all. Jake’s dad had long dreamed of a LaZboytype chair so the brothers pooled for a pair of plush, chalk-white rocker recliners. They didn’t save the receipt. Meanwhile, Tom and Verla ordered a treadmill, an exercise bike and an elliptical trainer.

The day arrived when renos were complete and everything was set up. The patient elders didn’t peek knowing the kids wanted to totally surprise them.

And were they surprised! The impressive gym took their breaths away. In their intimate ‘bubble’, the family celebrated around the mini bar. Verla was especially thrilled with the studio stools and the overall ambience created with amber bulbs in the two crystal atmosphere lights on the counter. They gave the room a candlelit glow. Her girls accessorized with cushions and throws, and gifted her with a Tiffany-style floor lamp between the recliners.

Typically, like many things during the months of physical distancing, the novelty of exercising at home wore off. One afternoon, still in her PJs, Verla headed downstairs to kill time.

Seeing the equipment inspired her to work out so, taking two steps at a time, she went back up and changed.

In capri pants, she came down and got on the tread mill.

Oh, no, I can’t do this in my slippers! She’d failed to put her hot athletic shoes on… the ones she’d splurged for, in a weakness of sneaker madness, during the Black Friday sales in the mall.

Back she went, also grabbing her new Christmas book, ‘Stretching for the Sport of It,’ by an anatomy expert. She danced down the steps on her cool cushioned feet.

Near the bottom, she remembered the red yoga mat she got on her birthday so ran back up. I’ll lay on my mat to stretch. Hauling it out from the closet, she heard Tom mutter something weird.

“Hey Verly, I’m gonna take my pants down… and pick ‘em up in two or three weeks.”

Laughing hysterically, she answered, “You’re gonna do what?”

“I told you, Verly, I’m getting my legs shortened!”

“Really, why? I like ‘em just as they are!” She teased.

“Don’tcha remember? A tailor’s gonna shorten ‘em for me!”

Verla just kept laughing. “Be sure n’ pull ‘em back up over your shortened legs before you leave, honey,” she teased again.

Alone in the house, Verla realized the stairs had taken a toll on her legs. Again at the treadmill, she bent stiffly to roll out the mat. I really should read, ‘Stretching for the Sport of It,’ first.

But, then, a lazy mood crept over her and she dimmed the potlights, strolled to the bar and made a mug of marshmallowtopped hot chocolate. Sipping slowly and slumping onto the recliner, she thumbed through the book. Shoot, I need my glasses n’ they’re on the bedside table… upstairs! On her last legs, she dragged herself up yet again.

Completely out of the mood to exercise, she put the glasses on her nose and selected a

different book, tucked it under her arm, held fast to the banister and slowly descended to her sanctuary one final time. She stretched a good one deciding the stair-climbs exercised her old bod quite enough for one day. In her recliner, she rocked and gazed at the sleek exercise equipment reflecting in the bevelled mirrors. My dream came true. Randomly opening her book titled, ‘Notes from a Nut’, her rapt eyes glinted with surprise at a vignette: Dear Editor, I don’t have the equipment I need to walk across this room! When I feel better though I’m gonna dance ‘til my pants fall down—and I’ll dream!

The Earl of Sandwich once said, ‘There is no future without today’s dreams.’ Signed, A Nut. “I hope that’s the truth!” Verla vented aloud. “I might be nuts, but I’m dreaming of a shot in the arm; a vaccine against Covid will do the trick!”

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18 | MARCH 2021

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weeks without food, but only three days without water. Our bodies are roughly 70 percent water, and they need water to maintain health and vibrancy.

Recently I’ve been reminded that our Indigenous neighbours Colouring outside the lines consider water as more REV. LEANN BLACKERT than a commodity to be pumped into bottles and Wild Church run through pipes into our homes. As Denise Nadeau summarizes in t’s morning in our her book, Unsettling house. I’ve had a Spirit: A Journey into shower, filled the Decolonization, “water kettle with water and is alive; it is sacred; enjoyed my morning it is part of a holistic cup of tea. I’ve filled my system, a greater water glass and topped interconnected whole; off the cats’ water bowl. and we have obligations, I’ve showered, and yes, responsibilities, to water I’ve flushed the toilet. as a relative with whom Lots of water has flowed we are in relationship.” through our pipes In the Christian story, already and it’s still early. water is present from Too often I’ve taken the very beginning. Our my access to water creation story tells us: for granted. Now I’m “In the beginning when learning to be thankful God created the heavens for the water – and to and the earth, the earth express my thanks to was a formless void and water directly. I also live darkness covered the face with the knowledge that of the deep, while a wind too many Canadians in from God swept over remote communities live the face of the waters.” St without clean water.

Francis names water as March 22nd is World sister.

Water Day, a day set aside Several years ago, to celebrate and to take I had the privilege of action to protect our hearing a talk given by water sources. Before Grandmother Aggie, I turned the calendar one of the 13 Indigenous page and discovered this grandmothers who date, I had been learning worked together for the good of all creation. again the value of water.

Grandma Aggie’s focus Water is life. It is said we was on water and she can survive about three

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encouraged us to develop the habit of thanking and blessing the waters in our world and in our neighbourhoods. She shared the work of Dr. Masaru Emoto, who believed in blessing the waters we enjoy. Recently a water blessing song was shared with me. It was a song written by Beatrice Menase Kwe Jackson, Migizi Clan of the Anishinawbe Nation.

The Ojibwemowin words are far more beautiful than the English translation of “Water, we love you. We thank you.

We respect you.” (to hear Beatrice Jackson sing her song: http://www. motherearthwaterwalk. com/?attachment_ id=2244).

Today I live beside a pond and wetlands area.

This area is filled with life.

Red-winged blackbirds trill from tree branches.

Mallard ducks laugh at life all day long. Owls nestle into tree branches between hunts. Yesterday I watched a hawk perched high in a tree surveying the scenery. An eagle flew overhead. Eventually turtles will emerge from their winter hibernation and sunbathe from atop fallen logs. Hidden beneath the surface of the land and the water are myriad other life forms.

All of us are dependent on these waters for life, fact that speaks of our own interconnectedness.

Water truly is sacred.

Water deserves our gratitude and our blessing. Imagine if the translators of the creation story had chosen the alternative meaning for the Hebrew verb translated “have dominion over.” Our encouragement would then be to “be responsible for.” Being responsible for water suggests being in relationship with water.

Today I will walk through the wetlands and around the pond, thanking and blessing the water. Today when I access the water in my home I will try to remember to say thank you. And to thank the Source of these waters.

No, not the local water treatment plant and the city that controls it. I will thank Creator, the Great Mystery, for the gift of water.

Sister water, we thank you. We love you. We respect you. #worldwaterday Rev LeAnn Blackert works with Michele Walker and Lesly Comrie in ministry with Wild Church in Kamloops, Sorrento and the Okanagan (wildchurchbc.org).

She lives in an evolving world and finds her own understanding of God/ Great Mystery/Holiness also evolving, and loves exploring questions of faith in a community of seekers.

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MARCH 2021 | 19

That Really Sucks: Empathy 101

WENDY WESEEN

True compassion means not only feeling another’s pain but also being moved to help relieve it.

T

Daniel Goleman

hose words were spoken from the mouth of Daniel Goleman, the author of Emotional Intelligence, the ground-breaking book that redefined what it meant to be a whole human being and smart. The words ring as true as church bells on a Sunday morning.

Being expressive about feelings was unacceptable for a proper British girl like me, a descendant from Queen Victoria’s

for others needing compassion is a double whammy. But no matter what, we can listen, hold space for others and respond with empathy.

These days empathy and compassion are bandied about like identical twin teddy bears tied to my walker looking for a place to land. Suddenly humans have discovered compassion in new places at whole new depths. I hope the significance of compassion when it is used interchangeably with empathy does not lose its meaning or is cheapened by over-use.

Empathy is a learned skill to express compassion in a helpful way. Sometimes, “Wow that sucks” is best! or “I’m so excited for you.”

In the 80s, the expression “validation of feelings” was the buzzword and took on cliché proportions but still was an effective first response to another’s feelings. When someone listens to hear instead of listening until it is our turn to talk, is the validation (recognition and acknowledgement) we need. It isn’t “don’t feel that way,” or any response that diminishes experience, struggles, or

ask drake DRAKE SMITH Funeral Director Where were you in Feb. 1964? If you were in the Vancouver area, you were probably reading the Vancouver Sun every day.

In the Feb. 29, 1964 edition (yes, it was a leap year!)

Bob Porter wrote an article called “Tom Given Do-ItYourself Funeral: ‘The Best Way,’ says Father.”* Bob Porter’s article tells the story of a young man, Tom Brown, who drowned in a boating accident in the Gulf Islands the week

on Broadway in Vancouver to register Tom’s death.

Then, they headed to the crematorium at 41st and Fraser, “and turned the body over for disposal.”

Total cost (not counting ferry rides, gas, meals, etc.) was “$50 for the cremation; $1 for the death registration form, and about $7 for the wood and nails used in the coffin.”

How did Euan feel at the end of the day? “It was a long day, and when it was all over, we felt good about what we’d done” said Euan.

Why am I telling you this story? It all started for me about a month ago when I received an anonymous letter in my mailbox. It came in a CIBC envelope (the kind you get when you make a bank deposit).

My name and address were typed using an old fashioned typewriter. The sender used lots of ‘white out’ and the address and postal code were incorrect but it somehow managed to get to me.

We receive so few actual

letters in the mail these days so I was excited to open the envelope.

It contained no note, only a photocopy of the Vancouver Sun, Feb. 29, 1964 article with the words scribbled in ink at the top: “Is this legal nowadays?”

It is, indeed, still legal to do what Euan Campbell did as long as you follow all the rules in the Cremation, Interment and Funeral Services Act and Regulations, you could handle Murray’s burial or cremation on your own. The rules are pretty comprehensive, however, and then there’s the question of your ‘emotional readiness’ to take on this role. In over twenty years, I think I’ve only witnessed a ‘do-it-yourself’ funeral (burial/cremation) twice.

Most people appreciate someone else taking care of this important moment. *All quotes this month’s column are from this article, found on pages one and two of The Vancouver Sun, Feb. 29, 1964.

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Drake, do we even need you? before. Tom’s stepfather, Euan Campbell, called six funeral homes for quotes and was “appalled at the cost of a funeral.” They told him it would cost “about $800 for undertaking service and cremation or burial.”

Euan Campbell decided to make it a ‘doit-yourself’ funeral for young Tom Brown. Euan and his brother-in-law, “sculptor Sam Burich, 38, of 4164 Sardis, Burnaby” hopped into Euan’s blue Volkswagen van and headed to Nanaimo, Vancouver Island, to pick up Tom’s body. They took along a homemade casket they’d built for Tom. The casket cost them $5.60 for the plywood and 50 cents for nails.

Euan and Sam met the coroner at the hospital morgue in Nanaimo, got the medical certificate of death, loaded Tom into the homemade box, and headed back to Vancouver. They went to the Vital Statistics office

THE FAMILY FRATERNITY

feelings. (You’re making a mountain out of a mole hill.)

Feelings have a bad reputation as a sign of weakness. Some people instinctively have empathy skills. People who work in human service set out to learn them. Others are uncomfortable with feelings and avoid emotionally literate people. Yet others lead with their fists, unengaged by their hearts. Most people feel compassion but do not know what to do with it and it hurts; in a kind effort to be helpful, prematurely try to fix things for them. Emotions are in play every day, up and down like puppets. If we can respond with first response empathy, feelings can fade away like dew drops in the morning sun and sensible, unharmful decisions and actions can be chosen. Owning them is informative and part of being a whole human in a balanced life. They are not a frill but a gift given by nature to inform us, signal the importance of something and lead us to empathy for others as well as ourselves.

NTURIST AS DE S

The inside story

mastermind. “Don’t put yourself forward, children should be seen but not heard. We are not amused.” But what was I to do? I was born with a quirky sense of humour, a warm open heart and easy connections to others— flaws in my nature I thought. I’ve stood in enclosed elevators and sat on buses for five hours with people like me. Until one day I woke up and found myself saying, Hey, wait a minute! That gremlin at the bottom of my bed is really a winged sprite. I learned about active listening, taught interpersonal skills, lived a compassionate life, and knew what I needed in my own life. I feel compassion when another person is in pain and imagine what it must be like to be in the same circumstances.

It takes a whole village to raise an old person.

Especially in the middle of a life transition, an atmosphere of isolation, loneliness, and numerous obstacles for an aging population on lockdown.

But still wanting to maintain independence and at the same time to act with empathy

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20 | MARCH 2021

Five Steps to Better Hearing

Is hearing loss affecting your relationships or quality of life?

Do you find yourself avoiding social situations that you once found enjoyable — or isolating yourself from those you love — because hearing is a challenge?

Do something about it by following these five simple steps to better hearing!

Step 1 Test your hearing

Experts recommend that you see a hearing care professional for a comprehensive audiological examination.

Step 2 Join the Club

Step 3 Know the effects of hearing loss

If you have hearing loss, you’re in good company. It’s the third most common physical condition affecting older adults after arthritis and high blood pressure.1Millions of people around the globe have hearing loss, including:

1 in 3 people 60 years old and older

Two-thirds of adults over 70 years old

4 of 5 people 85 years+

Step 4 See a hearing healthcare professional

Many people ignore hearing loss because they falsely think the consequences are not that bad. But years of research shows otherwise. Untreated hearing loss has been proven to impact our physical and mental health and, ultimately, our quality of life.

The growing list of issues linked to hearing loss includes: • Relationship issues • Social isolation • Fatigue • Depression • Anxiety • Cognitive decline and dementia

Step 5 Hear better. Live better.

Don’t wait until hearing loss leads to bigger, irreversible issues. Treat it as soon as possible. Start treatment by making an appointment with a hearing healthcare professional. Only they have the experience and equipment needed to perform a thorough and proper audiological evaluation, then prescribe the solution and treatment protocol that best fits your unique needs.

It’s proven that hearing health is connected to our overall health and well-being — and treating hearing loss has numerous benefits. It improves relationships and quality of life.

Hearing testing, hearing aid fittings and hearing aid programming by appointment only. PLEASE CALL 250-372-3090 TO BOOK YOUR APPOINTMENT. Drop in for a cleaning! Please call us from your cell phone when you arrive or come and knock on the door and we would be happy to assist you.

414 Arrowstone Drive Kamloops, BC 250.372.3090 Toll Free 1.877.718.2211 Email: info@kamloopshearingaidcentre.ca or online at:

www.KamloopsHearingAidCentre.ca Find us on facebook: /KamloopsHearingAidCentre