Kamloops Connector October 2021

October 2021

www.connectornews.ca

VOL. 30, NO. 6, OCTOBER 2021 POWERED BY KAMLOOPS THIS WEEK | A PROUD PART OF ABERDEEN PUBLISHING

A call for migrant justice in our local food systems Page 2

“Just Breathe” is the KAC’s Mental Health Month Exhibition Page 5

What to expect after cancer treatment ends

Family caregiving in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic

Page 8

Page 14

Roots

Page 18

Giving back safely and successfully

Kara Evans’s recent submission to Kamloops This Week’s photo contest features a dramatic sky and sweeping view of our valley. The last few weeks of fresher air and higher visibility has been a welcome reprieve from a summer dominated by wildfires and overwhelming smoke in the area.

People often gain a greater sense of purpose and happiness after giving to charity, and seniors are no exception. According to a study from Merrill Lynch and Age Wave, today’s retirees are almost six times more likely to define success by generosity than their wealth when compared to seniors of yesteryear.

Seniors’ eagerness to give makes them prime targets for charity fraud. Giving in retirement while avoiding fraudsters is challenging, but seniors who recognize their vulnerability can reduce their risk of falling victim to criminals.

Research before giving To ensure a donation will be spent in the way it was intended, seniors

should thoroughly research organizations before becoming donors.

Individuals can research charities by getting recommendations from friends and family, as well as learning about organizations through the Better Business Bureau. Online rankings and scam alerts can help with decision-making as well.

Don’t feel pressured High-quality charities do not need to resort to pressure tactics to solicit funds.

Similarly, individuals should not feel put upon to donate because of gifts received in the mail. Such gifts commonly include note pads and return address labels. Seniors should make donations based on how they feel about a particular Continued on p. 16

HOME IS NOT JUST A PLACE, IT'S A FEELING. 250-372-8141

834 Laval Crescent

www.connectornews.ca

2 OCTOBER 2021

A call for migrant justice in our local food systems

By Mitch Ward, Migrant Worker Outreach - Kamloops Immigrant Services

B

etween the wildfire smoke, the pandemic and systemic marginalization it has been a difficult season for migrant farm workers in the Thompson-Nicola. Each year, hundreds of people leave their families back home to work in this region growing vegetables, irrigating fields and picking the fruit we all enjoy so much. A growing number of workers arrive from places like Guatemala, Mexico and Jamacia under streams in Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker

Program which permit them to work for as little as a couple months, but up to two years.

Their permits are tied to a single employer and do not allow them to change workplaces, including in cases of alleged abuse or poor working conditions.

Furthermore, there is no pathway to citizenship within these programs and many come to Canada in this permanently temporary status for their entire working life.

As it stands now, this is a system that marginalizes workers while providing a consistent supply of cheap labour to farm owners. This dynamic has become especially clear in this era of COVID-19.

Over the last two seasons, workers in this region have faced an increased risk of contracting the disease in crowded bunkhouses and difficulty accessing health care

without provincial medical coverage or formal translation services. There have also been efforts by several farm owners to restrict the movement of workers (who most often work in remote locations and do not have a vehicle) by dramatically reducing or at times, cancelling trips into town and asking that workers stay on farm for the duration of their work permit.

At the same time, these workers have kept the farms (and our local food systems) alive during a period of intense demand for product and an unprecedented labour shortage.

Farm owners have been able to pay minimum wage for a skilled workforce who can work long hours and are legally-speaking, unable to change employers.

While it is certainly not every employer in the region who takes advantage of this unequal power dynamic, several do and the impact is devastating on workers. Since the pandemic began, there has been a marked increase locally in workers reporting employer abuse, involuntary repatriation, poor working conditions and limited

access to basic needs.

While there has been some more talk about a need for reform at all levels of government, meaningful change has been non-existent on the ground. Formal inspections of worksites have gone mostly virtual during the pandemic and attempts at policy changes have been shallow in their approach.

New provincial systems in B.C. for registering employers of temporary foreign workers have been designed with no way to vet bad employers while federal protections have never attempted to address the structural aspects of this program. Despite years of workers publicly demanding an end to the policies that make them most vulnerable, such as permits tied to a single employer, the program remains largely unchanged since its inception in the 1960s.

This is not the first or the only time that Canada has come to rely on racialized labour. From the fur trade, to the railroads, to the domestic worker schemes of the mid-1900s, this country has a long history of programs that

are built to benefit the Canadian economy with little regard for the well-being of those who actually do the work. As a society, we need to recognize that these types of exploitative labour systems continue and that significant change is needed if we want to live in a just society.

Especially for those of us who are engaged in discussions around local agriculture, we must work to see the function good labour practices must play in any truly sustainable solutions. There are obviously many reforms we can call for at the policy level, but there are also things we can do in the everyday. This begins with recognizing that migrant farm workers are an essential part of this community and connecting with them to ensure their voice is central in our efforts for stronger local food systems.

These relationships will help inform a path forward that can honour the important role these workers play and ultimately, lead to solutions that can take us somewhere better.

A skillet supper makes for easy entertaining Chicken is a versatile food that is mild enough to be molded into whatever flavour profile cooks desire. Chicken also can be dressed up so it easily competes with other protein sources for top billing on holiday tables.

Easily cooked on the stovetop in a flash, this recipe for “Almond Chicken With Peaches and Roquefort” from “125 Best Chicken Recipes” (Robert Rose) by Rose Murray can be customized and multiplied depending on the size of the crowd. Simply substitute two small pears for the peaches depending on your preference.

Serve with crisp green beans and lemon couscous, which is easily made by adding 1⁄2 teas.

Almond Chicken With Peaches and Roquefort INGREDIENTS - 2 SERVINGS • 2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts • 1⁄4 cup all-purpose flour • Salt and pepper • 1 egg, lightly beaten • 3⁄4 cup sliced almonds • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

PREPARE

• 2 unpeeled peaches, sliced; or 2 small pears, cored and sliced • 1⁄4 cup dry white wine or chicken stock • 1⁄4 cup whipping cream • 2 tablespoons Roquefort or Gorgonzola cheese

1. Place chicken breasts between two pieces of plastic wrap and pound to an even thickness of about 1⁄4 inch. Dredge in flour mixed with 1⁄4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Dip each breast in egg and coat with almonds.

2. In a large skillet, heat half the oil over medium heat. Add chicken and cook about 5 minutes per side, turning once, until golden and no longer pink inside. Remove to a warm platter and keep warm.

3. Add remaining oil to pan and heat over medium heat. Add peaches (or pears) and cook 1 minute. Stir in wine and bring to a boil; cook 3 minutes to reduce. Stir in cream, cheese and salt and pepper to taste. Cook stirring, until thickened. Spoon sauce around the chicken and serve.

OCTOBER 2021 3

www.connectornews.ca

Wills ON Wheels KSO proceeds with second concert of 2021-22 season After producing a full season of predominantly digital content, the Kamloops Symphony is excited to reunite with inperson audiences in Sagebrush Theatre since March of 2020. Though the numbers will be limited, the KSO is thrilled to follow up the first concert of their 2021-22 season: Out of the Silence with Windscapes taking place on October 23 and 24. Both concerts will have a mix of in-person and live-streaming viewing options.

Out of the Silence includes a variety of captivating and compelling works and features frequent audience favourite pianist Jaeden Izik-Dzurko from Salmon Arm joined

by KSO Principal Trumpet Mark D’Angelo performing the moody and mischievous Concerto for Piano and Trumpet by Dmitri Shostakovich.

Windscapes will shine the spotlight on the KSO’s wonderous wind players as they perform a delightful collection of dazzling music in a boldly unique symphonic concert almost completely devoid of the string players that are often regarded as the “meat and potatoes” of the orchestra.

Says music director Dina Gilbert of these first concerts of the season, “These two programmes will highlight the outstanding quality of our orchestra through works by an array of composers in which creativity and humanity cross time and borders. Listening to live music gives everyone an opportunity to reflect on their individual journey, and to pause from their ever-busy life to experience a moment of relaxation, bliss, or astonishment.

The musicians of the orchestra and I are eager to share with our audience these moving and captivating works where high artistry will bring electricity to the stage!”

Looking ahead to the coming concert season, Executive Director Daniel Mills had this to say: “Although we were really hoping to have larger in-person audiences to join us for the start of our Season, it is more important for us to be producing art for the community, in any way that we can. So, we are pushing forward despite ongoing challenges, as we have been accustomed to over the last 18 months, re-adjusting our upcoming season as needed.”

Out of the Silence

This was performed three times last weekend in Sagebrush Theatre. The concert was also live-streamed and the recording of the live-stream is available to view until October 24. Tickets are $15 for online viewing access, and are on sale from Kamloops Live! Box Office now.

WE ARE OPEN AND READY TO ASSIST YOU DURING COVID-19 WITH YOUR: • Wills • Probates • Powers of Attorney • Representation Agreements

We are following protocols regarding sanitizing and social distancing 250-374-3737 • toni@GLmail.ca

Toni Vuteva Lawyer

GIBRALTAR LAW

202-444 VICTORIA ST., KAMLOOPS V2C 2A7

- CSI Kamloops -

TAKE & BAKE MEALS * Entrees * Soups * Desserts *

Single portions ranging $3.00 - $7.00 778 - 470 - 6000 / 9:00 am - 2:00 pm PICK UP AT EITHER LOCATION Brock Activity Centre

9A 1800 Tranquille Rd

Brock Shopping Centre Guest artists for Out of the Silence, Jaeden Izik-Dzurko and Mark D’Angelo

Windscapes Is presently scheduled for two performances: Saturday, October 23 at 7:30 pm and Sunday, October 24 at 2:00 pm, in Sagebrush Theatre. If the current audience limit of 50 people remains in place an additional performance may be scheduled. The concert will also be live-streamed at 7:30 pm on October 23, and the recording will be available to view until November 21. Tickets will go on sale later in the fall from Kamloops Live! Box Office.

The Province of British Columbia requires that all persons aged 12 and older attending either of these performances present proof of vaccination and valid government-issued photo ID prior to entry to the venue. Additionally, all persons aged 12 and older will be required to wear a mask at all times.

Seniors Info Centre

25 700 Tranquille Rd Northills Mall

Delivery NOW Available

www.connectornews.ca

4 OCTOBER 2021

Thanking & advocating for our healthcare professionals Julia Maika Notary Public

• Wills • Powers of Attorney • Representation Agreements • Document Notarizations • Real Estate Sales

600B - 235 1st Ave Kamloops, BC V2C 3J4

250-682-2984

info@maikanotary.ca A MEMBER OF THE SOCIETY OF NOTARIES PUBLIC OF BRITISH COLUMBIA

The health of individuals and our community is paramount.

One To One Care The health of individuals and our community is paramount.

SPHSPH POWER AT AT • Nursing Home POWER WORK PROVIDES WORK PROVIDES CAREGIVERS • Person remaining CAREGIVERS FOR YOU: FOR CARE YOU: at home ONE TO ONE ONE TO ONE CARE • NURSING HOMELiving • Sheltered • PERSON REMAINING AT HOME HOME • NURSING SHELTERED LIVING Accommodations •• PERSON REMAINING AT HOME ACCOMMODATIONS

• SHELTERED LIVING ACCOMMODATIONS Personal care, medical reminders, meal preparation, housework,

*Plan for your Safety and Wellbeing* accompanying to appointments.

Personal care, medical reminders, meal preparation, housework, TIMEFRAME - It accompanying takes between three to six months for the Personal Care, Medical Meal Prep, toReminders, appointments. caregiver to start working for you or your loved ones

Housework, tosixAppointments.

TIMEFRAME Accompanying - It takes between three to months for the sphcaregivernanniescanada@gmail.com

caregiver to start working for you or your loved ones www.sphpoweratwork.com 250-314-6555 sphcaregivernanniescanada@gmail.com CALL FORwww.sphpoweratwork.com AN INITIAL ASSESSMENT!

250-314-6555 CALL FOR AN INITIAL ASSESSMENT!

We

our readers.

Thank you for your loyalty.

330 Seymour St., Kamloops, BC V2C 2G2 • 778-471-0983 www.connectornews.ca • sharon@connectornews.ca

October 18 happens to be Health Care Aide Day in British Columbia. This should be a day where we celebrate and thank the multitude of people in our province that have chosen to care for those of us that need their help whether it be in our homes or in a facility.

This October, during a month where we traditionally give thanks and celebrate Thanksgiving, it My two cents seems appropriate to widen the Moneca Jantzen scope of our gratitude and offer Editor our thanks and appreciation for not only our care aides, but all of our healthcare workers during these unprecedented times of stress and strain—further compounded by a never-ending pandemic and confusing protests.

I think we have all long been aware that our healthcare system is struggling and it wouldn’t take much to make it fracture even further. Recent acknowledgements of an on-going nursing shortage point to this reality. So many forces are combining to exacerbate an already difficult state of affairs. We have many workers reaching retirement age paired with a chronic shortage of workers over many years. Add in things like the opioid crisis and the COVID pandemic amongst other issues and we have a recipe for disaster.

Some of you may recall that I took my turn at whistleblowing back in June 2013 when my father, Jack Shippobotham, was attacked by another resident in his care home. He died from his injuries three weeks later. At the time, I had no idea there was a pandemic on the horizon that would prove especially cruel and devastating to our senior population. I did know at the time that much was going to have to change for the better to keep our seniors safe in care home settings going forward and I spoke up at the time about some of the issues I could see even as a layperson and an advocate for my father. It was too late for him, but it was important to me that his death not be in vain so I gave IHA a laundry list of changes I hoped to see at that time.

As far as I know, some or most of my family’s concerns were addressed at the care home and hopefully throughout IHA and at no time did we blame the nurses or care aides for what happened to my father. We recognized that most of the issues were systemic and the results of some poor decision-making by management. We cheered when the province brought on Isobel Mackenzie as the Seniors Advocate. Her many reports over the years have been so spot on — now to pay attention to her findings.

I think it is clear that the reasons we don’t have enough nurses, doctors or care aides in this province and more specifically in this region, has to do with choices made by healthcare authority management, previous provincial governments and their failure to train enough people to keep up with attrition.

I’m glad to see healthcare providers, mostly doctors, speaking out recently. I know the climate for whistle blowing and pointing out issues is not usually encouraged by our medical bureaucracy. When my father passed away, a nurse or care aide resorted to leaving an anonymous message on our voicemail expressing her frustration with the situation and offering further clarification of some of the issues at play. As I happened to be in the newspaper business, it was natural for me to want to share my story and so I did, but so many victims and workers keep quiet and let the status quo prevail.

I don’t talk about what happened very often anymore. The grief I feel at the way my dad died has never gone away, but I can see that the issues facing our healthcare system are massive and not really getting better. Without sufficient human resources all of the other issues will pale in comparison.

If offering our gratitude and appreciation helps keep our healthcare providers working and taking care of us in our times of need, I think we owe them at least that. We also owe them respect and understanding in these difficult times. Political protests on the doorsteps of hospitals is inappropriate and harmful. Writing about our concerns to our MLA’s, Health Minister and Premier might make more of an impact. We need them to hire and train more healthcare workers and provide sufficient access to care ASAP. Happy Thanksgiving! Take care and stay safe.

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.

We aim to publish on the last Wednesday of each month and copy/booking deadlines are either the 2nd or 3rd Thursdays of each month. Please request a publishing schedule for specific information.

Kamloops Connector is published

by Kamloops This Week, part of the Aberdeen Publishing Group. Letters to the Editor must be signed and have a phone number (your phone number will not be printed unless requested). Other submissions are gratefully received although Kamloops Connector reserves the right to edit all material and to refuse any material deemed unsuitable for this publication.

Articles, group and event listings will run in the newspaper as time and space permit.

No portion of this publication may be reproduced without written permission from Kamloops Connector. The opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of Kamloops Connector, Kamloops This Week or the staff thereof.

Subscriptions are $35 per year in Canada.

Any error which appears in an advertisement will be adjusted as to only the amount of space in which the error occurred. The content of each advertisement is the responsibility of the advertiser.

Kamloops Connector recommends prudent consumer discretion.

OCTOBER 2021 5

www.connectornews.ca

“Just Breathe” is the KAC’s Mental Health Month Exhibition The Crossing Bridge’s Art Outreach program will be displaying an exhibition for the month of October

By Elizabeth Nygren, Kamloops Arts Council

I

n an effort to bring awareness to mental health and Mental Health Month, the Kamloops Arts Council will showcase art and works that were created in the Crossing Bridges Arts Outreach program.

Crossing Bridges is an outreach program that the Kamloops Arts Council originally created in 2013 to deliver “high-quality arts workshops at no cost through partnerships with social service agencies in the Kamloops area,” according to the KAC website. The program provides at-risk children, youth, adults, families and seniors with the opportunity to explore their creativity in a safe and supportive environment.

Adriana Arzeta, an Art Facilitator with the Crossing Bridges program, said “it has been amazing since the beginning. … It’s not as much me instructing them but more to give them the space and the time to get creative and to calm themselves with amazing pieces. Each agency

or each place where I go has different strengths and different challenges but in all places, it is a great time.”

The program itself needed to make adjustments to their delivery due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but they are beginning to offer in-person programs again with different agencies in the community.

Some of these agencies include The Family Tree, Kamloops Immigrant Services, the Alzheimer’s Society, and many more. Some programs still continue to take place online and over Zoom if in-person arrangements cannot be made safely.

The Kamloops Arts Council holds this yearly exhibition to showcase the hard work and creativity of those who take part in the Crossing Bridges program. This year’s exhibition “Just Breathe” will focus on how people have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and the importance of taking care of ourselves mentally.

“I think it’s a blessing,” Arzeta said, regarding the program. “I

think it’s a gift that we can have these spaces again … we all need a way of expression and if we are connecting with some of the vulnerable population, then I think it’s just amazing that that exists.”

The “Just Breathe” gallery exhibition will take place at the Old Courthouse Cultural Centre from October 19 to November 6. The exhibition will be free to view and COVID-19 protocols are still in place at the Kamloops Arts Council.

The exhibition will showcase work from a variety of mental health and wellness agencies in and around Kamloops and will include work from a variety of age groups.

“Art touches everyone,” Arzeta said. “Art makes us better, [or] at least gives us different lenses to see life with. It is just fantastic to have Crossing Bridges around.”

For more information, visit kamloopsarts.ca.

The Kamloops Arts Council (KAC) is a registered charitable non-profit organization that is devoted to the development and enhancement of the arts in the Kamloops area. We support all artists and art organizations and promote cooperation among them, government and business. We produce high-quality, yearround low- and no-cost arts programs, arts performances, arts workshops and arts events that help to connect our local community and promote our local talent.

Art Changes Lives | Connecting Creative Communities www.kamloopsarts.ca /kamloopsarts

@kamartscouncil

@kamartscouncil

CANADA’S GARAGE

It’s that time of year again — when the snow begins to fall and the roads become slick with ice. We carry the Brands and sizes of winter tires you need.

Visit us today or call to book your appointment MotoMaster, Goodyear, General Tire, Michelin, Continental, Cooper, BF Goodrich, Dynamo, Firestone, Bridgestone, Certified, Yokohama, Pirelli, Kumho, Kelly Edge, Uniroyal, Hankook.

944 8th Street Kamloops, BC North Shore: 250-376-3755

Ask about storing your summer tires in our “Tire Hotel”

1441 Hillside Drive Kamloops, BC Aberdeen: 250-374-3115

www.connectornews.ca

6 OCTOBER 2021

3.5” x 2.5” | Maximum Font Size: 30 pt

Can you count on a bountiful investment “harvest”?

Finding solutions for your financial needs Chianne V Jones Financial Advisor

1315 Summit Dr., Unit 4a Kamloops, BC V2C 5R9 250-374-1882

www.ed wa rd jo ne s.ca MKT-5894C-C

financial focus CHIANNE V. JONES Financial Advisor

W

 Professional Organizing  Estate Liquidation  Downsizing & Moving Experts  Companionship & NonMedical Home Services  Hoarding/Chronic Program Disorganization Canadian Franchises Available | *A division of Everything Organized Ventures Inc.

762 Dominion St. V2C 2X9  250.377.7601  everythingorganized.net

Hair Clips salon

Professional Hair Care & Styling

SHAUNA

We are HAIR for you

KAREN

**Appointments by phone call please**

"Happy Thanksgiving" 165 - 945 Columbia St. W. in the Sahali Mall

Open: Tue - Fri 9 am - 4 pm Sat 10 am - 2 pm

250.828.0708

SUPPORTING OUR COMMUNITY

e’re officially in autumn – the season when we bring in what we planted in the spring.

But the concept of planting and gathering isn’t confined to agriculture. In fact, it can be used in many walks of life, including investing. So what can you do to help work toward a successful investment “harvest”?

Here is (not quite) a bushel of ideas: • Plant the right “seeds.” When farmers plant specific crops, they know about what to expect – how long it will take for them to grow, how much yield they’ll produce, and so on. When you invest, you too need to plant “seeds” by choosing investments that are designed

Glover’s Medicine Centre Pharmacy offers a variety of health solutions. We’re an independent pharmacy, catering to the entire family. Our pharmacists play a unique role in providing personalized health care, we do much more than just fill prescriptions; we also provide health care and health advice to parents, children, and families on topics ranging from prenatal vitamins to maintaining a healthy weight to infant care. Located in Kamloops, you can find us right next door to a medical walk-in clinic.

to help meet your goals. For example, to accumulate enough money for a comfortable retirement, you will probably need to own a reasonable percentage of growth-oriented vehicles, such as stocks – you generally can’t expect the type of growth you need by investing solely in fixed-income investments, such as bonds and guaranteed investment certificates (GICs).

• Nurture your “crops.” Agricultural workers are diligent about cultivating their crops through proper irrigation, fertilization and weed control.

And if you want to keep your investment portfolio healthy, you also must find ways to nurture it. First of all, you will need to keep adding new dollars regularly, because the larger your overall investment base, the more you can expand its growth potential. But you might also need to do some “weeding” of your own, because over the years, you may have purchased some investments

that, for one reason or another, are now no longer suitable for your needs. If that’s the case, you might be better off by selling these investments and using the proceeds for new ones that could fill gaps in your portfolio.

• Diversify. Farmers may plant a mix of crops: corn, soybeans, flax, legumes, fruits, and so on.

Consequently, if one crop fails, it won’t sink the farmer’s entire business. As an investor, you, too, need to diversify, because if you only own one type of asset class, and a financial downturn hits that asset, your portfolio can take a big hit.

But spreading your dollars among stocks, bonds, cash and other investments can help reduce the impact of market volatility on your holdings. (However, diversification can’t guarantee profits or protect against all losses.)

Thus far, we’ve looked at ideas on how you can create a healthy investment crop. But once it’s time to actually start harvesting

your portfolio – that is, once you begin liquidating parts of it to support yourself during your retirement years – you also need to act carefully. Specifically, you need to establish a withdrawal rate that’s appropriate for your situation, based on your age, lifestyle, income sources and other factors. You could be retired for two or three decades, so it’s essential you don’t withdraw so much during your early years of retirement that you risk outliving your money. A financial professional can help you determine the rate that’s right for you.

The agricultural harvest season only lasts a few weeks.

But doing a good job of growing and managing your investment crop can help you reap the rewards far into the future.

Member Canadian Investor Protection Fund. Member – Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada.

Veterinary Medicine

Glover’s Medicine Centre fills prescriptions for animals too.We understand that your dog or cat is a big part of your family.

Seniors Healthy Living • Questions about your medications?

• Having trouble remembering to take your medications?

• Do you know what compounded medications are?

“Your prescriptions & compounding specialist”

#10 -1380 Summit Drive • 250-851-3131 glovers@medicinecentre.com • www.gloversmedicinecentre.ca

Give us a call or drop by our pharmacy and see for yourself how we may be able to help.

VACCINES AVAILABLE

FREE DELIVERY

OCTOBER 2021 7

www.connectornews.ca

Powering up your searches

THAT TECH GUY JEFFREY READE

G

oogle is one of the most powerful tools out there. However like any tool you need how

to use it to truly unlock its potential. If you put quotation marks around your search and it will look for exact matches, you can also only put the quotation marks around certain words. If you want to exclude terms from your search include a hyphen before the word to exclude.

If you want to include synonyms use the tilde symbol. For example if you search music ~ classes it will return classes, lessons and coaching. If you want to search within a site

specifically there’s a great way, for example Ron MacLean site: cbc.com.

This will search within cbc.com for all mentions of Ron Maclean.

Using a vertical bar in a search term indicates ‘or,’ so if you look Netflix | CBC, Google will look at Netflix or CBC. If you want to search incognito simply right click one the Chrome, Firefox or Microsoft edge icon and choose incognito mode.

In this mode nothing is tracked or saved. If you don’t want your searches remembered

I also recommend trying the search engine duckduckgo.com. One good thing, in many ways, is Google’s search algorithm is always improving and learning from how people search.

Searches become more intuitive but sometimes you don’t want someone looking over your metaphorical shoulder as you look things up.

Search safe and good luck in your searches, no matter what engine powers your searches.

October 2021

250-318-7977 jreade@gmail.com

Win a FREE Tech/Repair Consult ($60 Value)

Jeffrey Reade

That Tech Guy IT Services Mail or drop off your entry to: Kamloops Connector, 1365B Dalhousie Dr, Kamloops, BC, V2C 5P6 or email your details with “That Tech Guy Contest” to win@connectornews.ca.

Random draw from entries submitted for the contest.

One entry per household. Draw date: Friday, October 8th at 9:00am. Prize must be accepted as awarded. Winners will be called to arrange pick up of their prize.

Name ..............................................................................................................

Phone.............................................................................................................

Email ..............................................................................................................

Sherry’s

CLEANING SERVICE Skilled & reliable, thorough cleaning housekeeping for your home.

Call today for a free estimate!

778-220-7487

sherryshealthandhomeservices@gmail.com

October 9th - 11th, 2021 October 31st, 2021

“Thank you Kamloops for your support for the past 20 years. We will continue to serve and make a difference in our community.”

Serving Kamloops and area for 20 years 100% independent and locally owned • Certified Compounding Pharmacy • Medication Reviews

Free el D ivery!

MISSAGH MANSHADI

TODD STONE

MLA Kamloops-South Thompson 446 Victoria Street Kamloops, BC V2C 2A7 todd.stone.mla@leg.bc.ca toddstonemla.ca 250-374-2880 @toddstonebc ToddGStone

PETER MILOBAR

MLA Kamloops-North Thompson 618B Tranquille Road Kamloops, BC V2B 3H6 peter.milobar.mla@leg.bc.ca petermilobarmla.ca 250-554-5413 @PeterMilobar PeterMilobarKNT

B.Sc. Pharm, Pharmacist/Owner Certified Compounder

NORTHSHORE: OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK 374 Tranquille Rd. P: 250.434.2526 | F: 250.434.2527

MANSHADI PHARMACY Trusted Advice.

Wholesome Care.

SOUTHSHORE: 477 St. Paul Street P: 250.372.2223 | F: 250.372.2224

www.connectornews.ca

8 OCTOBER 2021

Being physically apart won’t stop us from coming together as a force for life in the face of breast cancer. Join us for the reimagined CIBC Run for the Cure on October 3. This year’s CIBC Run for the Cure is virtual but still includes all the things you love about the Run – an opening ceremony, warm-up, and entertainment. Download the CIBC Run for the Cure app so you can enjoy newly added features including activity tracking, fundraising badges and accessories and more. Catch up with the local effort on Facebook @RunfortheCureKamloops

What to expect after cancer treatment ends O

nce the initial shock of a breast cancer diagnosis wears off, many patients are ready to get down to business and begin treatment.

Based on data collected by the SEER database, which is maintained by the National Cancer Institute, five-year survival rates for breast cancer in the United States, for example, are excellent.

If the cancer is localized or regional (spread to nearby structures or lymph nodes), the survival rate is 99 percent and 86 percent, respectively. If the cancer has spread to distant parts of the body, the five-year survival rate is 27 percent. These

survival rates underscore the importance of early detection and treatment.

Treatment may induce feelings of anxiety among patients. Equally scary can be what to expect after treatment ends. Here’s a closer look at what comes next.

After surgery If treatment involves surgery for a lumpectomy or mastectomy, patients will move to into the recovery room after surgery to wake up from anesthesia. BreastCancer. org says if you are feeling any pain, now is the time to speak up, as staff in the recovery room assess your pain and vital signs.

Many surgeries are completed on an

Be Wise

outpatient basis. However, more invasive surgeries that involve lymph node dissection require a hospital stay.

Doctors will set up a schedule of follow-up care to check surgical sites and monitor healing. Radiation or chemotherapy may be used in conjunction with surgery and may continue even after surgery.

After chemotherapy Chemotherapy causes an “enormous assault” on the body, according to Marisa Weiss, MD, founder of Breastcancer.org. Many of the hurdles that people feel post-treatment are lasting fatigue. WebMD says a phenomenon called “chemo brain” can

occur. This is a mental change characterized by an inability to focus and memory deficits.

In addition, after chemo ends, it may take up to six months for hair to start to grow back, and hair that grows back may be a different color and have a different texture.

After radiation The American Cancer Society says side effects from radiation may vary depending on the patient.

Extreme fatigue is often noted, and such feelings may come and go.

Some people experience skin changes in the radiation treatment area.

The skin may appear red, irritated, swollen, or blistered. Over time, the

skin may become dry, itchy or flaky. Depending on certain types of radiation treatment, radioprotective drugs may be offered to help protect certain normal tissues.

Follow-up Doctors will prescribe a regimen for follow-up care. Every few months women may expect a visit at first. The longer you have been cancerfree, the fewer follow-up visits will be required.

Mammograms on any remaining breast tissue will be scheduled between

Cannabis and Older Adults

Be Wise, Cannabis and Older Adults is factual information about cannabis for older adults.

Easy to understand, written in clear language, the Be Wise booklet is meant to help older adults make wise decisions about cannabis use.

Order or download your FREE booklet at www.activeagingcanada.ca or call toll-free 1-800-549-9799 and leave a message with your full mailing address.

six and 12 months after surgery, and annually thereafter.

Bone density tests and blood and imaging tests also may be recommended if you are taking certain medications or have physical indicators that the cancer might have come back.

Getting back on track after breast cancer treatment can take time.

Eventually, life can return to normal, especially for patients with a good support team in place.

Older Canadians and cannabis use Facts about cannabis Cannabis and the law Therapeutic benefits Side-effects and risks Aging and cannabis Talking to your doctor Dosing and your health condition

OCTOBER 2021 9

www.connectornews.ca

September was Community Foundations Month in B.C.

D

id you know that community foundations in B.C. help support a range of non-profits & charities financially? During September, B.C. Interior Community Foundation invited our community to ‘Give Where You Live!’

“We are thankful to be one of the 49 community foundations in B.C. working to connect “People who Care, with Causes that Matter”, notes Robert Miller, B.C. Interior

Community Foundation Executive Director.

“We are a local charity dedicated to improving the lives of people in our community. We bring together donations from community members, families, and businesses to support the crucial work of charities and not-forprofits in our ThompsonNicola and South Cariboo regions.”

British Columbia is home to over 25 percent of Canada’s 191 community foundations

who work with donors and partners to create permanent endowment funds and then use the earned investment income to support local charities.

Original capital is invested wisely so that it generates income in perpetuity, providing support now, and for generations to come.

During community foundations month, the B.C. Interior Community Foundation wants to know, “What’s your Legacy?”

“We help guide volunteer efforts and financial support to where it will have the greatest impact. Many community members have a longterm vision and we help them realize their ideal future by creating a legacy today.”

Executive Director Rob Miller wants to let community members know that the BCICF is here to “help you craft a perpetual giving

Did someone say Turkey?!

kamloops birdwatch NAOMI BIRKENHEAD

T

urkey. The meal you either hate or love with fights over dark meat and light, and if it was over- or under-cooked a consistent bickering point. Pulling together epic Thanksgiving dinners tends to be an all day affair orchestrated and concocted out of precise timing and long held family recipes. When I was a wee lassie, my family lived on a small hobby farm and we raised behemoths that had to be quartered and one bird could last us four years! Unfortunately for me, my birthday and Thanksgiving also tend to be one and the same. Let me tell ya, as a little kid doomed to eat turkey as their birthday dinner for decades to come, I loathed that dry white meat knowing most other kids had pizza, hot dogs and hamburgers to look

forward too. Naturally dessert was my saving grace, Angel food cake with fresh whipping cream and strawberries.

Now a turkey is one bird that rarely crosses my mind and if it does... well let’s get serious it doesn’t! (Although I do make an amazing stuffed cranberry turkey breast).

Furthermore, I don’t associate turkeys as wild roamers of this fair land, but they are. Well not precisely here in Kamloops, but we need not meander far, to find them.

British Columbia is the most Northern region of these debatably scrumptious fowl, which is the Merriam’s subspecies of wild turkeys that migrated up from Idaho.

Found mainly in the East and West Valleys of the Kootenays, with population expansions being noted and recorded now into the southern Okanagan,

these dry meat delights are not far from our own doorsteps. However, our desert lands are not enticing. These upland birds prefer mature forest habitats bordering open agricultural land where they can easily feed on seeds and utilize the soil for bathing. During the spring mating seasons, males, known as Toms, will utilize these open expanses to gather together and attempt to woo a female.

The male’s bright azure cheeks with pale pastel pink heads that appear to be melting down across their beaks (known as a wattle) to a globules crimson neck, appear disproportionate against their ostentatious tawny stripped iridescent chest and breast feathers, fashioned with their very own cravats. Toms will dance and strut about unabashed with tail feathers proudly fanned

in his efforts to display his propagating intent. Now the traditional gobble gobble we all associate with turkeys, is actually utilized when a male is flirting, earning them the nickname “Gobbler”, yup, Mister Tom Gobbler.

He even has an amazing ability to let us know the mood he is in. Now we all have the same basic components in our skin; blood vessels, blood, collagen, fat, and so on. Now believe it or not, the expansion and contracting of blood vessels impacts the quantity of collagen bands exposed beneath the skin. This collagen band to blood vessel ratio will change the way incoming light is scattered and reflected off the skin, thus giving us a variety of hues. The lighter the colours the calmer the turkey!

Stay Curious Kamloops!

fund to support projects, programmes and causes that you believe will make a positive difference in our communities”.

BCICF also has an upcoming application intake for their Community Project Grant program which can provide partial funding for

your project! Be sure to submit your application online by October 1st.

Miller notes “Community Project Grants are a great way to provide seed money or partial funding to support projects/ programs in our local area.”

FMI: www.bcicf.ca

Making a Positive Difference in Our Communities

www.bcicf.ca | 2-219 Victoria Street 250.434.6995 | info@bcicf.ca

ONE & TWO BEDROOM UNITS

• Apartment living for seniors • Beautiful gardens • Walking distance “wait list” to North Shore shopping • One block from McArthur Island • Within the same for more information or complex as the to book an appointment North Shore Community Centre #307-730 Cottonwood Ave. & the Moose Lodge Kamloops, BC V2B 8M6 • Suites for purchase (life-lease) info@nsccs.ca • SAFER (wait list) www.cottonwoodmanor.ca

Call 250-376-4777

www.connectornews.ca

10 OCTOBER 2021

Legal Advice in the Modern Era Personal Injury ICBC Claims Civil Litigation Wills/Estate Planning Probate/Estate Administration Corporate Commercial

Kerri D. Priddle

Lawyer

Notary Services

Legal ease

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.

We call our approach Interactive Caregiving™, a unique system of care, which keeps our clients mentally and physically engaged while focusing on their safety assurance and nutrition needs.

SERVICES Companion Care Light Houskeeping Personal Care Respite Care Escorted Transportation

Call 778.471.1711 for a free in-home assessment kamloops.comfortkeepers.ca Suite 213 141 Victoria Street Kamloops, BC V2C 1Z5 © CK Franchising, Inc. *Most offices independently owned and operated.

ComfortKeepers.ca

KERRI D. PRIDDLE

M

ost retirees, small business owners and home buyers/sellers think that obtaining legal advice is expensive, time consuming and that they have to be a big corporation or have a large estate to benefit from the advice of a lawyer.

Perhaps that was the way it used to be, but in these modern times, the way legal advice is provided can be surprisingly easy, cost effective and can save so

much wasted time and effort in the long run.

For example, to receive advice about estate planning such as beneficiary options, choosing an executor, Will questions, probate cost minimization planning, health care planning concerns or power of attorney questions, lawyers now routinely offer video or telephone consultations and the cost can be allocated to your specific needs – small bits of advice, a short document and plan review or creating a whole estate plan. It is not an all or nothing scenario that will cost you thousands. Even an entire estate plan is more affordable than you may think – and lawyers will always be able to give you a quote for services prior to the first meeting.

Another example is the availability of legal advice for small businesses. Gone are the days of having the expense of a “lawyer on

retainer” or having to have a legal department in house to get quality legal advice tailored to your business. A lawyer can now offer services as needed – review of supplier contracts, lease agreements or employment contracts, for instance, can save a business thousands and valuable time down the road if they miss an important point or misunderstand a clause.

Another example is getting assistance in preparing to dismiss or retire an employee to be sure the compensation package is adequate or the employer is on the right side of the law if the dismissal is for cause. Legal advice can mean the difference between a litigation or tribunal hearing and a clean, efficient end to the employment relationship.

When buying or selling your home, all information is obtained and provided by telephone or email. Even

the Land Title Office no longer accepts paper filings – everything is submitted electronically by the lawyer as well.

The only in-person attendance is the final document signing, which leaves the home owner time to do the time consuming tasks of packing and moving.

Almost all legal advice can be discussed and obtained via email or video meetings.

Everyone with a smart phone, tablet or laptop has access to a camera for a virtual meeting and those that do not can still discuss many matters by telephone. While in person meetings for legal advice are always available, it is certainly never a requirement and flexibility and accessibility is the new norm for providing legal services in this mode.

Zone 8, 55+ BC Games, Gives Thanks and Offers Hope Submitted by Linda Haas

O

ctober is the month of Thanksgiving.

Zone 8 thanks those 55+ who have remained members of the B.C. Seniors Games Society, who have continued to serve on the Board of Directors, and who plan to rejoin as we look forward to preparing for, and taking part, in the 55+ B.C. Games in Victoria in 2022. While many of us have had to step back from our normal activities and sports, we especially thank President Peter Hughes who has worked very hard to keep Zone 8 operational amid the past uncertain times.

The Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be held on Thursday, Oct. 21.

Positions on the Executive up for election or reelection are Treasurer, First Vice-President, and Secretary. We thank the current office-holders, Sharon Green, Phil Maher and Judith Urquhart, for their past good work in these positions. Elections at the AGM, if required, will determine if these folks will continue or if we will see anyone new.

We will be very grateful to be able to hold an inperson Annual General Meeting Oct. 21. We probably won’t know until early October, but will inform all our area reps and sport coordinators whether we the meeting will be virtual or live as soon as we know. In the meantime, please ask

yourself or someone else if he or she would take on coordination of Ice Hockey, Slo-Pitch or Bocci. Contact President Peter 778-471-1805 or zone8pres@55plusbc games.org with the good news. We welcome Daryl Trotter as the new golf coordinator responsible for men’s and women’s events. We know she will make Monty Kilborn, and Inky Whalley proud of their replacement.

We thank both Inky and Monty for their years of excellent service as Zone 8 golf coordinators. The final list of events at the Victoria Games should be known later this fall.

Zone 8 wishes everybody who has enjoyed participating in

the 55+ B.C. Games, who will be a newly qualified 55-year-old in 2022, or who would like to try a new experience next year in Victoria, a safe and healthy autumn.

Ending on quips which some of us may feel these days, then on a more positive note: - Your people skills are just fine. It’s your tolerance for idiots that needs work or even duct tape can’t fix stupid – but it sure does muffle the sound.

- Talk to yourself. There are times you need expert advice.

Thank you to all those still around so we can share our experiences and smile together.

OCTOBER 2021 11

www.connectornews.ca

Leave It To The Experts

By Gary Miller, Retired Service Advisor & Certified Automotive Specialist

I

must say that many times I have said to friends and family that I am so impressed by the number of “do-it-yourselfers.” After living in a Lower Mainland condo, where owners weren’t familiar with how to change a doorknob—upon retirement and moving to Kamloops, I was impressed with being exposed to so many industrious people.

The accomplishments by each individual’s pair of hands has been remarkable. I have found my kindred spirits.

I needed some repairs performed on one of the vehicles to help correct a rough ride. It had been sitting parked for about five years and the tires seemed to have flat spotted. I took it to a local tire shop because it is not the kind of repair I can perform, due to limited equipment.

In other words I don’t own a tire balancer.

So much for a professed “do-it-myselfer.”

The service people, not knowing my trade skills, went into an in-depth, but not totally complicated, repair procedure to diagnose and repair the situation.

They performed a run-out test to see

how much the tire/wheel combination was “out of round.” They checked the carcass of the tire for abnormalities and remounted on the rim matching the low spot of the rim with the high spot of the tire. They then proceeded to do a “radial force variation” balance which is a process of simulating actual road conditions while balancing. This activity not only spins the combination at speed but also puts a load on the tire tread to duplicate the actual driving situation.

Tire balance has come a long way from the days of using a “bubble balancer” to now utilizing a more sophisticated piece of equipment. Mind you, as radial tire construction has made huge advances in improving ride, handling and braking, those advances also equate to a more sophisticated repair process. I will leave it to the experts.

The shop where I previously worked provided another example of leaving things to the experts. Back in the mid60’s, my first mechanical job was in an autowreckers, using a torch or

dismantling vehicles to scrapping them completely. I needed a windshield for my 1956 Chev to replace the damaged one.

The yard foreman and I found a good one and proceeded to remove it simply by me pushing out from the inside of the donor vehicle while he held on from the outside.

It took us less than 10 minutes, start to finish. Yes, I was a happy fourteen year old kid.

Advancing forward close to six decades, I watched as a windshield was replaced using urethane adhesive instead of just a rubber moulding, like my ‘56.

For the vehicles built in the late 70s to the current date, the windshield had become in integral part of the roof structure enhancing the strength. This would allow passenger support two and one half times the vehicle weight if tipped on it’s roof.

Previous designs would have popped out at the very start of the impact.

Here is where the experts come in.

Today’s windshields are now equipped with sensors to provide data for ABS brakes, lane change features, cruise

control functions and more. Because of these features the sensors have to be aligned, using sophisticated and costly equipment, never mind the skills of the person using said apparatus. It was considerably more work than the ‘56, but the newer vehicle provided way more functions. Leave it to the experts.

I leave it to the experts to help program my vehicles’ on-board computers. Yes, I can use a scan tool to help pin-point a concern, but unless I get that very expensive scanner I probably won’t be able to perform a complete repair.

As much as I can and have done many vehicle repairs/restorations, I have to take my hat off to those experts who make it reasonable to perform a complicated function. Thanks greatly.

Stay COVID-19 safe.

If you have any questions or concerns feel free to contact me at bigsix8280@ yahoo.ca.

Have a wall that just won't stay nice?

We are a home that offers an active social life, nutritious meals and a carefree lifestyle.

For more information on our unique, home-style assisted living residence, call or email activecare1607@gmail.com.

COMFORT & SECURITY IN A BEAUTIFUL SETTING LIMITED ROOMS AVAILABLE

Paint Like No Other

®

A trusted brand that is durable, washable, and available in thousands of colours.

WINNER 2019

Visit us today:

Retailer Name

KamloopsAddress Paint LOGO City, State Zip

1607 GREENFIELD AVENUE | 250•554-9244

$ & Window Coverings XX OFF

MOORE® REGAL® Phone Number 771 Notre Dame Drive, Kamloops, BCBENJAMIN V2CINTERIOR 5N8 SELECT PAINTS Website 250.828.1800 | kamloopspaint.com Take advantage of this exclusive offer: Visit XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX to receive $XX off your purchase of Benjamin Moore® REGAL® Select Interior Paint.

Hurry, this offer ends XX/XX/XXXX.

Coupon valid for $X.XX off retailer’s suggested retail price per 3.79 L of up to 5 cans of 3.79 L of REGAL® Select Interior Paint. Redeemable only at participating retailers.

Must present this original coupon to redeem – no copies will be allowed. Limit one per customer. Products may vary from store to store. Subject to availability. Retailer reserves the right to cancel this offer at any time without notice. Cannot be combined with any other offers. Coupon expires XX/XX/XXXX. ©2016 Benjamin Moore & Co., Limited. Benjamin Moore, Green Promise, Paint like no other, REGAL, and the triangle “M” symbol are registered trademarks of Benjamin Moore & Co., Limited.

www.connectornews.ca

12 OCTOBER 2021

The Village of Chase wishes everyone a

Our office will be closed October 11th

chasebc.ca

KAMLOOPS’ BEST SELECTION OF VQA WINES AND BC CRAFT BEER This Thanksgiving enjoy some great wine or a BC cratf beer from our amazing selection.

We’re In Lansdowne Mall!

225-450 Lansdowne St. 250-571-1377 Lansdowneliquor.ca lansdowneliquor

CONSIGNMENTS WELCOME TRAILERS • COACHES • CAMPERS • 5TH WHEELS • MOTOR HOMES

Save the difficulty & inconvenience of trying to sell your RV by yourself!

Remember, we will also trade UP or DOWN to get you the unit you want!

Are you concerned about: • Strangers coming to your home • Length of time to sell your unit • The right price to ask Don’t • Legalities of selling want to consign?

• Wasting your free time We’ll • Clean-up & detail costs buy your • Etc., etc., etc. unit!

We’ll eliminate all the problems for you!

“On the Auto Mile”

Tel:

250-374-4949

Toll Free: 1-800-555-8373

2449 Trans Canada Hwy. E., Kamloops, BC V2C 4A9 www.SouthThompsonRV.com

ACROSS 1. Popular mosquito spray 4. Capital of Ghana 9. Ballerina’s attire 13. L ady who shops in the souk, probably 15. G entleman’s gentleman 16. O n the summit 17. Things you’d better have if you want to live in Florida 20. O ld shorthand pro 21. Type of opaque artist’s watercolour paint 22. S tarsky of “Starsky and Hutch” 25. Q uiet country lodgings 26. N ot quite out to pasture yet 30. F aux ___ 33. Think ahead 34. _ __-Margret of “Bye Bye Birdie” 35. S crub the launch 37. This will help you breathe 38. L oads cargo 41. B it of floating scum, maybe 42. “ i.e.” in full 44. M cClanahan of “The Golden Girls” 45. Violent, out of control protest 46. L ou and Mary’s dim-witted TV anchorman 47. G et rid of your old golf clubs?

51.

52.

53.

56.

60.

63.

64.

65.

66.

67.

68.

Pile of shifting sand Roughly speaking Lack of success Corporate symbols What you can take at 62 with a chip on your shoulder?

First step in eating a banana Piano student’s piece Satisfy a hankering Pitiful exclamation Rational belief in God Shouting match

DOWN 1. Rower’s needs 2. Worry your fool head off 3. Predestined outcome 4. Washington’s Pennsylvania ___ 5. Standard smartphone feature 6. Horsefly, alternately 7. “The Bathers” artist 8. Bring into accord 9. Baby bottom coverings 10. Where Salt Lake City is 11. Voice mail beep 12. Intl. delivery giant 14. Ski fasteners 18. Lion’s bellow 19. Black-and-white bamboo eater 23.

24.

26.

27.

Cutlet material ell known volcano W Divide in two Avoid capture

28. Like lions and horses 29. Rare black and white lemur 30. Complaint that FDR had 31. Gas in an incandescent light 32. Facts and figs.

36. Saloons 39. France’s currency 40. Crystal ball expert 43. Without a doubt 48. Accustomed (var.)

49. Gently tapered 50. Land off the BC mainland 51. Pickle varieties 53. Gasoline is a common one 54. Neighbourhood 55. Fancy little sewing case 57. Backpacker’s stuff 58. “Hang ___ your hats!”

59. One-pot meat and potatoes dish 60. Place to get pampered and nice massages 61. Picks out of a lineup 62. Dreaming sleep phase

OCTOBER 2021 13

www.connectornews.ca

Seniors’ Resource Centre - Salmon Arm

OCTOBER 2021

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

Calendar of Events

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

SUNDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

5

4

3

Monday Morning Market

WEDNESDAY

Foot Care (by appt. only)

THURSDAY

6

Foot Care (by appt. only)

FRIDAY

1

SATURDAY

2

7

8

9

14

15

16

Day Away

Lunch with Friends 12

11

10

Foot Care (by appt. only)

Monday Morning Market

Foot Care (by appt. only) 19

18

17

13

Foot Care (by appt. only)

Day Away

Day Away

22

26

25

Monday Morning Market

Foot Care (by appt. only)

Day Away 29

28

27

Foot Care (by appt. only)

Day Away

30

Day Away

Lunch with Friends

31 31

Merritt Senior Centre

OCTOBER 2021

The Merrit Seniors Association

Calendar of Events

250-378-3763 • 1675 Tutill Court | Nellie Holuboch, President

SUNDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

Welcome back and enjoy your programs again. $1 Entry Fee for all activities - $15 Annual Membership due November 1st ALL HEALTH AND SAFETY RESTRICTIONS WILL STILL BE FOLLOWED. FREE SWIMMING AT AQUATIC Ctr. WEDNESDAYS 9:00 - 10:00 AM 3

5 4 6 Stand Tall 9:00 - 10:00 am Bingo 1:00 pm Pool Room Open Pool Room Open (Doors open at 11:00 am) 11:00 am - 3:00 pm 11:00 am - 3:00 pm Floor Curling 1:00 pm Cribbage 1:00 pm

Whist 7:00 pm

10

17

11

12

13

Pool Room Open Bingo 1:00 pm (Doors open at 11:00 am) 11:00 am - 3:00 pm Floor Curling 1:00 pm Whist 7:00 pm

19 18 20 Stand Tall 9:00 - 10:00 am Bingo 1:00 pm Pool Room Open Pool Room Open (Doors open at 11:00 am) 11:00 am - 3:00 pm 11:00 am - 3:00 pm Floor Curling 1:00 pm Cribbage 1:00 pm

Whist 7:00 pm

24

31

26 25 27 Stand Tall 9:00 - 10:00 am Bingo 1:00 pm Pool Room Open Pool Room Open (Doors open at 11:00 am) 11:00 am - 3:00 pm 11:00 am - 3:00 pm Floor Curling 1:00 pm Cribbage 1:00 pm

Whist 7:00 pm

1

7

14

Stand Tall 9:00 - 10 am Cribbage 1:00 pm & 7:00 pm

21

8

Pool Room Open 11:00 am - 3:00 pm General M. 1:30 pm Rummoli 7:00 pm

Floor Curling 1:00 pm

Pool Room Open 11:00 am - 3:00 pm Rummoli 7:00 pm

16

Floor Curling 1:00 pm

22

Pool Room Open 11:00 am - 3:00 pm Rummoli 7:00 pm

28

29

Pool Room Open 11:00 am - 3:00 pm Rummoli 7:00 pm

23

Floor Curling 1:00 pm 30

Floor Curling 1:00 pm

SUDOKU 31

2

9

15

Stand Tall 9:00 - 10 am Cribbage 1:00 pm & 7:00 pm Stand Tall 9:00 - 10 am Cribbage 1:00 pm & 7:00 pm

SATURDAY Floor Curling 1:00 pm

Pool Room Open 11:00 am - 3:00 pm Rummoli 7:00 pm

Stand Tall 9:00 - 10 am Cribbage 1:00 pm & 7:00 pm

The Bushman’s Lair: On the Trail of the Fugitive of the Shuswap

23

Lunch with Friends 24

By Marilyn Brown

By Paul McKendrick

Day Away 21

20

Foot Care (by appt. only)

Book Review T

Harbour Publishing 2021 Non-fiction, 198 pages

he book jacket is striking: a shot at dusk of a lone person in a canoe paddling mightily across a reflective starlit lake.

The lake is Shuswap Lake; the man could be John Bjornstrom. Readers may be more familiar with his informal name, “The Bushman.” Two decades ago he astonishes the public by escaping from the Rayleigh Regional Correctional Centre in Kamloops when he has merely six weeks left in his sentence. He repeatedly breaks into cabins on and around the lake, stealing food and items that aid in his survival in the wilderness, causing great unease in the community, slipping away by canoe in the night. He hides out in tree-top bivouacs and for an extended time in a cave he carves out by hand, outfitting it with off-thegrid power allowing electric lights and even a small washing machine. He has a hot tub further away. It would take considerable resources of the RCMP, both in personnel and materials, as well as cooperation from locals and media, to trap the Bushman. In what seems like an oxymoron, two opposites true at the same time, Bjornstrom craves both anonymity and publicity.

At the time of his exploits the public is fascinated by this man, some admiring his survival skills, some viewing him simply as a “low-life thief” absconding with people’s property. He helps himself to the contents of one family’s cabin so many times that they nickname it “Bushman’s Canadian Tire”. He causes distress in the communities: people are on edge when he is believed to be in the area. When Bjornstrom courts the media, doing interviews for radio and TV, the interest in his story is magnified.

Occasionally he taunts the police, adding to the drama. There is even a jaunty song about him that plays across Canada.

Why does John Bjornstrom earlier escape from prison when he has served almost his entire sentence, and why does he choose the Shuswap area as the place to hole up?

Read The Bushman’s Lair: On the Trail of the Fugitive of the Shuswap to find out.

The author gains insight into Bjornstrom’s psyche by thorough research, including interviews with family and others, such as RCMP Sergeant Harrison, leading the search for the Bushman. The sergeant and even some experienced and clear-eyed lawyers found Bjornstrom to be a likeable, complex, and unique character. This book is a “page-turner.” Highly recommended.

The author, Paul McKendrick, is familiar with the Shuswap area. His research included doing his own experiments to replicate some of the activities of his subject, including sinking a canoe in the lake, then extracting it, as Bjornstrom did repeatedly to avoid detection. McKendrick has degrees from UBC and Dalhousie Universities.

He lives in Alberta where he and his wife own a store catering to outdoor enthusiasts.

Buying or Selling Real Estate?

From sign up to sign down...I work hard for you!

For all your Real Estate needs in Kamloops, call

BILL ALBERS

250-851-1193 Office: 250-374-3331 Email: billalbers@remax.net

www.billalbers.remax.ca

Real Estate (Kamloops) 258 Seymour Street

www.connectornews.ca

14 OCTOBER 2021

Family caregiving in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic

by Dr. Tracy Christianson, Thompson Rivers University

R

Windscapes

GRANTS

Get blown away by our wonderous wind players as they take centre stage in a concert full of delightfully dazzling music with (almost) no strings attached.

BOX OFFICE: 250.374.5483

SPONSORS

kamloopssymphony.com

Family Caregivers WANTED for Study about the impact of Covid Restrictions on Family Time in Long Term Care

We are doing this study to learn more about how you feel about how the pandemic-caused restrictions have impacted your ability to spend time with your loved one. Some of the questions being asked are about how Covid-19 restrictions have impacted on your feelings and ability to visit and care for your loved one in long-term care (LTC). Understanding the impact Covid has had/or is having on your ability to visit and the quality of those visits with your family member in LTC will help us learn more about how families feel about the strategies put in place to help families stay connected and to determine if these are helpful.

You or someone you know are being invited to take part in this research study if you are:

Ø an adult (18 years or older) and are family (spouse, child, sibling, guardian, or close friend) of someone living or has lived in LTC in the Interior Health region during the Covid pandemic.

If you or someone you know have had such experiences during the pandemic, we encourage you to help us understand more about these experiences.

If interested, please contact us at:

250-828-5478 (Dr. Tracy Christianson) OR croft-LTC@tru.ca

osalyn Carter was once quoted as saying, “There are only four kinds of people in the world. Those who have been caregivers. Those who are currently caregivers. Those who will be caregivers, and those who will need a caregiver.” There are millions of family caregivers providing much needed care either at home or in care facilities for things like assisting with activities of daily living, and social and emotional support.

For those living in care facilities, family caregivers help them cultivate connections with others and engage in activities, facilitating social participation, and providing meaningful and important connections beyond the care community. Family visits contribute to residents’ social and emotional well-being, which is reason enough, but visits rarely are only social in nature. For example, staff rely on family to bring certain supplies, including certain medications and toiletries, and favourite snacks, all of which affect care staff to provide person-centered care. Family members typically advocate to ensure that residents’ care needs and preferences are addressed. Part of visiting involves “checking-in” and advocating by sharing information that helps care staff know residents and, ultimately, deliver more personalized care. Family caregivers also are essential for monitoring residents’ health and in identifying significant health status changes.

The COVID-19 pandemic, which is especially dangerous to older people, has disrupted the lives of older people and their family caregivers. It has become evident over the last 18 months, that older adults living in care facilities, are at a very high risk for mortality from COVID-19, particularly with asymptomatic workers and visitors unknowingly spreading the virus in the facilities. COVID-19 has exacerbated the already staffing shortages in care facilities and has heightened family caregivers’ stress and worry about the care their loved one has received, creating a sense of helplessness because they are unable to see how they are cared for. The Covid-19 restrictions have changed the way family caregivers provide support and stay connected to their older relatives in long-term care; what used to be done in-person is now done from a distance.

Trying to stay connected with their older relative in care has been supported from a distance. Not only do traditional telephone calls and letters help fill the gap, but also the use of newer technology. Family caregivers are staying connected through video calls via Facetime and Zoom. With the help of the care staff they are connected

with residents using electronic devices.

Such technology gives families the opportunity to see and talk with each other. Window visits is another way families have stayed connected. During such visits family see each other and may talk to each other over the phone which provides some comfort for families. Family caregivers have also taken on the responsibilities of arranging for delivery of essential items, such as food or medication. Family caregivers caring also are delivering essential items and care packages.

One key activity that family caregivers typically do for older relatives in long term care facilities is to monitor the quality of care they are receiving. Caregivers are having to find new ways to monitor when they are not able to visit, such as through increased communication with care staff or monitoring while connecting with their loved one through video or phone chats pandemic.

With the required social distancing, family caregivers can have a heightened sense of helplessness because they are not able to protect their family members or provide the type or amount of care that they want to provide. For their part, many family caregivers are experiencing anxiety, fear, guilt, and even depression as a result of being unable to participate in resident care in pre-pandemic ways. These negative experiences are escalated further in settings directly affected by COVID-19 cases and in residents’ end-of-life care and death.

Family members’ health and wellbeing also are at risk by their exclusion, further exacerbating the public health consequences of the pandemic.

Public Health Officials, to help curb the spread of the disease and prevent further loss of life implemented many restrictions, including the restriction of visitors and non-essential personnel to long-term care. While such measures certainly helped to stop the spread of COVID, they also created a great deal of stress, worries, and challenges for family caregivers. COVID-19 will continue to transform the delivery of long-term services and supports, including caregiver support, as well as the ways families interact with loved ones into the future. For older adults and their caregivers, social distancing and fear may also continue when many have returned to work and the social distancing restrictions are lifted, attuned and sensitive to the needs of family caregivers who may be experiencing added burden, stress, and depression, and the differences in needs based on a variety family circumstances.

OCTOBER 2021 15

www.connectornews.ca

Tips to carve the perfect jack-o’-lantern

J

ack-o’-lanterns are one of many indelible symbols of Halloween. It’s hard to pinpoint the precise origins of jack-o’-lanterns, but many historians trace the tradition to 19th century Ireland. In fact, this instantly recognizable staple of Halloween decor actually gets its name from an Irish folktale character named “Stingy Jack.”

Jack-o’-lanterns are ubiquitous in October, but a refresher course on carving one can help those who haven’t dusted off their carving skills since last fall.

• Don’t carve too early. Though it can be tempting and fun to carve a jack-o’-lantern once the calendar turns to October, it’s unlikely the finished product will make it all the way to October 31. Horticulturists indicate that jack-o’-lanterns have a shelf life of roughly five to 10 days, though an especially cold October could shorten that life expectancy even further. If you want your jack-o’lantern to greet trick-or-treaters on Halloween, wait to carve it until a few days before the big day.

• Use a dry-erase marker to outline the design. It’s easy to make mistakes when carving a jack-o’-lantern, especially if this

is your first time using a carving knife since last year. Use a dryerase marker to trace the design onto the pumpkin before you make a cut.

• Avoid severing the stem.

When many people envision jack-o’-lanterns, the image in their minds is one in which the top of the pumpkin is removed so candles or lights can be effortlessly placed inside.

However, the custom pumpkin carving experts at New Yorkbased Maniac Pumpkin Carvers note that removing the top cuts off the vine, which supplies the pumpkin with nutrients and moisture, even after it’s been cut. A whole in the back of the pumpkin can provide easy access when placing candles or lights inside, and cutting here won’t cut off the nutrient and moisture supply a pumpkin needs to avoid drying out.

• Scoop everything out. The interior of a pumpkin will be loaded with seeds, which can be removed and later roasted to make a savory snack. In addition to removing the seeds, be sure to get all of the pulp out. Pulp left in the pumpkin will soon get moldy and that can shorten the lifespan

of the jack-o’-lantern. In addition, when removing the interior, try scraping the front inner wall of the pumpkin thin, which may make it easier to carve.

• Avoid candles when lighting the interior of the jack-o’-lantern.

Candles might seem like the most authentic and even spooky way to light the interior of the pumpkin, but the heat produced by a burning candle can shorten the life expectancy of the jack-o’lantern. An LED light won’t give off much heat and will provide ample illumination.

A few simple tips can help Halloween celebrants ensure their jack-o’-lanterns make it all the way to the big day at the end of October.

carpet and hardwood are ready for this season.

Carpet As we spend less time outside and more time indoors, carpet is more susceptible to accidents.

More time inside means the possibility of more dirt, hair, crumbs, debris and spills getting embedded into the carpet fibers.

Spills attract dirt, so vacuuming more regularly and spot cleaning is important to limit the amount of debris getting further embedded and causing damage to your carpet.

You also must be cautious when it comes to wet, muddy shoes and paw prints. If you aren’t careful, these will leave stubborn stains. A good idea, for the cooler, wet seasons is to implement a shoe free home if you don’t already enforce this. We also suggest placing rugs at every entrance way so family members and guests can wipe their shoes thoroughly. A pro tip for pet owners is to leave a towel at the front door so wet, muddy paws can be wiped down as soon as they enter your home.

Hardwood Hardwood needs extra care and attention, especially in Canada where weather fluctuates, and we experience all four seasons.

Temperature changes and moisture are two of hardwoods worst enemies.

Wood naturally expands and contracts depending on weather and humidity, and your hardwood floors are no different. When it comes to the cooler months, you may notice your floor shrinking and you may start to see gaps between the boards. Do not panic! This is normal. The best way to avoid shrinking and gaping is to keep the temperature consistent between 60-70 degrees. We also recommend using a hygrometer to ensure the moisture and humidity levels in your home do not dip too low or too high. Additionally, its always good practice to keep a hardwood cleaner on hand to ensure you’re ready for any dirt or salt that can be tracked in.

As always, if you have any questions please don’t hesitate to stop by our showroom.

Home Support Services • House Cleaning • Personal Care (bathing, grooming) • Companion Care (at home & institutions) • Palliative & Compassionate Care • Meal Prep, Med Distribution, Wound Management • Transportation & Shopping • Continuous Care • Respite/Overnight Care Overnight Care • After hospital discharge • Continuous overnight care • After surgery • Security • Respite Call for a free in-home assessment • DVA

250.852.3212

Full Service Care Since 2009

Bradwins

How to Prep your Floors for Fall

Flooring SHAWN VANDERWAL Nufloors

E

very year fall brings beautiful colours, cooler temperatures and some of your flooring’s worst enemies. As we transition into a new season we will begin to see more rain, snow, dirt and mud all of which can adversely affect the look and performance of your floor. This month we will take a look at some tips to make sure both your

October 11th, 2021

250-372-1234 • info@cfselaw.ca

Downtown Kamloops - #300-272 Victoria St.

CFSELAW.CA

www.connectornews.ca

16 OCTOBER 2021

How to avoid drug interactions

H

undreds of millions of people across the globe rely on medications for their survival. In fact, the percentage of people using prescription medications may surprise people who work outside the health care industry.

According to the National Center for Health Statistics’ National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2015-16, nearly 46 percent of the population of the United States used prescription drugs in 201516. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that prescription drug use is similar in Canada, where the

Canadian Health Measures Survey found that roughly two-thirds of adults between the ages of 40 and 79 used at least one prescription drug in a 30-day period.

Prescription drugs may be vital to many people’s survival, but they also can prove deadly if mismanaged.

That’s especially true for people taking more than one medication. Taking multiple medications each day may be necessary, but it’s equally necessary that people taking more than one medication every day take steps to avoid drug interactions.

• Discuss all medications with each of your doctors.

Primary care physicians and

medications list potential side effects in different ways. Each prescription medication comes with a lengthy list of potential side effects, while OTC labels cite potential side effects in the “Warnings” section on their labels. Familiarize yourself with all potential side effects of a given medication prior to taking it. Err on the side of caution and wait to speak with your physician before taking an OTC medication you’re unfamiliar with.

• Order all prescriptions from the same pharmacy.

Ordering all prescriptions from the same pharmacy makes it easy to access all prescriptions. Pharmacists

specialists should be kept in the loop regarding which medications their patients are taking. Patients should never assume their doctors know every medication they’re taking. When prescribed a new medication, mention to your prescribing doctor what else you are taking. Include prescription medications but also overthe-counter, or OTC, drugs, supplements and even vitamins. Use a notes app on your smartphone to create a running list of your medications so you can easily access it during doctor’s appointments.

• Read all labels.

Prescription drugs and OTC

can look up all prescriptions and crosscheck interactions that may result from taking certain medications at the same time. This safety net can be useful and convenient.

• Utilize online resources.

The Drug Interactions checker at www.drugs. com/drug_interactions. html is a convenient way to learn about the potential

interactions that can result when taking more than one medication or even mixing it with certain foods or beverages.

Drug interactions can be deadly, which only underscores the importance of being careful when taking more than one medication at a time.

Regain hope and strength while caregiving Ways to donate

C

aregivers are unpaid individuals, typically a spouse, child, neighbor, or friend, who assist with activities of daily living and medical tasks. These informal caregivers often fill in gaps between medical professionals or paid aides to meet the needs of incapacitated individuals.

Statistics Canada recently estimated that 8.1 million Canadians over the age of 15 are serving as unpaid caregivers to family or friends; with age-related health problems being one of the most significant drivers of caregiving needs1.

Though both men and women serve as caregivers, females are the largest segment of unpaid caregivers, handling some of the most difficult tasks, such as bathing and dressing.

Many caregivers selflessly give back by providing assistance to a friend or family member, and view this type of service as a form of charitable giving. Others see it as simply being a good friend or family member. Although it can be rewarding to care for another person, caregiving also can be a stressful job that takes both a physical and emotional toll on caregivers. Caregiver stress is a very real side effect.

It is important for caregivers to recognize that offering medical care and support can leave them vulnerable to a wide range of consequences. These can include anxiety, depression, fatigue, and

symptoms of caregiver stress and avoid burnout. Here are some signs to keep in mind: • Feelings of being overwhelmed • Feeling alone or deserted by others • Social withdrawal from friends or activities that used to make you feel good • Exhaustion that makes it challenging to complete necessary tasks • Sleeplessness or sleeping more than normal • Lack of concentration that impacts daily tasks • Overreaction to minor nuisances • Cutting back on leisure activities • Neglecting things at home or other people who are well • An immune system that is run down, leading to constant illness The Alzheimer’s Association says it is important for caregivers to find time for themselves apart from caregiving tasks.

Respite care or relying on others to fill in can free up time for a caregiver to relax and recharge. It is also important to prevent caregiving from becoming a person’s whole existence. Investing time in other things that provide meaning and purpose can help caregivers find balance.

Also, focusing on the things that can be controlled and small victories can make a difference.

even increased exposure to illness. It can be particularly sad to witness a loved one’s health gradually deteriorate.

Experts say that anyone is susceptible to caregiver stress, but more women caregivers say they have stress and other health problems than male caregivers.

Women who are caregivers of spouses are more likely to experience high cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes than men. Depression is quite common among caregivers who spend a lot of time assisting those with various dementias because of the constant care such people require.

To remain as healthy as possible, caregivers should take steps to recognize

1 Source: 2018 General Social Survey (GSS) on Caregiving and Care Receiving, Statistics Canada

Continued from p. 1

charity and the difference they want to make.

Be aware of sound-alike charities Some fraudulent charities like to piggyback on the success of reputable organizations. They may operate under names that sound similar to legitimate charities or create business logos that are nearly identical. People should not be fooled by these tactics.

Explore all the ways to give Seniors can give back in various ways.

Charitable gift annuities and charitable trusts are great ways to give. Seniors also can volunteer their time.

Donate directly Contact a charity directly to donate instead of using a middle person or unconfirmed entity on the phone. Use a credit card or check so there is a receipt of the donation.

Opt out of information sharing Donating to one charity should not result in a deluge of solicitations from others. Individuals should tell a charity they do not want their personal information shared. This also helps to reduce the risk of being contacted by bogus charities.

Seniors who give to charity reap many rewards. But safeguarding one’s finances is of paramount importance when donating to charity.

wHat makes Us dIFFeRent? PLENTY! 210 Lansdowne st., kamLoops

250.377.8225 drakeCremation.com

Proud to sponsor the Desert Gardens Calendar

• 100% LOCALLY OWNED & AFFORDABLE • OUR UNIQUE PRICE SATISFACTION GUARANTEE • SIGNIFICANT DISCOUNTS IF YOU PRE-PAY • NO UPSELL AND NO HIDDEN SURPRISES • WE TAKE CARE OF MANY THINGS FOR FREE, INCLUDING THE CPP APPLICATION

dRake smItH, msw

President

OCTOBER 2021 17

www.connectornews.ca

One Little Boy I

n an age when children were seen and not heard, an infinitely cheerful and humorous little lad commanded attention.

His small frame appeared as if in a spotlight wherever he went. A beguiling sight, it was no wonder that from his powdered crown to the tiny satin shoes he wore, he was the darling of the courts in his day.

His fluffy blond hair, shining in the sun, was always drawn back in clips and the tightness forced the waves to unwind smoothly. But he was so animated the curls, wrenched from their clips, fell to his frail shoulders. Reserved for special occasions, dotted on his forehead were signs of a sprinkling of angel dust. With the soft luminescent powder veiling his golden locks you could say, when his large bright eyes flashed, he was crowned royally.

Those who dressed him had to select meticulous and elaborate drapes.

Suits of lilac satin, with gold-lace accessories, were his favorites for he loved elegance. Under the billowing pantaloons, pure white silk stockings

boldly followed the thin curves of his calves.

Over his strong but flat little chest clung a crisp formal jacket which was punctuated at the neck with frothy white lace.

Not to be without flair, crimson rosettes bobbed atop his slippers as he ran about. One could say the little flowers looked like miniature roses bobbing in a garden breeze.

There was something more special about this boy than just his apparel.

He had the most darling pale hands. They reached out for hugs from dainty lace cuffs. They were the only things about the youngster that weren’t frail. His tapered fingers could curl and stretch, and his arms-reach—if he scooted about on his perch—could make it to the far ends of a keyboard to caress his most beloved ‘companion’ and play his most fanciful games.

A look of contentment would come over him, flush his round cheeks, and the ever-present smile which helped create the magic belied the seriousness of the young master. He was an enchanting lad as he sat on the ornate bench with his feet dangling loosely

Creative Writing by Rita Joan Dozlaw

and undisciplined… a quite endearing habit.

You could never say this extraordinary boy did not deserve to have his wishes granted; it was agreed that all of them must come true! Once, perhaps more than once, someone brought a highly prized poodle to him.

He loved dancing with a poodle in his arms. His pet canary’s trills and whistles accompanied the instruments as the boy sang in the voice of a tenor. Howbeit softspoken, his modest voice showed his temperamental mood swings at times. When he was mild-mannered, he obliged requests and posed for his portraits and, many times over, was summoned to tea parties in his honour.

Dear reader: Since I have whet your appetite for more about this one little boy, it soon will be time for the big reveal. If you will permit me the license to withhold the child’s name, for the sake of a few more moments of mystique, I shall call him by his nickname.

Perhaps pronounced ‘Vulvy’ in German during his childhood, the boy was idolized and

patronized. He fascinated all with his endearing and youthful brilliance.

He drew unlimited invitations from scores of gratified people who bound, inside their hearts, great adoration for the slight boy-prodigy.

It was incredible to watch his endless energies and creativity and, of all things, people’s heartfelt emotions surfaced.

Unapologetically, weeping aloud was socially acceptable.

Young Vulvy lived in an era when music was the highlight of people’s lives. The secret behind his magnetic attraction was the companion he chose at a tender age… somewhere around four. Day or night, if he was missing, you knew where he was and what he was up to. The wunderkind, found at the harpsichord, learned well from his father who home-schooled him and instructed him on the instrument.

He occupied himself for hours with printed manuscripts; but, along with playing minuets and songs the little fellow took great pleasure in quite spontaneously composing his own rich

Grassland Secrets “Make the meadowlarks stop shouting at us!” demanded my friend, as we paused for a moment during our hike. He was joking, of course. Six romantic meadowlarks trilling together aren’t exactly a deafening roar.

In fact, the inhabitants of B.C.’s Interior grasslands are generally quiet and shy.

Grasslands are subtle places. They don’t reveal their secrets to casual passersby. People looking for the obvious splendour of mountains or forest give a hasty glance, mutter “Nothing there,” and step on the gas. To them grasslands are just a dull

blur of grayish-green sagebrush, bunch grass slopes, and rocky outcrops dotted with a few trees.

Those who are genuinely interested, who ride or walk across the land, getting to know it, find complex, interwoven communities, home to such beauty as to make them think that, when it comes to location, cows and cowboys have all the luck.

Where else could a ranch family look out their window at breakfast to find three hundred sandhill cranes discussing the day’s migration routes?

Ride along the fence line accompanied

by darting turquoise bluebirds who’ve set up housekeeping in nest boxes on the fence posts?

Watch ducks resting in small ponds on their yearly journeys?

And, how about those meadowlarks? Their nests may be on the ground, but their flute-like calls, the very voices of spring, echo from tree-tops across grassy hillsides.

Human wanderers will be watched by wary deer which, if spooked, can leap a fence from a standing position and, if really fortunate, may see a bighorn ram keeping vigil from a cliff top. Lower down most ewes will be

musical scores. This was his forte; his gifts to all; gifts that would transform emptiness into satisfaction, remove one’s self from selfpity, change a solemn day into a celebration.

Sprightly serenades and slow graceful nocturnelike movements raised a sense of adoration from his listeners.

Their weeping, over his stormy and dramatically romantic compositions, brought the height of dignity and honour to him. He loved religious music and was aware of his own power to draw people to their knees through his passionate artistry. Additionally, he was so impassioned by the sounds of strings that his life-long favorite was the viola. He played and composed prolifically on the violin.

When Vulvy, the boychild born in Salzburg Austria in 1756 grew up, he was given yet another nickname. ‘Amade’, pronounced with an accent over the ‘e’, was not only loved by everyone, he was loved by his wife and by God. Hence, Amade, in Latin meaning ‘love of God’, was the nickname affectionately

bestowed on him by his wife.

It was well known that his music entertained, but was it his legacy?

Were his brilliant lyrical songs written for the serious-minded or for dreamers? Was Amade the modest romantic of his day… or for all time?

Without a doubt, all this was so, and the music the world has listened to for centuries lingers in our memories and heightens the pleasure of students of music and appreciative audiences to this day. It lifts the fallen, as from a shallow pool of indifference, to the ultimate height of emotion; because, while the composer was occupied with his music he, too, felt every emotion. Throngs are still enthralled and privileged to hear the strains of selections from his repertoire, and we still feel our hearts palpitate as we catch our breaths and deeply sigh in awe of the music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart… the world’s wonder child and dearly loved composer.

Story By Trudy Frisk

grazing while their lambs, gathered into a nursery or “lambasery” are guarded by two or three alert ewes.

The intricate family life on the grasslands deserves respect.

Occasionally a black bear will grumble along turning over rocks in its quest for beetles or grubbing up plants for their tasty roots. Usually bears and cows pay no obvious attention to each other, though they’re certainly aware of who’s who in the meadows.

Snakes? Of course. Bull snakes, garter snakes and rattlesnakes live here. And the clichés are true; rattle snakes really do want to

avoid humans.

Grasslands, drab and boring? Never.

The retreating snow is followed by jaunty yellow bells, and bright banks of buttercups. The nodding onion was food for First Nations people who used its strong odour to distinguish it from the lovely but dangerous death camas.

Sagebrush Mariposa lilies on their slender stalks glow like lavender stars amid surrounding grass.

Prickly pear cactus are the greatest surprise.

For a few days in late May and early June these tough, spiny, plants bloom. Their gorgeous

yellow blossoms cover stony sagebrush slopes, proof that one should never judge by first impressions. The prickly pear cactus flowers so briefly that some people who’ve worked in the grasslands all their lives have never seen it.

Autumn transforms the grasslands. Rabbit brush flowers, a deep, warm gold. Grasses and shrubs become a painter’s delight of bronze, amber, ocher and scarlet.

Its gentle beauty tempts people who roam it regularly to keep it a secret. Just theirs and the cows.

18 OCTOBER 2021

Roots

UNITED CHURCHES OF CANADA Kamloops United Church

www.kamloopsunited.ca 421 St. Paul St. • Sundays 10 am Rev. Dr. Michael Caveney

Mt. Paul United Church

www.mtpauluc.ca 140 Laburnum St. • Sundays 10 am

Plura Hills United Church

www.plurahillsunited.com 2090 Pacific Way • Sundays 10 am

Loyal Order of Moose • Women of the Moose • Moose Legion

THE FAMILY FRATERNITY

Open everyday 11 am Meat Draws Friday at 7 pm & Saturdays at 2-4 pm

NEW MEMBERS ALWAYS WELCOME! mooselodge1552@shaw.ca

Loyal Order of Moose Lodge #1552

730 Cottonwood Avenue • 250-376-8022

“A trusted provider of home care services that are tailored to meet your individual needs.”

• A level of service that meets and exceeds history’s highest standards.

• Highly trained, screened and credentialed healthcare professionals.

• Client to caregiver matching service to ensure compatibility.

• Regular assessments by management to ensure client satisfaction.

For more information or to set up your free in-home consultation call: 250-851-6789

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

because that is what roots do. Sustain life.

In this season of death and decay much work is being done to sustain life. The leaves that will soon disappear, blown away by the next big windstorm, are sending Colouring outside the lines as much energy as they REV. LEANN BLACKERT can down to the roots Wild Church that never see that sun.

Moisture, nutrients, all that is needed for life sit in my camp chair to emerge again is being beside an arrowleaf stored in the root cellar. balsamroot plant.

I lean back in my This vibrant harbinger chair and wonder. I of spring, once so full of wonder in awe at the green and sunny yellow, creative genius that is now dry, the same exists in these plants, dusty beige as the soil. spun into existence by It’s life, lived boldly, is a cosmic wisdom that I ending. The dried leaves have come to call Great and stems rustle in the Mystery. Others call breeze – a death rattle it by many different of sorts. names: Creator, God, I look around me and Allah, Holy One. see the beginnings of I wonder about my the end. Leaves begin own roots – about that to glow with red and which might sustain orange. Pinecones life in me through the clutter the ground changing seasons of life. beneath towering My roots have been fed trees. Grasses faded to and watered in so many the same beige as the ways: by family, friends, balsamroot. The season school, circumstances – of fall is definitely in all constantly changing the air and the world like the seasons. I have around us prepares for a lived through seasons long winter’s nap. What of drought, abundance, looks like death and dying is only temporary, storms, grief, joy – all the different though. Come spring circumstances life green will come out to offers us. The roots that play and will paint the hold and sustain me world in multi-toned brilliance.

I look again at the balsamroot plant, knowing that just beneath the surface of the dry, dusty ground is a root system that is working hard to capture the last bits of sunshine and water needed to sustain this plant through the winter. Our Wild Church circle gathers and several share stories of nearby trees growing in the midst of a solid rock wall, somehow sustained by invisible roots that have found a way to sustain life,

I

www.connectornews.ca

are my faith. My roots are grounded in the Christian story. There are many faiths, many stories, all holding truth and wisdom and all able to sustain life. That’s why I choose the name Great Mystery because truly not one of us knows that our story is the ONLY story.

I wonder about my roots. In this evershifting world, will these roots be enough to sustain me? Am I drawing in enough light and water and nutrition to continue moving through the yearly cycles of living and dying and living again? I sit in my chair, feet firmly planted on the ground, take a deep breath of oxygenrich air, made so by the exhalations of the trees around me, feel the warm sunshine on my shoulders. Peace settles into my being and I know. I, too, am drawing deeply of the holiness that surrounds me, and my roots are gathering up all that is needed to sustain me.

I have touched and have been touched by Mystery this day, and it is enough. I sit in my chair and breathe a prayer of gratitude.

Before our circle disbands we offer

gratitude: to the land that has held us, to the more than human beings that have hosted us, to one another for the time of community and to the Source of all, the Great Mystery. We pour out on the ground a bit of corn meal, the same golden colour of spring’s blooming balsamroot. I look around the circle and offer a silent prayer that those sitting with me will be rooted deeply in holiness, solidly grounded in Great Mystery.

Thanks for joining my circle today. I am grateful for your presence as well.

Rev LeAnn Blackert works with Michele Walker, Lesly Comrie and Linda Clark in ministry with Wild Church in Kamloops, Sorrento and the Okanagan. She considers herself a seeker in her faith journey and wanders the wild world looking for the Great Mystery and the “wild Christ.”

July happens to be her favourite month of the year. To find out more, visit wildchurchbc.org and be in touch!

OCTOBER 2021 19

www.connectornews.ca

The Connector, Between Healthy Emotional Health and Action

The inside story WENDY WESEEN

N

ot wanting to bat alligators but to drain the swamp, I’ve been fascinated with social science and research since I landed in a Sociology class to fulfill a science requirement for an undergraduate degree in English Literature. Social science is often downgraded and considered not as important as the hard sciences such as chemistry and physics.

Lately, articles proliferate expressing the idea we should spend our life trying to figure out who we are, why we are here, and what the gifts were in the toolbox given to us at birth; reflections that have increased

during the COVID crisis, along with an increased recognition that mental health is an essential part of our humanity and well-being. Many professionals who have spent a lifetime in human service have known this forever but increasingly the general public recognize this need and question what it means.

And is it not fascinating how human beings function and the nature of the societies they live in? My experience and knowledge have led me to a personal understanding that the greatest difficulties our world has is dealing with the emotional and psychological aspects of our humanity and the behaviours that result.

The COVID crisis has given the gift of new understandings. In the middle of COVID, in August, I had a total hip replacement and the thought I might not get off the operating table alive, reminded me that nothing lasts, and was forced to consider what to do with the life I have left, and how to take charge of the path I’m on now. I’ve had

crises before, a “where did these kids come from?” crisis, and a “where did these kids go?” crisis, and a “what do I do now” midlife crisis, and a “who am I when I’m not part of a couple?” crisis. And questions of purpose and meaning have risen again like congealed fat on top of a cooling soup stock.

This month is an anniversary for me. It’s five years since I began writing the column Insight Story for The Connector.

At the time I wondered what I had to offer. But I remember what motivated me to envision a column about the psychological and emotional aspects of life, and particularly aging and the journey towards death. Who wants that?

I’d worked in palliative care, with elderly people, and children and adults with developmental disabilities most of my life.

But my motivation had to do with money. I was tired of seeing images of older (senior) people that did not reflect my reality. Everything in the popular media related to retirement and becoming a senior had to do with financial planning. Posters

flashed ridiculously goodlooking happy couples, without signs of past sunburned skin, thinning hair, wrinkles, and bags under the eyes, or sign of admission to increased interaction with healthcare services and struggle with the radical losses of aging nor the reality of the disproportional numbers of single elderly women.

Next month I will be 77-years-old, like many women my age I’ve been alone for a long time.

Long lasting coupledom perhaps only part of the fairy tale. I wanted to write something about the emotional and psychological aspects of retirement and aging.

Something real. I had hoped when my turn came to be old, everything would be fixed. As I observe my world, there is even more work to be done and I grieve the lack of movement towards better emotional literacy and intelligence. I guess I’ll stay with my passions in this column. For a while longer.

Come find your Zen

Zen Wellness Massage

Find us on Facebook and Instagram!

141 Victoria Street #209 • 778.538.4225 KamloopsZenMassage@gmail.com

Win a $40 Gift Card Nicole Clay

Licensed Esthetician/Owner Mail or drop off your entry to: Kamloops Connector, 1365B Dalhousie Dr, Kamloops, BC, V2C 5P6 or email your details with “Zen Wellness Contest” to win@connectornews.ca.

Random draw from entries submitted for the contest.

One entry per household. Draw date: Friday, Oct. 8th at 9:00am. Prize must be accepted as awarded. Winners will be called to arrange pick up

Name ..............................................................................................................

Phone.............................................................................................................

Email ..............................................................................................................

Kamloops Realty

Jessica MARVIN

Will the CPP Death Benefit pay for Murray’s cremation?

I

don’t know about you, but the thought of calling any large organization for information is a daunting thought indeed. Oh, when you finally get through, the person at the other end is usually quite friendly and helpful. But it’s the anticipated wait time. You know, where the recorded message comes on saying “Your call is very important to us, your anticipated wait time is approximately six

earnings into the Plan over a long enough time period.

I’m afraid that Alice might be in for a shock if she gets a rejection letter from Service Canada.

Why am I telling you this story about Alice and Murray? Because I have witnessed this scenario numerous times over the past few years. The CPP Death Benefit rules changed on January 1, 2019. I’d encourage you to find out if you are eligible for the CPP Death Benefit.

You might be ‘on hold’ for awhile if you call Service Canada. Or maybe you’ll get right through. In either event it may be a very important call for you to make.

Next month, I’ll tell you how we helped relieve Alice of her money worries after she learned that Murray probably wasn’t eligible for the CPP Death Benefit.

250.319.8784 mmatt@shaw.ca

RealEstateKamloops.ca Member of Kamloops Chamber of Commerce

(Formerly Goessman Denture Clinic) NTURIST AS DE S

be a bit more confident.

“What sort of work did Murray do, Alice?” I enquired. “Murray was a handyman for most of his life” she replied. “He could fix almost anything… people were always calling for him. Maybe that’s why he never got around to fixing our plumbing!” she said. I started to worry a little; Murray might not be eligible for the CPP Death Benefit after all.

“So, does Murray receive Canada Pension, Alice?” I asked. “A little bit, about $50 a month. I think he paid into the Canada Pension Plan for a little while when he worked at Woolco back in the ‘70s,” Alice replied.

My guess? Murray may not be eligible for the CPP Death Benefit. Why? Because he may not meet their criteria. To qualify for the $2500 death benefit, Murray would need to have contributed enough of his

JessicaMattRealEstate.ca

ON OF B ATI RI OC

COLUMBIA SH TI

ask drake DRAKE SMITH Funeral Director

hours…” So you wait. And wait. And you memorize the recorded music they play for you.

As I prepared this month’s column I contemplated calling Service Canada for information about the CPP Death Benefit. Rather than risk the ‘on hold’ scenario, I decided to share what information I DO KNOW about the CPP Death Benefit and leave it to you to contact Service Canada regarding your own eligibility for the CPP Death Benefit. I would encourage you to check it out for yourself. Here’s why: Alice came to see me recently; her husband Murray had just died.

Murray wanted to be cremated, nothing more.

“The $2500 CPP Death Benefit should cover it” said Alice. I hoped Alice was right but asked her a few simple questions to

250.374.3022

je-matt@hotmail.com

ars • et • scientia

A Proud Tradition of Denture Crafts ROBBY JAROUDI • ALLEN E. GOESSMAN

PERSONALIZED & PROFESSIONAL DENTURE SERVICE • Complete Dentures • Repairs • Dentures Over Implants • Partial Dentures

Two great locations to serve you better!

10-2025 Granite Ave. Merritt, BC 1-888-374-9443

603 St. Paul Street Kamloops, BC 250-374-9443

www.connectornews.ca

20 OCTOBER 2021

OUR HEARING IS PRECIOUS. IF WE LOSE IT, WE LOSE CONTACT WITH THE PEOPLE WE LOVE AND THE WORLD AROUND US.

What makes you thankful for hearing?

Thanksgiving is the perfect time to pause and reflect on what we are grateful for. Hearing aids may not be the first thing that spring to your mind. It’s easy to take them for granted, or maybe even to harbor some resentment toward them. But we would like to take this opportunity to list eight reasons to be thankful for these fantastic, life enhancing devices.

Having the option. Although hearing aids can be expensive, we cannot forget how lucky we are to have them as an option. In the past, and even today in certain parts of the world, many individuals do not have the option.

Health benefits. Studies have shown that using a hearing aid to treat hearing loss has many additional health benefits such as improving quality of life, reducing the chances of depression, social isolation and Dementia.

Having a choice. Hearing technology offers tailored solutions for treating hearing loss conditions that suit all lifestyles. Various styles, sizes and colors of hearing aids are available with several different features, accessories and apps. Add to this other products such as amplification devices, cochlear implants etc.

Improved communication. Hearing Aids can greatly improve communication by giving back the sounds you hadn’t realised were lost. Missing high frequency sounds like the consonants ‘s’ ‘h’ and ‘f’ ‘k’ or ‘t’ or the sounds ‘ch’ or ‘sh’ ‘th’ makes some words difficult to understand.

The stigma is changing. The stigma of hearing loss is fast changing with more individuals working, socialising and participating in activities more confidently. Hearing technology has become less obvious and bulky, and has hugely advanced.

Sounds of the world. Some simple everyday pleasures return to you again. Bird song, bees buzzing, or the wind in the trees to name a few.

Directional microphones. Hearing aids have builtin directional microphones, which help you determine where a sound is coming from and if it is background noise or speech. This helps you know what to focus on.

Reminder of their importance. Every time you remove your hearing aids, clean them and reinsert them – you have the opportunity to acknowledge how much they do for you. Things instantly sound more sharp and loud. This helps demonstrate how easily we adapt to a slow reduction of sound in our 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