Shirley's Retirement Scrapbook - July 22, 2021-
Another turning point, A fork stuck in the road, Time grabs you by the wrist Directs you where to go. So make the best of this test And don't ask why. It's not a question, But a lesson learned in time. It's something unpredictable, But in the end it's right. I hope you had the time of your life!
One for all and all for one!
So take the photographs And still frames in your mind, Hang them on a shelf In good health and good time. Tattoos of memories And dead skin on trial For what it's worth It was worth all the while. It's something unpredictable, But in the end it's right. I hope you had the time of your life!
Let's write our story And let's sing our songs, Let's hang our pictures on the wall. All these precious moments That we carved in stone Are only memories after all...
Oh, the good times...
From David Gibson
Dear Shirley, It has been both a pleasure and an honor to have worked with you over these past 18 years. Your professional contribution and dedicated service to the Centre has been greatly appreciated. I truly want to thank you for your kindness, sincerity and support in making SHCHC such an incredible place to work in! I am grateful to have had the opportunity to work with you directly. As always, wishing you a wonderful retirement that is filled with new opportunities! Enjoy this new chapter of your life, and I hope it's filled with good health, wellness, relaxation and fun!
From Matt Garrison
Shirley, It is hard to believe that as of next week you will be retired! I am so very happy for you, and wish you nothing but great things as you move into this new chapter of your life. I also hope that when you reflect back on your career at Sandy Hill that you take pride in all that you have done and the positive impact you have had on so many people. This list of the HR related issues you have had a profound influence on is a long one. But the greatest is how you were a staff advocate and person who truly cared about their well-being, especially when they were in need of our assistance.
Personally, I would like to express my gratitude to you for being such a great colleague and support! For so many years, it was up to just the two of us to ensure that HR was being delivered in a way that was best for Sandy Hill, and I believe that we did a great job. Your input, feedback, ideas and confidence was so important to me and helped me more than you will ever know. My trust in you never wavered and I cannot express how important that was to me. Thank you. Now you can relax! Stat holidays will be just another day of retirement, and you won't have to worry about all the things that kept you so busy for so long. I am sure you will now seamlessly shift your focus to family and friends (and Duke!) and some well-deserved time for yourself. Enjoy, you deserve it! Matt
From Cristina Coiciu
Dear Shirley, Where did the time go...? You were the first person I met at SHCHC, who greeted me for my interview... July 2004... Where did the time go...? Over the years, I had the privilege to work with you, to learn from you, and to discover what a wonderful woman you are...! A reliable colleague and a trustful friend! A very joyful and kind soul, compassionate and generous... You were the confidant of so many of us, your door and your heart were always open to listen to our problems (personal, most of the times) and to give us your encouragements and warmth... Your smile, humour and good nature in front of life's challenges are unbeatable! Your incurable optimism is contagious!
You were a pivot to this organization and the team that is the SHCHC staff! You loved to organize all kinds of social events, and your untiring enthusiasm was your driver! From the celebrated Children's Christmas Party to all other staff events, your involvement was unprecedented! Staff Christmas parties, golf tournaments, bridal and baby showers, first time grandparents, retirement celebrations, staff luncheons and summer BBQ, the list is endless... And on top of all those, you never stopped helping me with the AGM or with the Holiday Luncheons. I will miss you, Shirley... Your retirement is the end of an era for which I am very nostalgic. It is the end of a SHCHC culture that is shifting to the young generation, who is continuously in a hurry and doesn't have the time to stop and take a breath. It is the beginning of a new era of virtual meetings, of "social distancing" and "working from home", and not so much of the interactions that we used to have. I hope we can still keep in touch, and I wish for you sunny and quiet days in the summer so you can work in your garden, sunny and quiet days in the winter so you can enjoy a good book and a glass of wine in the warmth of your home, and sunny and quiet days in this new chapter of your life so you can have precious moments with your family and friends! Fondly, Cristina
From Nazila Salmanzadeh
Dear Shirley, It has been a pleasure to know and work closely with you in the past five years! Thanks for your years of hard work and dedication! You will be remembered for the things that you did here, especially for improving HR and Payroll procedures and processes. You will be missed. I wish you a wonderful retired life ahead! Congratulations on your retirement :)
From Kyle Heney
Congratulations Shirley! It's been great working with you all these years --- from the early days with Jean where you helped me get my feet wet in the HR field, you were always willing to help me out and let me do my crazy things to make (hopeful) improvements! Haha! Wishing you all the best in your retirement --- you will most certainly be missed not only by the Admin team, but by everyone you've helped over the years.
From Nancy Knudsen
Dear Shirley It's finally here! Congratulations on your retirement! I would like to thank you for all the support and guidance you have provided over the years. You always had the best interests of staff in mind when considering HR policy and consistently showed empathy towards staff in challenging situations. I could always count on you to help sort out an HR question, do a last minute contract or provide an encouraging word. I enjoyed our chats about family and life and am so appreciative of the kindness you showed me during difficult times. All the staff have benefited from your love of a good time - thank you for all the Christmas parties, baby showers, and so on... Who will remind me to get Santa's gift? I wish you a long relaxing retirement full of all the things you love to do - you deserve it! I'll miss you! I hope our paths will cross again. Nancy
From Mary Bilow
My dearest Shirley, Thank you so very much for making me feel so very welcomed when I first started. You were so very helpful and full of information for my many questions. You always made yourself available for me when I needed anything. I truly will miss speaking with you. I wish you a wonderful and well deserved Retirement. Please stay well and enjoy this next chapter in your life. All the best! Mary Bilow
From Roxanne Racette
Dearest Shirley, It has been an honour and a privilege to work with you. Your patience, professionalism and support over the years has been very precious to me. You have been a mentor to many of us ! I hope you will take some time to relax, enjoy life a bit and get caught up with family and friends. I will miss your smile and your laugh. Wishing you all the best Shirley xoxo Rox
From Shelley Reid
From Sushma Gupta
Hi Shirley, Congratulations on your retirement...!!! Enjoy the time with your family and new puppy. I am sure you needed this after countless building tours and calculating statutory holidays for so many staff over the years :) The Children's Christmas Party will not be the same without you... Hope to see you virtually may be...!! Best wishes on your next adventure...!! Sushma
From Terra Larence
Dear Shirley, Wow! It is hard to believe you are leaving. So many great years of being able to come to you for anything, and you always ready with an answer and a quick smile and laugh, sitting there behind your mounds of paper!! Organized chaos. Thank you so much for always organizing the children's Christmas party at Sandy Hill, as well - that was a highlight for Jake when he was little. Now he is all grown up - graduated from high school and driving! Yikes! I know you have gone through a rough time in the past year with your illness, and I hope that you are on the other side of it now and will be able to properly enjoy your retirement with your family and friends. We will all miss you here. Your contributions to Sandy Hill and to the community will not be forgotten. No one can replace you. Take care of yourself and enjoy your well deserved next stage of life! Love, Terra xoxo
From Jean-François Martinbault
From your colleagues
From Sylvie Roussel Good day, Shirley. It was great working with you, and I hope you'll enjoy your well deserved retirement! You were a hard working lady and I will miss talking to you. Take care, Shirley! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From Kim Barrett Enjoy this much deserved retirement. You have been taking care of us long enough! Time to care for yourself :) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From Marie-Elise Blais Take good care, Shirley. You will be missed!
From Heather Thomson
Greetings Shirley, Thanks for all the times you took me off payroll only to put me back on a few month's later... when I was off on my MSF missions. I know that was quite some paperwork... but much appreciated. You will certainly be missed... you are such a joyful person. Happy retirement! Heather
From Danielle Leclerc
Shirley..... What can I say. You will be missed by everyone. Your caring nature, amazing professionalism, friendliness with everyone. You make everyone feel comfortable. You go out of your way to create amazing memories for staff (ie. Christmas party for kids and past Christmas parties for staff, etc.) I hope you get to enjoy your retirement and enjoy your grandchildren you deserve it. Danielle Leclerc
From Emily Clark
Top 5 things you will remember about Shirley working at Sandy Hill CHC No. 1: Shirley's laugh No. 2: Shirley's laugh No. 3: Shirley's laugh No. 4: Shirley's laugh No. 5: and... Shirley's laugh
From Emily Clark
The picture I have included with this message is a photo that was taken in Vancouver of me beside a sculpture named A-maze-ing Laughter. There is an inscription carved beside the sculpture that says: "May this sculpture inspire laughter playfulness and joy in all who experience it." I thought this especially relevant as I do not think a day went by when you were in the office and were not laughing! Your laugh brought me joy and will definitely haunt (in the nicest way) the hallways of the fifth floor when you retire! I thank you for having made me feel a part of the Sandy Hill CHC team when I first started as an intern student in 2015. You made me feel welcomed, valued, and seen. Thank you for all of your support throughout the years and your promptness in answering all of my HR-related questions. I also really appreciated our hallway chitchats. Wishing you nothing but laughter, playfulness, and joy in this next chapter of your life. Warmest regards! Emily
From Patricia Eakins
When I reminisce about Shirley… She was omnipresent in our lives. We all spent time with her… upon joining SHCHC and then again at different stages of our lives while at SHCHC. And then she had her “other” position… as THE Social Committee ὠ. Shirley was one of the first persons I met when I joined SHCHC; I was in her office ALL the time... learning the nuances of our various HR benefits and systems. The administration of these was an enormous task!! Shirley – your depth of knowledge and history of our benefit plans was impressive! And then, on top of that, you had to manage all the software transitions. No moss would grow under you!!! It was as if your office had a revolving door; you were often assisting an employee with his/her HR questions. Your smile and chuckle were welcoming and contagious. In the years I was at SHCHC, you were THE Social Committee. I recall fondly the gingerbread house decorating extravaganza that was then rewarded with a pizza lunch. And then you managed all the logistics of the children’s Christmas party including being Santa’s elf ὠ. You also co-ordinated staff Christmas parties and were actively involved in the many BBQs we hosted. Over the years, you were not only my colleague but also a trusted friend. Shirley – I know you will be greatly missed, but you are beginning a very well-deserved retirement. I wish you all the best for the years ahead. I look forward to staying in touch. Patricia
From Wendy Chong
Dear Shirley, A huge thank you for all your contributions over the last 20+ years. Not only is this a record, but the organization really would not have been the same without you. You’ve responded to endless HR questions with grace and professionalism, even ones that have been particularly challenging (and there were plenty of those along the way). I want to wish you a most deserving retirement. Celebrate, enjoy some time for yourself and spend time with your grandchildren and the new puppy! Wishing you a truly wonderful retirement, Wendy C
From Bill Juillette
Shirley! I spent a year in Covid-retirement in 2020 and found it exhausting because there is so much fun stuff to do with all the extra time. I hope you experience the same, because it's AWESOME! Bill
From Gerald Dragon
Shirley, You will be sorely missed by us all at the Centre!! Thank you for always making yourself available to respond to HR related questions - some of which you had to explain on more than one occasion :) I wish you all the best as you move to the next stage! Enjoy the new found time you'll now have to be with your grandchild(ren). Gerald
From your colleagues
From Stefan Amyotte Congratulations on your much deserved retirement, this place won't be the same without you here, in your corner office! The best of luck in this next chapter! All the best! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ From Geoff Robin Hi Shirley, Thanks very much for being such a great support over the years. I hope that you have a wonderful retirement. Best regards, Geoff Robin ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ From Sue Adams Dear Shirley - what can one say after over 30 years... We doubled our age together! I will miss your smile and your laughter! The Christmas kids book wrapping party will never be the same! Take good care of yourself and keep in touch!
From Sylvie Emond
Dearest Shirley, To me, you were the heart of the centre, the "go-to" lady, the lady that can advise you, the one who can fix your problems. You sure helped me a great deal throughout the years, especially with calculating my stat holidays considering my weird work schedule. I have missed your smile and your contagious laugh during the pandemic. Things will definitely not be the same as things start returning to "normal" without our Shirley. You take very good care of yourself!! You are always there for your family, but I hope that you can finally have some great down times where you can enjoy doing things you enjoy doing. Keep in touch. Laugh, love and have fun. Live it up for those of us who are not retired yet! Warm regards, Sylvie :-)
From Josée Anne Gauthier
Shirley! My absolute favourite memory of you happened many, many years ago, when I was just starting out at Sandy Hill. You were moving to the 5th floor, and I was taking over some of your duties on the 2nd floor. I was new to Sandy Hill and just starting out in my career, and one day you walked in to my office and said "How can you work like this?" I was nervous; I had no idea what you meant, and then you said: "IT'S WAY TOO CLEAN IN HERE!!" I've never forgotten that :) Josée Anne
From Natacha Ducharme
From your colleagues
From Michelle Nemeth Congratulations, Shirley!! Your "someday" is here - I hope you enjoy your retirement and all of the exciting adventures ahead! Michelle ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ From Mark Reiter Shirley, It was always a pleasure working with you throughout all these years. You were always cheerful and very helpful whenever I came to you for help. I wish you the best in retirement ! Enjoy! You deserve it! :)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ From Niki Beamish I hope you enjoy this next chapter of your life, Shirley! You will be greatly missed at Sandy Hill. On to bigger and better things!! Wishing you strength, health, and happiness!
From John Hawkins
Best wishes for a very happy retirement. Thank-you for everything you've done for myself directly and indirectly. It's very appreciated and I hope retirement means you've time to follow some of yours dreams.
From Julie Henderson
Dear Shirley, Congratulations for a very well deserved retirement!! Instead of helping other staff retire, you can now focus on your own! Ha! I have known you for many years at SH and have enjoyed our collegial and friendly relationship throughout the years. And we both come from northern Ontario! During these many years we both experienced life events that were difficult at times, and I want to thank you so much for your support and encouragement. I will also miss our lighter moments and laughter, especially when we shared life with grandkids! Ha! Your retirement will be celebrated by your colleagues at SH, but it will also leave big shoes to fill! I hope that you will be able to fill your days with a lot of self care, fun and possibly new adventures. Shirley, tu me manques beaucoup et j'espère qu'on pourra prendre un petit verre de quelque chose ensemble dans le prochain futur! All the BEST! Jouis de ta retraite! Julie Henderson xo
From Louise Besner
Dear Shirl, When I think of Sandy Hill, I think so fondly of you! You have been a constant, a pillar, a friend. You have been generous with your time and a genius with your advice. I remember with a full heart when I started at Sandy Hill on Selkirk and you were part of the admin assistance team. Those were the good old days when we had time to chat and get to know one another. You were special then as you are now! Our fifth floor visits were special as we got to know each other better and had good chin wags about kids and later, grandkids. The Christmas parties for kids and staff which you organized with such dedication were so appreciated! Thank you for your friendship, your brilliance at Human Resources and your encouragement when I struggled with retirement plans. I wish you the best as you enter your retirement, and I know that you will not be at a loss for things to do. You deserve some “me” time and I hope you cherish that time. A bientôt, mon amie. Let’s do lunch. Much love, Louise xo
From your colleagues
From Dennise Albrecht Well, Shirley! It has been years, but I remember you so fondly. Enjoy this next chapter of life --- and find the moments to cherish. Dennise (Albrecht)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ From Jim Campiti Hi Shirley, Wishing you the very best in this next episode ! Always enjoyed and appreciated our interactions however brief. Good luck to you and enjoy ! Jim ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ From Robin McAndrew All the best for a wonderful retirement, Shirley!!!
From Christine McKay
Hey Shirley, I am super stoked (youth lingo for excited) that you are getting ready for your retirement! You have been a tremendous support to so many of us. I have always appreciated your high level of integrity and appreciate your openness to new ideas and willingness to try new ways of doing things. You have consistently demonstrated your desire to have SHCHC offer the best supports (benefits etc.) available to staff. I believe that your presence has been an integral part in creating and maintaining a positive and supportive workplace environment, so thank you for that. I have enjoyed sitting on committees with you and sharing ideas or jokes with you. I have always admired your willingness to help out whenever possible. I hope that retirement allows you the time and energy needed in order to do all the things that you have been wanting to do. Thank you for making SHCHC a great place to work! Have a fun time, you have more than earned! Take good care, Christine McKay
From Bob Polak
Hi Shirley, Congratulations on your retirement! I wish you the greatest happiness in your new chapter of life away from the Centre, with new wonderful discoveries and more time to devote to the other people and activities that you love. During our time working together on the addiction team I came to know you as a caring, dedicated and trustworthy person who I was proud to have as a teammate. In the years since, your willingness to help me with information and support. I will always remember and appreciate. Thank you. You always have the answer or know how to find it. I am sure all of your strengths will continue to serve you well. Best wishes, Bob Polak
From your colleagues
Shirley, Thank you so much for explaining HR details to me, very patiently, over and over again. I appreciate you always taking the time to go over things with me. Enjoy your retirement! Well deserved. Sincerely, Marie-Michèle Chezzi
Hi Shirley! Wishing you all the best in your retirement! You have been such a big part of the Centre through your career. Thank you for all that you do. I appreciate you always having the time to answer my questions. This is your time now! Best wishes! Deborah Dew
From Annette Tirschler
Shirley. Always kind and welcoming. I will miss you... You have been the common thread all of us have connected with over the years at Sandy Hill. Thank you for all your years of devoted and caring service. In my heart I feel so much gratitude for you! For each Christmas Children's Party our daughter attended we are grateful. Even Sophie's cousins (Jean Paul, Jacob, Rosie and Georgio) came through a few winters.
Thank you for each time I needed something explained to me about OVERTIME, STATS and time owes. You patiently explained to me year after year in a way I could almost understand it. Thank you for keeping your calm and smiling face when you would see my blank/ confused stare back at the sheet of numbers. I admire you for being able to figure all of this out. Thank you for taking care of us, the whole Centre's staff. Thank you for taking care of me! Thanks to you, and Mike, and Janet for helping us find our way to adopting our happy dog Maple...
From your colleagues
From Christopher Berckmans Thank you for all your patient and compassionate help over the years. Best of luck in the future! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ From Christine Mercer Shirley, I has been a pleasure working with you. I'll miss our yearly chats about the kiosk ;) I hope you are able to relax, sleep in and enjoy your retirement. Take care! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ From Happiness Floyd Happy Retirement Shirley, It was wonderful to work with you. Have a great adventure in your new journey. All the best and warm wishes!
From Patrick Marshall
From Patrick Marshall
Responses to Shirley's email to sort out stats: No. 1: Do Sundays count as a holiday? No. 2: Sure! I have availability for the next 7 Mondays. (Shirley does not work Mondays) No. 3: Yes, Shirley, I know you've been wanting to meet with me since 1984, but I've been working all the holidays! No. 4: Stats? What's a stats? No. 5: I don't know why you need to know this, I am Canadian.
From Lee Andrews
Hi Shirley, Thank you for your considerable care throughout my years at Sandy Hill CHC! Thank you also for your graciousness as you cared for me (and everyone else at the Centre). Your graciousness, while often under much stress, with so much to do was a marvel. I wish you fun times in your retirement, fulfillment of your desires as you get to do what matters to you with your family and others who are important to you, and all this while enjoying good health! Warm regards, Lee Andrews
From Melissa Rukundo
Thank you, Shirley, for all you have done for me and all the staff at Sandy Hill! I remember sitting nervously outside your office on my first day of work, but you put me instantly at ease with your calm manner and bright laugh. You guided me seemingly effortlessly through two maternity leaves and two returns to work, clearly explaining to me all my options and never putting pressure on me to make decisions on the spot. Whenever I had questions or changes to make, I could come to you and the response was almost always "I'll take care of that". I know that many other employees have had similar experiences, and that we have been able to do our jobs so much better for knowing that there was someone looking after all the forms and little details. Enjoy your retirement, especially time with family!
From your colleagues
Hi Shirley! Congratulations on your retirement! I can't imagine Sandy Hill CHC without you! You have been an amazing colleague and mentor to me. It has been an immense joy to work alongside you and learn so much from you. You will be dearly missed. Please keep in touch and I wish you all the best in your future endeavours. Sincerely, Salma Hagi-Aden
Hi Shirley, I hope you have a wonderful retirement! You will be missed, but never forgotten. You've done so much for SHCHC. Make sure you work just as hard at relaxing as you have done in your long career. I wish you a happy retirement filled with fun and happiness! Regards, Madhuri
From your colleagues
From Irena Konopacki Dear Shirley, How quickly time flies. I clearly remember some 20 years ago when we were both staff reps on the board of directors for Sandy Hill... You were so helpful then and are still the "go to" person for me because I always get the right information from you and my questions answered. Wishing you a much deserved retirement much peace, joy and love. Irena Konopacki
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From Susanne McKim Shirley, You will be so missed... You have made my time at Sandy Hill so much better. Aside from knowing everything about this place and getting every job done efficiently, your smile and laugh has lifted my days. You deserve to have so much fun!!! Enjoy! Susanne McKim
From Michèle Demers
January 25 1995 was my first day of work at Sandy Hill, and my first time meeting Shirley. I was replacing her! Shirley started me off with a Grand Tour of the third floor. "I will introduce you to my H.S.I. team: Danièle, Louise, Ghislaine & Claire. Janet works at reception downstairs." My job was to be the fifth wheel as a Float. "I will show you how to prepare the charts, where to file results, and everything you need to know to do the reception work." Throughout the week, Shirley introduced me to the Medical Team: six doctors and six nurses. "You knock on the door, you wait for an answer, you go in and ask for the charts you need. Don't be shy, the doctors won't bite you!" By 5 o'clock that Monday, I was exhausted. Not Shirley. She stayed focused, leading me through the hours, keeping an eye on me, picking up after my mistakes, normalizing everything that needed immediate attention at once: phones ringing, clients showing up (or not), chart prepping and... Ah! Oui!... "You were also hired to give a hand to your teammates..." By the end of that first week, I had been taught the ABCs of the trade, no doubt, by a most clever superwoman. When one is given such a great start, it makes an impression for life.
On Friday, at 4 pm, we parted at the door. Shirley waved goodbye to me. "I am leaving the Health Services to work with the Social Services, starting next Monday. I should be around for you anytime, if you need me." Shirley has been true to her words. She has been there for me, and for all of us, all those years, any minute of the day. No doubt, Human Resources will need a few more people in order to replace such an exceptional woman! Happy retirement, Shirley! Well done! Michèle
From Nancy Zahavich
Congratulations on your retirement, Shirley. It was a pleasure working with you. Your people skills made your role in HR seem like the perfect job for you. I always enjoyed our chats and spending time with you on the fifth floor. Since you were always happy to throw surprise parties for birthdays and retirees, I hope your colleagues came up with a suitable going away surprise for you! All the best in your retirement, Nancy Zahavich
From your colleagues From Lisa Quesnel Shirley, I am going to miss you. This will give you more time for shopping at Value Village... lol. I wish you all the best and nothing but happiness. Lisa Quesnel ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ From Stephanie Cyr Congrats on your 30 years with SHCHC! Hope you enjoy your well deserved retirement!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ From Bhumi Yadav Shirley, you welcomed me at Sandy Hill and I will always remember it. Whenever I came to talk to you, you always had smile on your face and greeted me warmly. I wish you keep smiling and stay blessed. Hope that we stay in touch and I will miss you. With warm wishes Bhumi :)
From Katarina Zoric
From your colleagues
From Katie Soobrian Shirley, while I have not been with the organization long, your dedication and contributions can be felt though out Sandy Hill! There is no replacing the impact you have had, but Madhuri, Salma and I hope to continue building upon the foundations you have gifted us all. Wishing you all the best in your retirement!!! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ From Kendra Jones Shirley, Thank you for steering me through all my HR needs with kindness and expertise. You brought such connection and caring to the office (especially the 5th floor) and that will be very missed. Wishing you the absolute best as you embark on this next great adventure! Enjoy all the wonderful new opportunities and experiences that retirement brings! Kendra ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From Cathi Savage
Shirley... congratulations on your retirement...! I will never forget how sensitive and supportive you were with me when my Dad was dying... You made a very sad situation seem possible. Your kindness and professionalism helped immensely. Thank you, and enjoy your retirement and be sure to have lots of fun!!!
From your colleagues Dear Shirley, Thank you for the warm welcome my first day at work, five years ago. I have always appreciated your kindness, positive energy and availability to answer my questions regarding my vacation time and benefits. You will be missed! Congratulations on your retirement! I hope it includes lots of time resting, time spent with loved ones and lots of adventure! Celena McDonald ICM Team
Come on over to the other side! Life is grand and there’s always room for one more! Welcome! Michelle Hart PS. You certainly catch up on your sleep.
From Lorne Parent
A Tribute to Shirley - Forever Honouring Her Name S--surely dependable, sweet and lovely H--helpful and hope-inducing I--industrious and rapid in response/crisis management R--reliable and really authentic, warm and a true friend L--loving, caring to all of us at SHCHC and to her family always present, devoted and caring E--even-keeled, enthusiastic, ever-ready for challenges Y--youthful outlook, forever young to all who knew her, master of all things social, and a special friend to Santa and his yearly visit to our youth.
We will miss you and your quiet ability to make time for any and all demands, your knowledge and caring for us and our personal issues. Best wishes as you embark on your own time now, happiness and health I wish you and yours in retirement. All love, Lorne
From Chris Osler
Congrats, Shirley, on your retirement from SHCHC! Over the two decades we worked together, your steadfast support not just to me, but to the staff on my team, was noted and appreciated. In your kind and positive way, you would roll with whatever staffing challenges we pitched to you, all the while, keeping the well-being of the staff in mind. Always one to investigate and seek the best options that fit the individual needs of the staff, your commitment to prioritize and respect the life/work balance of SHCHC colleagues is one of the many qualities I will remember about you. This translated also into the staff social scene and the sparkle in your eye as we got closer in the year to "elf" and gingerbread house construction season :) When I first started at SHCHC and had a young family, one of the annual highlights for my kids was to get invited in to the candy fest holiday party. Over the years, your passion and leadership made this event run like a well-oiled machine! SHCHC will miss you!
From Meredith Kate Coffin
Shirley! I am so excited for you as you move into this next phase of your life. Know that I have ALWAYS deeply appreciated your help in all that you do, and have helped me to navigate over the years of working together. I picture myself as a cyclone of confusion when it comes to leave things, and you calmly helping my cyclone energy to see things clearly. I will miss your solid, stable presence, your warmth, and your wonderful laugh. All the very best to you, lovely Shirley! You are truly a gem! Meredith
From Kayla Charlery
You will be missed and I don't know what we will do without you, your amazing math and HR skills! Thank you for all you have done throughout the years. Wishing you all the best in this new chapter. The R&R is well deserved!! Kayla
From Pamela Boyle
Sandy Hill folks sure have been lucky to have you, Shirley, to sort out all of their many HR issues with such a clear head, a smart mind and a great sense of humour! How many times did you have to explain to me about statutory holidays???? Every year for fifteen years, I think!! I hope you have a wonderful summer and enjoy your upcoming retirement, knowing what a great job you did for all those years (even longer than me!) and how much they’ll struggle to replace you!! Sending you my best wishes with many fond memories. Pamela Boyle
From Julie Tessier
Dear Shirley, I wish you all the best for this well deserved retirement. I hold such good memories of having worked with you... You were always available when I had any related HR questions, and your dedication to the social wellbeing and sense of belonging for staff has been exceptional. Thank you for your hard work and dedication and for taking the lead on the social committee. You helped to create memorable children’s holiday parties, all staff social events like the golfing tournaments, and the various parties like the one held at the Chateau Laurier or at the Royal Oak to name just a few. You are a very inspiring person, and so caring and thoughtful! I hope that we can stay in touch. Congratulations! And most importantly, enjoy this next part of your journey. Warmly, Julie Tessier
From your colleagues
From Annabelle Finucan Dear Shirley, Thank you for your compassion and kindness. You will most surely be missed. Wishing you a restful retirement. Annabelle ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ From Jessica Clark Happy retirement Shirley! Thanks so much for your knowledge and patience in all things HR. You will be missed! Wishing you all the best. Jessica