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A FREE magazine for adults 50+<br />
FALL <strong>2021</strong> — Volume X, 6, Issue X3<br />
HISTORY<br />
Old<br />
barns<br />
and<br />
sin<br />
bins<br />
Memories of a<br />
rural referee<br />
ARTS<br />
For love Of<br />
music<br />
Local musicians have<br />
“never worked a day”<br />
FINANCE<br />
Estate<br />
PLANNING<br />
Plan your gifts for family, community<br />
FREE!
Grey-Bruce/HURON-PERTH<br />
boomers<br />
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Published every March, June,<br />
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www.greybruceboomers.com<br />
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FROM THE PUBLISHER<br />
CONTENTS<br />
Who would have predicted that I would be penning yet another pandemic<br />
Publisher’s Note, 18 months after the world first shut down “for two weeks.” The<br />
year-and-a-half since has been challenging on so many fronts for many people –<br />
everyone has been affected in some way.<br />
A quote I heard that resonated with me is, “We are not all in the same boat, but<br />
we are all in the same storm.” I hope that your boat is keeping afloat and this<br />
storm will soon be over!<br />
A bright light is that we are back in print! We transitioned to only publishing<br />
online last year and, while I was hopeful it would be just for an issue or two,<br />
we published five issues exclusively online. Thank you to our loyal readers and<br />
advertisers who kept us going – it was our honour to continue to provide our<br />
demographic with relevant, meaningful and local content during such trying<br />
times. Be sure to check out all our past issues online at www.huronperthboomers.<br />
com.<br />
Winery tours • 4<br />
Local Spotlight • 10<br />
Future of health care • 14<br />
Memories of a referee • 18<br />
Estate planning • 22<br />
Mobility • 26<br />
Recipe • 30<br />
In this issue we are proud to feature memories of refereeing hockey from 88-yearold<br />
Max Demaray, of Brussels. Travel along with Jill Ellis-Worthington as she<br />
visits the wineries of southern Ontario, and discover why local musicians feel<br />
they have “never worked a day in their life” in April Taylor’s For the Love of Music<br />
article. Finally, help prepare yourself financially with Roxy Rae’s article about<br />
estate planning, and learn more about the future of health care with Kylie Pike’s<br />
story that explains why now isn’t the time to reduce services.<br />
Thank you for your continued support of <strong>Huron</strong>-<br />
<strong>Perth</strong> <strong>Boomers</strong> magazine, and may you and your<br />
family stay healthy and safe this fall!<br />
Amy Irwin, Publisher<br />
<strong>Huron</strong>-<strong>Perth</strong> <strong>Boomers</strong><br />
FALL <strong>2021</strong><br />
Publisher<br />
Amy Irwin<br />
amy@huronperthboomers.com<br />
Magazine Design<br />
Becky Grebenjak<br />
<strong>Huron</strong>-<strong>Perth</strong> <strong>Boomers</strong> welcomes<br />
your feedback.<br />
EMAIL<br />
amy@huronperthboomers.com<br />
PHONE 519-524-0101<br />
MAIL<br />
P.O. Box 287, Ripley, ON N0G 2R0<br />
<strong>Huron</strong>-<strong>Perth</strong> <strong>Boomers</strong> is distributed for free in <strong>Huron</strong> and <strong>Perth</strong><br />
counties, and is published each March, June, September, and<br />
December. Distribution of this publication does not constitute<br />
endorsement of information, products or services by <strong>Huron</strong>-<strong>Perth</strong><br />
<strong>Boomers</strong>, its writers or advertisers. Viewpoints of contributors and<br />
advertisers are not necessarily those of the Publisher. <strong>Huron</strong>-<strong>Perth</strong><br />
<strong>Boomers</strong> reserves the right to edit, reject or comment on all material<br />
and advertising contributed. No portion of <strong>Huron</strong>-<strong>Perth</strong> <strong>Boomers</strong> may<br />
be reproduced without the written permission of the Publisher.
TRAVEL<br />
Travelto taste<br />
IT’S A FINE TIME FOR WINE IN ONTARIO<br />
STORY AND PHOTOS BY JILL ELLIS-WORTHINGTON<br />
4 • HURONPERTHBOOMERS.COM
y Jill Ellis-Worthington<br />
TRAVEL<br />
We’re open.<br />
Oh no, now we’re closed.<br />
Sip samples on the<br />
patio at Paglione<br />
Estate Winery.<br />
Actually, we’re in Stage 3 so we’re opening up again.<br />
What is the difference between Stage 3 and 4 anyway?<br />
You can travel, but only in your own province. You can’t<br />
gather, but now you can but not in large groups.<br />
If the ever-changing restrictions have you a bit afraid to<br />
plan that big trip to Europe or the U.S. to explore those<br />
amazing wine regions, look closer to home for lovely<br />
sipping settings, interesting terroir, and some vintages<br />
you’ll keep buying.<br />
Whether you’re a dedicated enophile or a grape<br />
greenhorn, there are places in Ontario that you may not<br />
have yet discovered – wineries and their vintages, the<br />
people who make them, and their passion for the process<br />
and their products.<br />
Besides, isn’t it great to walk the talk and actually shop<br />
local?<br />
Head south<br />
Many wineries in of one of our province’s newer wine<br />
regions – Essex County – are snuggled up to Lake Erie’s<br />
shores. Viewpointe Estate Winery is one of them. Offering<br />
stunning views from its tasting and nibbling area on the<br />
patio, Viewpointe has a wide variety of wines on offer.<br />
Sampling wines or having lunch on the patio is on a firstcome,<br />
first-serve basis with no reservations taken. With 35<br />
picnic tables available, there is plenty of room for you and<br />
several other couples, or a group of girlfriends to sample<br />
together.<br />
Enjoy sampling four wines for $7.50. Along with your<br />
libations, try some of the tasty finger foods like fish tacos<br />
and pizza.<br />
If you like wine on the sweet (but not too sweet) side, the<br />
Riesling should be on your try-it list. Learn more at www.<br />
viewpointewinery.com.<br />
If the urge to visit southern Europe is strong, Paglione<br />
Estate Winery encompasses a decidedly Italian flair as<br />
the name would suggest. With handmade dough, the<br />
amazing pizza is baked in their wood-fired oven. Vegan<br />
and gluten-free options are available for these tasty discs,<br />
while other Italian treats are available, including antipasti,<br />
salads and pasta. Local ingredients are emphasized.<br />
Reservations for lunch are required. Tastings are also<br />
available on a first-come, first-serve basis, and you choose<br />
four wines to try for $10.<br />
The wines also tilt toward their Italian roots but take<br />
advantage of the grapes being grown in Ontario’s<br />
southern most region. A must-try is the Josephine<br />
sparkling for a happy mouth-feel experience.<br />
Learn more at paglioneestatewinery.com.<br />
At Cooper’s Hawk Estate Winery enjoy a sample flight<br />
of four one-ounce glasses $10 on the wine terrace. Staff<br />
is on hand to walk you through the tasting and provide<br />
information. Tastings are from noon to 5 p.m. and don’t<br />
require reservations, but to enjoy lunch or dinner in the<br />
FALL <strong>2021</strong> • 5
TRAVEL<br />
restaurant, you must make a reservation.<br />
An enjoyable option, especially while the weather is still<br />
warm, is their Pinot Grigio – dry and delicious. Learn<br />
more at coopershawkvineyards.com.<br />
You’ll feel like you’re coming home when you drive up to<br />
Muscedere Vineyards because the tasting room is in the<br />
rear of the farmhouse on the property.<br />
A patio with a wood-fired oven is adjacent, and delicious<br />
pizzas are baked and served from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. (last<br />
table at 5 p.m.), from Wednesday to Sunday. Gluten-free<br />
and vegetarian options are available.<br />
Several wineries in Essex County offer<br />
stone oven pizza to enjoy with a glass of<br />
wine. Below: Locally sourced meats and<br />
cheeses provide the base for a beautiful<br />
charcuterie board at Oxley Estate Winery.<br />
Check out all three tasting flights. The white flight is<br />
$11, and you’ll try the Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc<br />
and Riesling. The $12 red flight features Pinot Noir, Cab<br />
Franc and Merlot. The one for $15 consists of Meritage,<br />
Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. The Meritage gets a<br />
thumbs up.<br />
Reservations are strongly recommended. Learn more at<br />
muscederevineyards.com.<br />
Oxley Estate Winery’s restaurant used to be a tobacco<br />
kiln but now offers excellent food on the patio, which<br />
features a large wood-burning fireplace for coziness while<br />
dining on cool fall days.<br />
Tastings are offered daily and are available on a firstcome,<br />
first-serve basis from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. You can<br />
choose four wines – reds, whites or a mixture – for $10.<br />
The tasting fee is waived if you purchase a bottle.<br />
This small winery offers two sparkling red vintages, and<br />
they should be tried for the novelty factor as well as their<br />
enjoyable taste: Enchante and Lazy Days. Learn more at<br />
oxleyestatewinery.com.<br />
A fun way to explore Essex County wineries is on a bike<br />
tour. Windsor Eats offers bike tours, with single or tandem<br />
bikes and helmets supplied. Knowledgeable guides lead<br />
you along backroads to explore several wineries. The<br />
fresh air and exercise help build an appetite between<br />
stops. Learn more at winetrailride.ca.
y Jill Ellis-Worthington<br />
To make a weekend getaway of it and do something<br />
a little special, stay at The Grove Hotel in Kingsville.<br />
You’ll feel like you’re stepping into an old western upon<br />
first approach because of the building’s façade, but the<br />
rooms are all unique in this boutique hotel. The funky<br />
furnishings give it an edgy feel, but it’s both comfortable<br />
and clean. Learn more at www.mygrovehotel.com.<br />
Go east<br />
Niagara is one of Canada’s most famous wine regions,<br />
but there are parts of it that are perhaps lesser known.<br />
The wineries in the Twenty Valley area (west of Niagara<br />
<strong>Fall</strong>s) may get less press, but they represent the region<br />
very well.<br />
Vineland Estates Winery’s beautiful building houses the<br />
boutique where wines can be purchased, but you’ll want<br />
to taste some of the outstanding vintages first. A recently<br />
added outdoor ‘tasting lounge’ offers several levels of<br />
tasting experiences. A 20-minute self-guided tasting is $14<br />
to $17 and lets you sample three wines. The 50-minute<br />
tasting is $40 to $50 per person and includes five wines<br />
and a cheese and charcuterie cone for each guest. For<br />
the deluxe treatment, splurge for the $125 Extended<br />
Stay treatment. This includes eight wines, a vineyard<br />
introduction tour, and cheese and charcuterie cones. It<br />
lasts one hour and 50 minutes, and you get an upgraded<br />
charcuterie box and bottle of wine to take home.<br />
There’s a full restaurant with patio seating on site, as well<br />
as on-site lodgings, so you can stay in the vineyard during<br />
your getaway. Two must-try’s here are the Cabernet<br />
Reserve and the Dry Riesling. Learn more at vineland.<br />
com.<br />
Foreign Affair Winery is an intriguingly named vintner<br />
that is tucked away in a corner of Vineland, Ont., but<br />
don’t be discouraged and trust your GPS to take you<br />
there. Make sure you greet the moose before entering<br />
the building, with its wine-cave-like entry hall. There’s<br />
a recently added outdoor wine tasting area, called<br />
The Embassy, to enjoy at the edge of a cherry tree<br />
grove. There are three levels of tastings to enjoy, each<br />
explores four wines. The Staff Picks and Wine Club Picks<br />
flights are each $15; the Your Choice flight is $20; the<br />
Appassimento flight is $25.<br />
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FALL <strong>2021</strong> • 7
TRAVEL<br />
by Jill Ellis-Worthington<br />
Definitely try the Cab Franc and the well-priced<br />
Conspiracy. Learn more at foreignaffairwinery.<br />
com.<br />
Fielding Estate Winery was pandemic-friendly last<br />
winter, with small clear domes that house small<br />
tables, so it was both safe and romantic. They<br />
will erect them again in November, but, while<br />
the weather is fair, a tent has been erected on<br />
the lawn outside the sleek, modern tasting room<br />
and boutique. Tasting flights are available for $15<br />
for three two-ounce pours of your choice of the<br />
Fielding offerings. Reservations are recommended<br />
but walk-ins are accepted to enjoy the spectacular<br />
views of Lake Ontario, along with music on the<br />
weekends. Charcuterie boards are now being<br />
offered to accompany your glass of wine.<br />
The Cabernet and Gamay are both noteworthy<br />
at this winery. Learn more at fieldingwines.com.<br />
At Cave Spring Vineyard’s tasting room in Jordan<br />
Station, you’re right across from The Inn on<br />
the Twenty, which is a great place to stay while<br />
visiting this area. Quaint, luxuriously appointed<br />
rooms, a great spa and an excellent restaurant<br />
(try the mouth-watering foie gras) complete this<br />
romantic spot for a getaway. Learn more at www.<br />
vintage-hotels.com/inn-on-the-twenty. In fact,<br />
the Inn is lending Cave Spring’s tasting room its<br />
patio for outdoor tastings while the weather is fair;<br />
tastings are also available at their vineyard near<br />
Beamsville.<br />
Four wines of your choice for $20 per flight of<br />
four wines are first-come first-served. Indoor<br />
tastings, however, do require reservations at both<br />
locations. At the vineyard, pre-determined flights<br />
are available with red and white options. They<br />
serve charcuterie boards and finger foods at the<br />
Jordan Station location, and a Mediterranean<br />
plate is available at the vineyard tasting room.<br />
On a cool fall day, warm<br />
up by the fire (above) or<br />
enjoy a sumptuous meal at<br />
Inn on the Twenty.<br />
The Rose and the Riesling Dolomite are both<br />
outstanding. Learn more at cavespring.ca.
y Jill Ellis-Worthington<br />
TRAVEL<br />
A winning combination – wheeling<br />
along backroads and enjoying<br />
local vintages in Essex County.<br />
Closer to home<br />
Cornerfield Wine Co. opened in 2019 and is on Hwy. 21<br />
just south of Bayfield. Choose four samples for $10 on the<br />
patio or in the tasting room. Must-try’s include the Pale<br />
Red Rose and the Last Furrow Sparkling White, though<br />
the latter isn’t expected to be available again until later<br />
this year. Learn more at www.cornerfieldwineco.com.<br />
2nd Street Light’s tasting room offers magnificent views<br />
of the Maitland Valley from its patio and tasting room.<br />
Four samples are $15, and the Riesling is a can’t miss.<br />
Visit www.2ndstreetlightwines.ca.<br />
Hessenland Inn’s Schatz Winery, which means ‘dear’<br />
in German, is the perfect place for a romantic stop. A<br />
recently added tasting area in the vineyard provides a<br />
lovely setting to enjoy four samples for $15. The Rose is a<br />
wonderful choice to be among your four. Learn more at<br />
hessenland.com/schatz-winery.<br />
Maelstrom Vineyard and Winery’s peaceful setting is<br />
opposite to the turbulent waters for which it’s named. If<br />
you enjoy live music while sipping and nibbling, this is a<br />
great spot. The tasting area is adjacent to the vineyard and<br />
musicians entertain on Sunday afternoons. Four samples<br />
are $5 and charcuterie boards and other finger foods are<br />
available. Put the Marquette on your must-try list and<br />
learn more at www.maelstromwinery.ca.<br />
The Bayfield Berry Farm has made a successful pandemic<br />
pivot to producing wine, cider and spirits from fruit grown<br />
on the farm. Fruit wines range from sweet to off-dry, and<br />
come in varieties like peach, sour cherry, red current and<br />
Saskatoon berry among others. Flights are made of your<br />
choice of four and start at $10.95. You can enjoy them<br />
on the patio or while strolling in the orchard. Visit www.<br />
facebook.com/BayfieldBerryFarm.<br />
A unique way to tour area wineries is by helicopter.<br />
Great Lakes Helicopters offers tours starting from Grand<br />
Bend and going either north or south along the coast.<br />
You’ll land and sip at three different wineries, breweries<br />
or restaurants (including some of those listed above) for<br />
$399 per person. Learn more at greatlakeshelicopter.ca.<br />
Note: All information was valid at time of writing but may<br />
change according to changing COVID-19 protocols. It’s<br />
best to check websites or call ahead before venturing out.<br />
Jill Ellis-Worthington is writer, editor and communications<br />
consultant. Visit her at writeonecommunicationsservices.com.<br />
FALL <strong>2021</strong> • 9
LOCAL SPOTLIGHT<br />
Tom Waschkowski’s old band<br />
Chimes of Britain.<br />
For love Of<br />
Music<br />
“(MUSIC) OPENS THE SECRET OF LIFE BRINGING PEACE, ABOLISHING<br />
STRIFE.” – KHALIL GIRBRAN BY APRIL TAYLOR<br />
10 • HURONPERTHBOOMERS.COM
y April Taylor<br />
LOCAL SPOTLIGHT<br />
Music transcends age, culture, and time.<br />
It evokes passion, allows an outlet to release our sorrow,<br />
and brings us joy.<br />
Music makes us dance, and it’s with us at every celebration<br />
and a friend when we find ourselves alone.<br />
Music marks history – the styles may come and go but the<br />
feelings stay the same.<br />
Most importantly it joins mankind and has the power to<br />
heal. For that reason I consider the role of a musician to<br />
be one of our species’ most important. The world can<br />
learn a lot from this beautiful language. We are all the<br />
same, yet music allows us celebrate our uniqueness and<br />
our individuality all the same.<br />
Creative people are my favourite people. Marching to<br />
their own drummer, I find them to be authentic and<br />
interesting. It’s as though they can’t be anything else; their<br />
art lives within them, and they have no choice but to let<br />
it out.<br />
In the village of Bad Neustadt, Germany, near the Black<br />
Forest, Tom Waschkowski began his music journey when<br />
he was four years old, before the family emigrated to<br />
Canada. His father, a violinist, gave him an accordion.<br />
While his friends were chasing a soccer ball, Tom was<br />
instead playing old gypsy tunes under his dad’s tutelage.<br />
“‘Feel it Tom’ he would say,” Tom later recalled, from<br />
his home in Stratford. “From that day on there was no<br />
turning back. I love to connect with people through my<br />
music. I don’t know where the songs come from. They<br />
seem to flow through me.”<br />
Tom considers himself fortunate enough to have made<br />
music his means to make a living.<br />
“Music is not a job, it’s who I am.”<br />
At a young age, Tom found himself with a record contract<br />
playing guitar, singing and writing for a band called The<br />
Folklords, alongside Martha Johnson (later of Martha and<br />
the Muffins). He has also shared the stage with groups<br />
Bill Dallier rocks<br />
on the vocals.<br />
such as Lighthouse, Trooper, Murray MacLachlan, Dr.<br />
Hook, Toronto and many others.<br />
In 1978, Tom bought an old church in Carlingford and<br />
built a state of the art recording studio, purchasing the<br />
recording console from the record plant in New York,<br />
and the multi-track recorder from Daniel Langois. There<br />
he produced numerous records and played on many<br />
sessions. Some people that came through the studio were<br />
Helix, members of the Stampeders, Bob Burchill <strong>Perth</strong><br />
(County Conspiracy), Cookin’ B.W. Pawley, John Till,<br />
Kenny Kalmusky and Mel Shaw. Tom also produced<br />
and wrote advertising jingles for two Ford dealerships,<br />
clothing stores, bars, and many more.<br />
“I am so fortunate to have travelled and met and made<br />
FALL <strong>2021</strong> • 11
LOCAL SPOTLIGHT<br />
by April Taylor<br />
friends with a lot great people. Music opened doors<br />
for me, offering wonderful opportunities. I am not an<br />
actor but had the chance to play Jesus in Jesus Christ<br />
Superstar. The music from that play moved me... it<br />
touched my soul.”<br />
Tom also hosted a local cable show called ‘The<br />
<strong>Perth</strong> Music Scene’ where he interviewed people in<br />
the industry. He has also written music for films and<br />
commercials, and is appreciative for every opportunity<br />
he’s been given.<br />
“I’ve always wanted to reach people through my<br />
music,” Tom said. “I want them to make the songs<br />
their own and relate them to their own feelings.<br />
There’s no greater gift than when I receive a letter<br />
from someone telling me that my song as touched<br />
them. It’s very rewarding.”<br />
So what does the future hold for this singer/songwriter?<br />
Above: The cover of Tom Waschkowski’s<br />
book ‘Looking Back.’<br />
Below: Tom played in the band The Folklords<br />
with Martha Johnson.<br />
“I am now working on my second book titled Looking<br />
Back and recording a new album called My Songs for<br />
You with Bill Dallier, Wayne Brown, and Dan Ward,<br />
as well as other guest musicians. This never gets old<br />
to me. I am as excited to do this project as I was with<br />
my first.”<br />
In recent years, Tom has been promoting and hosting<br />
concerts – including Valdy, Howard Jones, Helix, and<br />
Rik Emitt – and he hopes to continue with that.<br />
Some of us never find our true calling in life and some<br />
find it early on. Vocalist and guitarist Bill Dallier,<br />
Grand Bend, found his genuine vocation at the age<br />
of four, already able to hit the notes with ease. He<br />
performed on stage for the first time at age six and<br />
had his first paid gig at just 12.<br />
Thus began a lifelong journey of writing, playing and<br />
creating.<br />
Always a singer but wanting an instrument to<br />
accompany his voice, Bill got an acoustic guitar,<br />
finding it more of a challenge to learn than singing. It<br />
took him years to become proficient, but he eventually<br />
found himself doing a one-man show. One night,<br />
12 • HURONPERTHBOOMERS.COM
y April Taylor<br />
LOCAL SPOTLIGHT<br />
Bill Dallier, right,<br />
and Uncle Jack Smith.<br />
by chance, he met Keith Kissner, an electric violinist.<br />
He immediately knew they were supposed to create<br />
something together, and they formed the band Rebound,<br />
a progressive five-piece group that included drums,<br />
keyboards, bass, electric violin and Bill on guitars and<br />
vocals. Twelve years later, they’re still together and have<br />
toured the majority of Ontario.<br />
“I have inside of me a huge desire to create music,”<br />
Bill said. “I feel my best when I am playing live shows<br />
or working on a recording project. Growing up in those<br />
days, with the drug culture a prominent force, I have<br />
music to thank for keeping me out of that scene. I wonder<br />
where I would be without music. I truly can’t imagine life<br />
without it.”<br />
Bill has had the opportunity to meet his idols and has<br />
played on the same stage as Helix, Robin Trower,<br />
Chilliwack, Tom Cochrane, and Streetheart. He’s also<br />
worked in the recording studio with Tom, and played on<br />
many other recordings.<br />
“I’ve courted with success, but it has never been about<br />
making a name,” Bill said. “It’s a fickle and merciless<br />
industry. I do it because I love it and need it to feel<br />
complete. Looking back I can say it has been a blast and<br />
filled my life with many great moments and memories.<br />
As a guitarist, vocalist, composer and session player, it has<br />
allowed me to create or at least be part of the creative<br />
process of some great players over the years.”<br />
When asking these gentlemen about retirement, I quickly<br />
learned that musicians don’t retire. It’s impossible to<br />
separate the person from the music. As Bill says, “It’s<br />
never been a job so retiring would only happen if and<br />
when my hands couldn’t do it, or my voice gives out. I’ll<br />
stop when I quit breathing. There are still a lot of projects<br />
to do and people to meet.”<br />
As I am writing this I find myself envious of the passion<br />
that exudes from these seasoned professionals. I have<br />
always been a music buff and have enjoyed my career as<br />
a hairdresser, but this dedication and enthusiasm is a level<br />
I have not experienced.<br />
Musicians are a special breed and I for one am very glad<br />
they exist.<br />
April Taylor is a hairstylist and freelance writer in Stratford.<br />
FALL <strong>2021</strong> • 13
HEALTH & WELLNESS<br />
FUTURE<br />
of health care<br />
NOW IS NOT THE TIME TO REDUCE SERVICES<br />
BY KYLIE PIKE<br />
14 • HURONPERTHBOOMERS.COM
y Kylie Pike<br />
HEALTH & WELLNESS<br />
Though this won’t be news to you, the current state of<br />
the world is like no other time in history.<br />
Exposure to information is immediate and plentiful.<br />
Generations young and old are accessing copious amounts<br />
of information on a daily basis. The so-called facts and<br />
figures we are exposed to, through various entertainment<br />
avenues and social facets, can be overwhelming.<br />
Yet we still seem to be in dire need of clarity and concise<br />
information that is applicable to each of our situations.<br />
Our lives tend to be a moving target when striving to<br />
capture wants and needs with changing self-abilities, due<br />
to overall health and well-being. Attempting to manage<br />
perceptions that really are realities to everyone and trying<br />
to manage priorities that may change and vary between<br />
those caring for an individual can create an extremely<br />
challenging situation.<br />
Confusion, anxiety, and a sense of being overwhelmed<br />
when trying to help oneself, a loved one and/or being the<br />
caregiver for several people, is very common. Sometimes<br />
these negative emotions can seem to be the only guarantee<br />
for those in need of and/or providing home care when<br />
everything else tends to be changing.<br />
First, there’s the need for reflection. For generations,<br />
Canadians have known, or should have known, about<br />
the importance of helping thy neighbour as well as thy<br />
family. The sad state of our health care system, regarding<br />
the overall support and one-on-one personal care<br />
provided in Long-Term Care, has been widely exposed<br />
during the COVID-19 pandemic. Society, through<br />
media and information released by our provincial and<br />
federal governments, seems to have turned a blind eye to<br />
the tragedies occurring in the home care sector, and yet<br />
the cries for help are plentiful.<br />
Should it have taken a pandemic to force us to look<br />
FALL <strong>2021</strong> • 15
HEALTH & WELLNESS<br />
by Kylie Pike<br />
closely at the travesties suffered by those in need of<br />
personal care? Anyone who has experienced the stress<br />
of helping someone diagnosed with an illness or disease,<br />
is recovering after an accident, surgery and/or medical<br />
treatment, has mobility concerns, is aging, etc., knows the<br />
fear and anxiety that often engulfs those needing the help,<br />
as well as the caregivers.<br />
The aging population is growing at exponential levels in<br />
Ontario and will continue to increase over the coming<br />
years. Therefore, health care demands for in-home and<br />
community-based care will also rise at an exponential<br />
rate. Access to qualified, experienced and empathetic<br />
frontline support workers is – terrifyingly – at an alltime<br />
low, despite the increasing demands. Particularly in<br />
our rural areas, it’s reaching crisis levels. With the rising<br />
cost of living, increasing gas prices and the shortage of<br />
affordable living options, frontline support workers are<br />
leaving the profession or the area completely.<br />
There are additional challenges to encouraging young<br />
people to choose this profession, and the educated tend<br />
to work in cities. There is also a tragic burn-out rate, as<br />
many in frontline health care have been forced to stop<br />
working due to their own personal health and well-being.<br />
So as the demands for home care continue to rise, the<br />
access to the necessary supports is diminishing, creating a<br />
magnitude of crisis.<br />
Home care refers to health care services that are<br />
provided for individuals within their homes. Services are<br />
performed via in-home health agencies through regulated<br />
and unregulated health care professionals including<br />
nurses, social service workers, rehabilitation specialists<br />
(such as occupational therapists and physiotherapists),<br />
personal support workers (PSWs) and home support<br />
workers. Services can include restorative care, with the<br />
intention of providing clients with tools and support for<br />
recovery, and range all the way to home care services<br />
that provide palliative or end-of-life care. Home care is<br />
ever-changing to accommodate for unique and complex<br />
medical needs. This means duties and responsibilities are<br />
being shared or are shifting in response to regulated and<br />
unregulated health professionals being spread thin.<br />
Tasks that are usually carried out by regulated health<br />
care professionals such as nurses and physiotherapists<br />
are now the responsibility of PSWs. Yet the demand<br />
for PSWs is at an all-time high, so many home support<br />
workers are forced to perform PSWs’ duties. In addition,<br />
the role of PSWs has expanded to include care activities<br />
previously performed by other various registered health<br />
care professionals. The field and careers of PSWs is not<br />
currently regulated and yet the need and demand for this<br />
profession to become regulated is evident.<br />
The role of a PSW<br />
PSWs are considered unregulated health care providers<br />
who perform personal and supportive care for a wide<br />
variety of clients under the supervision of their regulated<br />
employers. As an unregulated position, PSWs have no<br />
clear-cut scope of practice, so duties will vary amongst<br />
home care placements.<br />
Examples of typical duties and responsibilities for<br />
PSWs may include:<br />
• Assisting with activities of daily living (dressing,<br />
hygiene, showering, toileting).<br />
• Mobility assistance (help with transfers and walking<br />
assistance to help ensure safety and reduce the risk<br />
of falls).<br />
• Basic wound and skin integrity care.<br />
• Light housekeeping.<br />
• Psychosocial care (i.e. respite, companionship).<br />
• Basic medication assistance, prosthetic and brace care.<br />
New PSW responsibilities include:<br />
• Range-of-motion and home exercise programs.<br />
• Bowel and bladder care (ostomy and catheterization).<br />
• Tube feeding.<br />
• Oxygen administration.<br />
• Application of topical medical creams.<br />
• Assistance with inhalers and drops.<br />
• Skilled wound care.<br />
• Donning/doffing compression stockings.<br />
• More in-depth prosthetic and brace application.<br />
PSWs are expected to complete the duties for which<br />
they’ve been trained during their certification courses.<br />
In order for PSWs to legally and ethically take on<br />
additional tasks, which are usually assigned to regulated<br />
health professionals, there needs to be a specific form of<br />
16 • HURONPERTHBOOMERS.COM
y Kylie Pike<br />
HEALTH & WELLNESS<br />
delegation of these services. Delegated services are to be<br />
highly routine, repetitive activities that can be completed<br />
with training and appropriate supervision.<br />
However, it is becoming more commonplace for PSWs in<br />
certain home care placements to take on non-traditional<br />
client care activities. This is typical of those working<br />
with individuals who have extremely complicated plans<br />
of care and medical histories. Although it may be costeffective<br />
and save time to push these additional activities<br />
onto the PSWs, there needs to be a consideration for<br />
intervention effectiveness and safety of the patients, as<br />
well as the PSW.<br />
The roles of home care workers encompass individuals<br />
who typically have years of experience as a health care<br />
aide or nurses’ aide (both professional titles that do not<br />
currently exist, however they did a few decades ago) or<br />
experience as a primary caregiver for a loved one (child<br />
with complex medical needs and/or a spouse, friend,<br />
neighbour, aging parent, etc.).<br />
Attempting to navigate the health care system can be<br />
overwhelming. Trying to advocate for yourself or a loved<br />
one, when there are numerous agencies and individuals to<br />
communicate with, is daunting. Having so many questions<br />
and concerns that tend to multiply the more we learn can<br />
be emotionally draining and completely encompassing.<br />
It can be terrifying emotionally, and physically draining,<br />
and completely encompassing. There needs to be a better<br />
way, no matter how complex.<br />
This does not overshadow the need for celebration. By<br />
almost any standard, there is no better place to live than<br />
Canada. Few countries make outstanding health care<br />
available to all. Even fewer seek to accommodate so much<br />
diversity, whether it be language, ethnicity, faith, creed<br />
and sexuality. It is why millions stand in line for the chance<br />
to become Canadian. They choose Canada because we<br />
are open, tolerant, curious, and humble. Is there room<br />
for improvement in the home care sector – absolutely. As<br />
Canadians, I hope we humbly appreciate all that we have<br />
and yet work together to provide solutions and rally to<br />
help those in need and those that tend to not be able to<br />
advocate for themselves.<br />
Resources<br />
southwesthealthline.ca<br />
ontario.ca/page/homecare-seniors<br />
healthcareathome.ca/southwest/en<br />
cno.org<br />
ontariopswassociation.com<br />
How to get home support<br />
The place in life where someone needs home care support<br />
can vary significantly, so whenever possible, speak to your<br />
family physician or call Home and Community Care<br />
Support Services (HCCSS), which was previously known<br />
as the Local Health and Integration Network (LHIN) and<br />
the Community Care Access Centre (CCAC).<br />
If you feel that you or your family member needs health<br />
care support at home, school or in the community,<br />
HCCSS can open the door to a world of options and<br />
opportunities.<br />
Anyone can make a referral on your behalf – a family<br />
doctor, friend, family member, even you. The first step is<br />
to call 310-2222, which will automatically direct you to<br />
your local home and community care office (no area code<br />
required) – or you can call the number for an office close<br />
to you by visiting healthcareathome.ca/southwest/en/<br />
Contact-Us or calling 1-800-811-5146. Let them know<br />
you are making a referral for services.<br />
Their helpful staff may ask some questions to better<br />
understand your needs. Then, you will either be connected<br />
with a Care Coordinator, or they will refer you to the<br />
program or service that may be right for your needs.<br />
Kylie Pike owns Rural Home Care and lives in Ripley with her<br />
family. She has worked in both the frontline and administrative<br />
avenues of home health care for over 20 years. Learn more at www.<br />
ruralhomecare.ca.<br />
FALL <strong>2021</strong> • 17
HISTORY<br />
Old<br />
barns<br />
and<br />
sin<br />
bins<br />
MEMORIES OF A RURAL<br />
HOCKEY REFEREE<br />
BY MAX DEMARAY<br />
18 • HURONPERTHBOOMERS.COM
y Max Demaray<br />
HISTORY<br />
was born in 1933 in Dorchester Ont.<br />
I<br />
By the 1950s, I was just old enough to be impressionable<br />
during the golden era of hockey greats like Gordie Howe,<br />
Syl Apps, Howie Meeker, Ted Lindsay and Maurice “The<br />
Rocket” Richard.<br />
I got to meet a number of the hockey legends, including<br />
Canada’s hockey Dad Walter Gretzky and Hall of Fame<br />
goalie Ken Dryden, but more about that later. Of course,<br />
I would have loved to have been a hockey star just like the<br />
other fellows my age, but fate had other ideas, so I grew<br />
up to be a mild-mannered farmer, insurance director<br />
adjuster and nice guy by day, who took the opportunity to<br />
be someone else more fun at night.<br />
My love of the game started with watching my dad play<br />
in Ingersoll with his nephew Don Abbott. George Hayes<br />
was refereeing there before he went to the NHL. He<br />
seemed like a giant to me and I loved the game, but I<br />
hero-worshipped him.<br />
When I was in high school, we played hockey on an<br />
outdoor rink. In Grade 10, the first closed-in area in<br />
Belmont, Ont., was built. It was mostly with volunteer<br />
labour, including we teenagers who were allowed<br />
to go help build by driving spikes – but only after our<br />
schoolwork was completed. I played for the Dorchester<br />
Juniors during my teen years and continued as a young<br />
adult to play for Gorrie and then Jamestown.<br />
Jamestown is now just a sign, but back then we two<br />
Jamestown boys would go into Brussels early and referee<br />
the Peewees and Bantams. After their games, the Tri-<br />
County Intermediate League would play. One night,<br />
while playing in Brussels, a Kurtzville skater and I got<br />
into an altercation. One referee pointed at the Kurtzville<br />
player as deserving of the penalty, while the other referee,<br />
Jack Lee, pointed at me as the instigator, and said that I<br />
deserved to be kicked out of the game.<br />
Of course, I was kicked out of the game.<br />
About a year later I really wanted to become a carded<br />
referee. I had started refereeing informally because that’s<br />
how it was done back then. However, we needed that card<br />
to be registered, and it cost me a whole $1. The rule was<br />
that you had to referee with someone who had already<br />
been carded. The carded referee available was Mr. Lee,<br />
and luckily for me he was happy to help me along. I sent<br />
in my dollar and my card. I still have it, dated 1966,<br />
and signed by Hugh McLean, who was president of the<br />
Western Ontario Athletic Association at the time.<br />
I refereed for the next 27 years. A few years in, I got<br />
a call from Alf Lockridge, secretary of the WOAA, to<br />
pick up a young fellow from Belgrave who wanted to<br />
start refereeing. Alf wanted to tell me how well he did.<br />
That person was Harvey (Harve) Black, and we spent<br />
many hours and travelled many miles together over the<br />
following years.<br />
Harve and I always told Alf that we would go anywhere,<br />
anytime, except for Saturday nights which were reserved<br />
for our wives. Alf called us one Saturday morning to ask<br />
if we would do a game in Listowel that night. We agreed<br />
but said that we wanted to take our wives and go to the<br />
dance at the Legion afterwards. It appeared that Listowel<br />
had started their party in the afternoon because there<br />
were lots of fights and we never did finish that game. The<br />
arena manager and the police wouldn’t help keep the fans<br />
away from the penalty box and at one point, we had three<br />
fights going at once. A fan later told us that there was<br />
another fight we never did see.<br />
So, we called that game off and went to the Legion dance.<br />
We needed to wind down, and I guess we did, because I<br />
remember that our wives drove us home that night.<br />
One night, when Harvey and I were coming out of the<br />
old Ripley arena, a curious fan stopped me and asked if<br />
that was really my son with me. I replied that, “If he was<br />
my son, I would have drowned him.” The poor guy didn’t<br />
know what to do and Harve just laughed.<br />
But it wasn’t all fun and games. One season, Dave Nielson,<br />
who assigned referees, wanted me to ref a playoff game in<br />
Brussels, which was my hometown. Referees never liked<br />
to work in their hometown for fear of being accused of<br />
favouritism. I tried to refuse, but eventually did agree. It<br />
was a very lopsided game with Brussels winning by 15 or<br />
20 goals. On the way out there was an intoxicated fan<br />
blocking the way to our dressing room. He was cursing<br />
FALL <strong>2021</strong> • 19
HISTORY<br />
by Max Demaray<br />
Max’s souvenir yardstick, signed by<br />
NHL greats Dennis and Bobby Hull.<br />
us and wouldn’t let us in. I kind of lost it and gave him a<br />
good one to the jaw, which got me suspended for the rest<br />
of the year. That meant that I missed the vaunted Young<br />
Canada Week in Goderich, a premier event for referees.<br />
Ed Daer, who was a police officer in Wingham, and I were<br />
sent to Paisley one night to referee an Intermediate game.<br />
I don’t remember much about the game except at one<br />
point the captain wanted me to go and talk to the coach.<br />
I should have known better. As I got near the coach, he<br />
took a swing at me and caught me with a glancing blow<br />
on the cheek. He was suspended for one year. I guess it<br />
works both ways.<br />
Another time, Brussels was playing Wingham and there<br />
was a fan standing right at the blueline on the boards,<br />
with a lot to say. I asked him to keep the noise down and<br />
told him again and again. The third time, I got the arena<br />
manager and asked him to put the loud guy out. As they<br />
were leaving, a long time Brussels fan said, “Max, do you<br />
know who that is?” I replied, “I don’t care if it’s Pope<br />
John, he is going.”<br />
There was a game in Wingham the next night and the<br />
same person, an otherwise important and upstanding<br />
citizen, was there, and he didn’t say a word.<br />
Cliff Stewart and I were often sent to Drayton to referee.<br />
One time the team was having a fundraising draw and<br />
the tickets were ‘pay-what-you-pull,’ which was extremely<br />
popular at that time. Cliff and I each spent a couple of<br />
dollars, and when we started the third period, they asked<br />
Cliff to draw the winning ticket and he drew mine first,<br />
and the first prize they said was a big bottle of whiskey<br />
and we shouldn’t drink it till we got home.<br />
By the time they got behind the glass, they decided<br />
the first ticket drawn was for third prize, so instead I<br />
got dinner for two at the Drayton restaurant and the<br />
arena manager’s wife got the big bottle. I guess on the<br />
ice they had to go by our rules and off the ice we had<br />
to go by theirs.<br />
On another occasion, when Cliff and I were in Drayton,<br />
I don’t remember much about the game except near<br />
the end, the puck went over the boards and, of course,<br />
someone in the crowd kept it. So, we just got another<br />
puck and finished the game. As we were going off the ice,<br />
I felt the breeze of a puck go past my nose – lucky that I<br />
didn’t swallow it! A hazard of the game is that you don’t<br />
know what the crowd will do.<br />
Another time Wiarton and Owen Sound were involved in<br />
a playoff series and it was tied at three games each. They<br />
asked Alf to send referees that they had never had before.<br />
Bruce Griffith and I were sent to the game. It was a great<br />
game, but Wiarton lost 3-2. After the game, the teams<br />
were shaking hands at centre ice and the Wiarton coach<br />
came walking across to where we were. Bruce turned to<br />
me and said, “We may have a problem.” But the coach<br />
just said, “Boys, that’s the best refereed game we’ve had in<br />
a long time.” He shook both our hands. That is something<br />
referees don’t see very often and it is a nice memory.<br />
In 1976, the International Plowing Match was held<br />
near Walkerton. I was working with Howick Mutual<br />
20 • HURONPERTHBOOMERS.COM
y Max Demaray<br />
HISTORY<br />
Insurance Company at the time and<br />
giving out yardsticks. I was standing<br />
there, yardstick in hand, when Bobby<br />
Hull came into our exhibit. He<br />
autographed the yardstick for me,<br />
and I took it with me in 2017 when<br />
Dennis Hull was in Goderich and<br />
he autographed that same stick. In<br />
2018, Justin Peters, a former NHL<br />
goalie from Blyth, autographed<br />
it for me and then in 2019, local<br />
hero, Stanley Cup champ and<br />
Conn Smythe Trophy winner<br />
Ryan O’Reilly etched his name on<br />
it. Finally, in 2020, Stephen Miller<br />
gave me a Boston Bruins puck and<br />
baseball cap with “Zebras Care”<br />
written on it, and an autographed<br />
sweater with his number 89 on it.<br />
My keepsakes include books<br />
written and autographed by<br />
Ken Dryden and Kerry Fraser.<br />
With each of the keepsakes, I<br />
was fortunate enough to have<br />
10- or 15-minute conversations<br />
with these hockey legends. My<br />
collection is probably the only<br />
one like it in the world and I<br />
consider myself incredibly lucky<br />
to have met these men.<br />
In May 2014, Walter Gretzky came to the Dublin<br />
Mercantile Store. I was there to invite him to our Crime<br />
Stoppers Golf Tournament. He and I had about 15<br />
minutes with just the two of us to visit. He asked me if I<br />
was involved in hockey and I told him that I was a referee.<br />
He laughed and said, “No wonder you wear glasses, you<br />
can’t see,” and gave me a pat on the back.<br />
He said that he would love to come to the tournament<br />
and asked if I knew what his handicap was. I said “No,<br />
I have no idea.” He replied, “The other three guys that<br />
I play with.” We shared another chuckle. He was just a<br />
fantastic down-to-earth guy to visit with.<br />
Refereeing has changed over the years, just as the game<br />
has changed. Players are much bigger, rules have evolved,<br />
but the basic love of the game remains. Most nights when<br />
a game is on, I will watch it on TV and keep an eye out to<br />
see that the referees are doing a good job.<br />
For young refs, I offer the advice to know the rulebook<br />
thoroughly, try to keep your cool, and keep your skates<br />
sharp.<br />
Max Demaray, a great-great grandfather, and retired farmer,<br />
insurance adjustor and bus driver, spent many years in arenas across<br />
southern Ontario, and now enjoys hearing stories from his son and<br />
great-grandson, who are also referees. He lives in Brussels where he’s<br />
been an active member of the Lions Club for over 40 years, and a<br />
Legion member for 35.<br />
FALL <strong>2021</strong> • 21
FINANCE<br />
Estate<br />
PLANNING<br />
PROVIDE FOR YOUR FAMILY AND COMMUNITY<br />
BY ROXY RAE<br />
22 • HURONPERTHBOOMERS.COM
y Roxy Rae<br />
FINANCE<br />
Let’s be honest, no one wants to think about their own<br />
mortality.<br />
Like it or not, it’s something each and every one of us<br />
will have to face – hopefully later. Much, much later. But<br />
detailing what you want to happen with your finances<br />
and assets after you’re gone is important.<br />
In the spring of 2020, when the global pandemic was first<br />
announced and the world shut down, estate planners and<br />
online will sites saw a sharp increase in people creating<br />
and updating their wills as they contemplated the worst.<br />
While it shouldn’t take a global pandemic to put your<br />
wishes on paper, it has opened the conversation for many<br />
families – how do I want to be remembered?<br />
Of course, providing for your family and loved ones is a<br />
priority, but perhaps you’ve been a lifelong volunteer for<br />
an organization or there’s a cause that is close to your<br />
heart and you want to see it supported after you’re gone.<br />
Have you considered including a charitable gift in your<br />
estate and financial planning? You can provide for your<br />
family and support the causes you care about most. You<br />
don’t have to choose.<br />
It has been estimated that only five per cent of Canadians<br />
have included a charitable donation in their wills. Over<br />
the next 10 years, if that number can be increased by as<br />
little as 3.5 per cent, it would result in $40 billion being<br />
directed to charities. The past 18 months have opened our<br />
eyes to the vulnerability of the charitable sector and how<br />
much it relies on individual donations and fundraising<br />
events, so you can imagine what that kind of increase in<br />
donations would mean to your favourite charity.<br />
You may ask yourself, ‘How can I support my loved<br />
ones and the charities I love? I’m not a wealthy person.’<br />
Wills are powerful tools and it’s easier than you think,<br />
no matter the size of your estate. Many gifts left in wills<br />
are larger than anyone could leave during their lifetime,<br />
creating meaningful impact.<br />
If you are thinking of leaving a gift to charity in your<br />
estate planning, here are some things to consider:<br />
Discuss your plan and your passions with loved<br />
ones. Having an open conversation with your loved<br />
ones about your passions and causes close to your heart<br />
will provide insight and understanding into your wishes.<br />
It may spark inspiration and get others involved in<br />
charitable giving and volunteering.<br />
What kind of impact do you want your gift to<br />
make? Depending on the size of your estate gift, you<br />
may want to consider a more strategic giving plan. Large<br />
gifts can be impactful to any organization, but instead<br />
of providing one lump sum to your charity perhaps<br />
you’d prefer to support them over several years, or<br />
maybe forever. In that case, you may want to consider<br />
creating an endowment fund at your local Community<br />
Foundation. You can outline the terms of your fund<br />
during your lifetime to ensure the cause you’re passionate<br />
about has financial support forever. Every organization,<br />
no matter the size, has costs to run their programs and<br />
projects. Supporting their operating costs, or a specific<br />
project, year-over-year through an endowment fund will<br />
give them the freedom to focus on the good work they<br />
are meant to do and worry less about fundraising to keep<br />
the lights on.<br />
Explore your estate planning options. This is<br />
where your advisor plays a key role. Communicate with<br />
them so they can provide customized solutions for your<br />
unique situation. The reality is that your estate will be<br />
taxed, likely more than you’d like, and your advisors can<br />
help maximize tax advantages – in life and through your<br />
estate – for your specific situation. Making a charitable<br />
donation will allow you to direct where your money goes,<br />
while reducing – and sometimes, even eliminating – the<br />
taxes to be paid from your estate. Again, talk with your<br />
advisors for what is best for you.<br />
Gifts in wills. Making a gift through your will, also<br />
known as a bequest, isn’t hard and it can be as simple<br />
as including a clause in your existing will. You will need<br />
to consider how much you want to leave – is it a specific<br />
sum? Or would you prefer to leave a percentage of your<br />
residual estate? Leaving just five per cent of your estate<br />
to charity will provide a generous donation while leaving<br />
95 per cent of your estate for your loved ones. Discuss<br />
your intentions with your lawyer and they can explain<br />
the options that are right for you.<br />
Gifts through life insurance. There are three ways<br />
to leave a gift of life insurance, each providing their own<br />
tax benefits, including:<br />
FALL <strong>2021</strong> • 23
FINANCE<br />
• Purchasing a new policy and naming the charity as<br />
the owner/beneficiary. You’ll receive a charitable tax<br />
receipt every time you pay the premium and 100 per<br />
cent of the proceeds will go to the named charity.<br />
• Donating an existing term policy. If your existing<br />
term policy is up for renewal or about to expire<br />
and you don’t want its coverage, you can choose to<br />
donate it and receive an immediate tax receipt for<br />
the fair market value.<br />
• Naming the charity as a beneficiary of your existing<br />
life insurance policy. Your estate will receive a tax<br />
receipt when the proceeds are paid out.<br />
Like the idea of leaving a gift in your will, but<br />
want to see the impact the gift will have in your<br />
lifetime?<br />
While donations made in life are less than what would be<br />
left to a charity from an estate, they are still important and<br />
valued donations to help your chosen charity complete<br />
its important work. Providing donations during your<br />
lifetime allows the charity to build a trusting relationship<br />
with you, the donor, and can give you the opportunity to<br />
become more engaged with the organization’s work. You<br />
will see the impact of your immediate gift, as well as what<br />
your larger estate gift will mean to the organization.<br />
During your lifetime gifts can be made by:<br />
• Cash/credit cards<br />
• Gift of securities (stocks, shares, government bonds)<br />
• Gifts from registered funds like RRSPs,<br />
RRIFs or TFSAs<br />
• Gifts of real estate<br />
Check with the organization before initiating a donation<br />
to ensure they can accept the type of gift you’d like to<br />
make. Some smaller organizations may need to work with<br />
another organization, like a Community Foundation or<br />
through CanadaHelps, to accept gifts of securities or real<br />
estate.<br />
Let the charity know of your intentions.<br />
It can be important to let the charity know that you have<br />
included them in your estate planning. You don’t need<br />
to share how much you are leaving them and you don’t<br />
need to be included in their “legacy societies” if you<br />
choose not to be, though being named can encourage<br />
other like-minded individuals to leave a gift in their will.<br />
By choosing to share your intentions with the charity<br />
you can work with them to outline how you’d like your<br />
24 • HURONPERTHBOOMERS.COM
y Roxy Rae<br />
FINANCE<br />
gift allocated. Perhaps you’d like to support a specific<br />
program or capital campaign that is important to you or<br />
your gift can be unrestricted. Leaving an unrestricted gift<br />
can show you trust the organization and allows them to<br />
use your donation in whatever way is needed at the time<br />
the gift is received.<br />
While every charity does its best to predict future needs<br />
through research and planning, there can be unforeseen<br />
needs arise too. Five years ago, not many would have<br />
predicted a worldwide pandemic, shifting businesses<br />
to work remotely and social gatherings to happen over<br />
Zoom (even grandparents!), but here we are.<br />
As mentioned earlier, if your plans include creating an<br />
endowment fund that will provide annual support to<br />
your favourite cause forever, it is also advised to speak<br />
with your local Community Foundation or wherever the<br />
fund is created, to outline your wishes and draft a fund<br />
agreement. This can alleviate unnecessary stress for your<br />
loved ones during their time of grieving. Pre-planning<br />
can also encourage your family to be involved in the<br />
process of creating a fund and you can name them as<br />
future advisors. It is a way for your loved ones to remain<br />
connected to you through your charitable giving long<br />
after you’re gone.<br />
Whether you wish to support the causes close to your<br />
heart during your lifetime, through your estate, or<br />
both, it is possible to provide for your family and your<br />
community through a well thought out legacy plan.<br />
Roxy Rae is the Marketing and Outreach Manager of the Stratford<br />
<strong>Perth</strong> Community Foundation – a registered charitable foundation<br />
serving Stratford, St. Marys, and <strong>Perth</strong> County. As partners in<br />
philanthropy for the region, the SPCCF helps donors fulfill their<br />
charitable goals today with legacies that will last forever. Visit<br />
www.spccf.ca for more information or contact Roxy directly at<br />
roxy@spccf.ca.<br />
BY PLAYING A CRITICAL ROLE IN<br />
CANADA’S CLEAN ENERGY FUTURE.<br />
brucepower.com<br />
FALL <strong>2021</strong> • 25
HEALTH AND WELLNESS<br />
Rock,<br />
not<br />
roll<br />
MODERN TECHNOLOGY HELPS KEEP<br />
US MOBILE BY DR. SUSAN HUNTER<br />
AND MARGUERITE OBERLE THOMAS<br />
26 • HURONPERTHBOOMERS.COM
y Dr. Susan Hunter & Marguerite Oberle Thomas<br />
HEALTH AND WELLNESS<br />
We were the coolest generation. We had the best<br />
music, the best hair, and lots of peace and love.<br />
We had it all, just like Bogie and Bacall. Now, we may<br />
need to get a little help from our friends.<br />
The same people who remember Woodstock probably<br />
no longer dream about being on that farm, climbing that<br />
hill. Today we love our creature comforts. However, we’re<br />
fortunate that we still can stay on the move with the help<br />
of modern technology and devices.<br />
It starts out innocently enough. One day we get up from<br />
a chair and our knee or hip feels a bit wonky. It keeps<br />
happening, so we take over-the-counter pain medication<br />
and maybe try those rubs that are advertised on TV.<br />
Unfortunately, it gets a bit worse over time, but then<br />
someone has a cane that is no longer needed, so we give<br />
it a try, putting our weight on the cane on the side that<br />
hurts, not knowing that the cane should be used on the<br />
side opposite of the one that is causing us problems for it<br />
to reduce the pain.<br />
We mean well, but would be much better off by rethinking<br />
our self-care by getting professional help.<br />
As we are fortunate enough to grow older, we may notice<br />
a shift in our gait. We don’t necessarily do that brisk and<br />
purposeful walk of our youth, rushing here and there.<br />
Now, we slow down a bit and look for hazards that might<br />
cause us to trip or to interfere with our path. What we do<br />
is still very meaningful; we just need to do it somewhat<br />
differently. That can sometimes mean being prescribed a<br />
gait aid, such as a cane or four-wheeled walker. About 25<br />
per cent of older adults in Canada use a gait aid.<br />
Mobility, which is our ability to move freely and<br />
independently through our home and community, is<br />
fundamental to successful and active aging. Unfortunately,<br />
mobility disability is common in adults over age 65,<br />
affecting one-third of older adults, who report difficulty<br />
with climbing stairs and walking. Additionally, about 20<br />
to 30 per cent of adults over age 65 will fall at least once<br />
each year, and half of the people who do fall will have<br />
recurrent falls. <strong>Fall</strong>s in older adults is the leading cause of<br />
injury-related hospitalizations, and the absolute number<br />
of falls occurring among this group is increasing. (Public<br />
Health Agency of Canada, Senior’s <strong>Fall</strong> Report, 2014)<br />
WHEN SEEING A PROFESSIONAL<br />
• Discuss your needs, preferences and concerns.<br />
• Ask how these assistive devices can meet your<br />
needs. Will they help with independence, mobility<br />
and being out socially?<br />
• Determine if these devices help you to age at<br />
home and if they improve your quality of life.<br />
• Request to see a variety of samples and choose<br />
the one that is most attractive and useful to you.<br />
• Find out what decision aids are available about<br />
assistive devices and resources for publicly<br />
funded programs and charities to aid in the cost.<br />
• Obtain information as to the timing and frequency<br />
of maintenance and repairs for your device.<br />
Adapted from the McMaster Optimal Aging Portal July 29, 2020, https://<br />
www.mcmasteroptimalaging.org/blog/detail/blog/2020/07/29/<br />
assistive-technologies-it-s-not-for-me-i-m-not-there-yet<br />
FALL <strong>2021</strong> • 27
HEALTH AND WELLNESS<br />
by Dr. Susan Hunter & Marguerite Oberle Thomas<br />
The World Health Organization predicts that by 2050, the<br />
number of people aged 60 and over will reach two billion.<br />
Many of them will experience physical and cognitive changes<br />
associated with aging, including vision loss, hearing, memory,<br />
strength problems, and mobility challenges.<br />
Osteoarthritis of the hip and knee affects about 45 per<br />
cent of Canadians over age 60. This condition causes<br />
joint pain and stiffness, which can lead people to restrict<br />
their activities or sustain a fall. A restriction in physical<br />
activity has the adverse consequence of leading to muscle<br />
weakness, reduced endurance, and balance problems,<br />
which makes us more at risk for mobility disability. The<br />
good news is that the proper use of a cane can relieve<br />
pain by reducing stresses on the affected joint and allow<br />
greater levels of activity with better comfort. To use a<br />
cane, use it in the hand opposite to the affected leg to<br />
reduce pain.<br />
Also, as we get older, many body functions change slowly<br />
with time; our sight, hearing, muscles and nervous system<br />
can all decline, and these can contribute to mobility<br />
disability. Changes in our gait includes walking slower,<br />
and reduced or stiff movement in our hips, knees and<br />
ankles, which means we take shorter steps. We become<br />
more unsteady. A gait aid can compensate by providing<br />
28 • HURONPERTHBOOMERS.COM
y Dr. Susan Hunter & Marguerite Oberle Thomas<br />
HEALTH AND WELLNESS<br />
engagement and social participation, including a possible<br />
recommendation to use a gait aid.<br />
HAZARDS OF USING GAIT AIDS<br />
• Incorrect fit and/or inadequate training due to<br />
obtaining aids without professional consultation.<br />
• Device or aid may not safely be maintained.<br />
• Devices that require hands-on use for holding<br />
may interfere with effectively reaching for support<br />
when there is a loss of balance.<br />
• Devices can use up a lot of our powers of<br />
concentration if we are trying to multi-task.<br />
extra support, which gives us the independence to<br />
continue to be engaged with activities in our community.<br />
If you’re having problems with walking, it’s important to<br />
see a health care professional. A health review can provide<br />
options to improve your gait, comfort, and continued<br />
Gait aids can help increase balance, strength,<br />
coordination, and broaden our base of support. They<br />
can also help relieve pain and compensate for weightbearing<br />
in one or both lower extremities. You should<br />
get an aid or device before a crisis, because we learn best<br />
when we feel well and eager. Your gait aid should provide<br />
the appropriate amount of support, be customized<br />
for you and meet your individual needs for your life<br />
and circumstances. It’s important to be aware that the<br />
incorrect type, inappropriate size, unsafe use, and lack of<br />
mechanical maintenance are all problems that may mean<br />
you don’t get the benefits you should.<br />
When a health care professional helps you choose your<br />
new gait aid, all these factors are considered to ensure that,<br />
with a little help from our friends, we can still have our<br />
independence and quality of life maintained or improved.<br />
Dr. Susan Hunter is an Associate Professor in the School of<br />
Physical Therapy at the University of Western Ontario. She has<br />
been a physical therapist for 30 years and completed her PhD in<br />
2009, evaluating fall risk in community-dwelling older adults.<br />
Dr. Hunter’s research interests are the rehabilitation of older adults<br />
and their experience of falls, frailty and mobility decline. She is the<br />
Vice-President of the International Association of Physiotherapists<br />
Working with Older People (IPTOP). Marguerite Oberle Thomas,<br />
RN., BScN., is the Consultant Liaison for the <strong>Fall</strong> Prevention<br />
Community of Practice (www/fallsloop.com), sponsored by<br />
Parachute (www.parachute.ca). She is also a senior devoted to<br />
preventing injuries and a former caregiver.<br />
Lasting Legacy<br />
the Promise of Tomorrow<br />
Ordinary people show Extraordinary generosity by<br />
leaving legacy gifts to our hospital in their wills<br />
‘Ask about our 10 Year Impact Funds’<br />
SGHFOUNDATION.ORG<br />
519.272.8210 EXT. 2626<br />
FALL <strong>2021</strong> • 29
FOOD & DRINK<br />
Pumpkin sour<br />
cream cheesecake<br />
Preparation time: 15 minutes<br />
Cooking time: 1 hour, 30 minutes<br />
Servings: 18<br />
INGREDIENTS<br />
Filling:<br />
2 lb Cream cheese, softened<br />
1 cup granulated sugar<br />
4 eggs, lightly beaten<br />
3 egg yolks, lightly beaten<br />
3 tbsp all-purpose flour<br />
2 tsp cinnamon<br />
1 tsp ginger<br />
1 tsp cloves<br />
½ tsp all-spice<br />
1 cup whipping cream<br />
1¾ cup cooked Pumpkin purée<br />
Crust;<br />
2 cups gingersnap cookie crumbs<br />
3 tbsp butter, melted<br />
2 tbsp granulated sugar<br />
Topping:<br />
1½ cups sour cream<br />
3 tbsp granulated sugar<br />
1 tsp vanilla<br />
Chocolate glaze:<br />
2 oz semi-sweet chocolate<br />
1 tsp butter<br />
Instructions:<br />
Crust: In a bowl, combine cookie crumbs, butter and sugar.<br />
Press into bottom and halfway up sides of a 10-inch springform<br />
pan. Bake in 325 F oven for eight to 10 minutes or until<br />
browned. Let cool on wire rack. Grease sides of pan.<br />
Filling: In large bowl, beat cream cheese with sugar until fluffy.<br />
Beat in eggs, egg yolks, flour, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and<br />
allspice, beating well after each addition. Beat in cream. Add<br />
pumpkin purée; beat until blended. Pour into prepared crust<br />
and bake in 425 F oven for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 275 F<br />
and bake for one hour longer or until centre of cake is barely<br />
firm to the touch. Immediately run knife around rim to loosen<br />
cake. Turn oven off; let cheesecake cool in oven with door ajar<br />
(a wooden spoon stuck in between the door and oven works<br />
well).<br />
Topping: In a bowl, stir together sour cream, sugar and vanilla;<br />
evenly spread over cooled cheesecake. Bake in 450 F oven five<br />
to seven minutes or until set. Let cool in pan on wire rack.<br />
Chocolate glaze: In the top of a double boiler, over hot (not<br />
boiling) water, melt chocolate with butter, stirring until smooth.<br />
Using waxed paper cone to piping bag, drizzle chocolate over<br />
cheesecake to make a jack-o’lantern face.<br />
Refrigerate covered for up to one day.<br />
Recipe courtesy of Foodland Ontario<br />
30 • HURONPERTHBOOMERS.COM
OUR TEAM<br />
Wayne Young<br />
President/Funeral Director<br />
Greg Young<br />
Managing Funeral Director<br />
Don Munro<br />
Funeral Director<br />
David Ayers<br />
Funeral Director<br />
Tonia Catcher<br />
Pre-Arrangement & Estate<br />
Care Counselor<br />
Marcel Peper<br />
Funeral Director<br />
Basic Simple Cremation<br />
• Arrangements with family/executor<br />
• Transfer from place of death (100km)<br />
• Unlimited Death Certificates<br />
• Province of Ontario Death Registration<br />
• Coroner’s Cremation Certificate<br />
• Cremation Casket • Cost of cremation<br />
• Transfer of deceased to crematorium<br />
• Transfer of cremated remains back to family/executor<br />
• Cancellation of Canada Pension and Old Age Security<br />
• Filing of CPP Death Benefit, Survivor’s<br />
Benefit and OAS Survivor’s Benefit<br />
• Funeral Home Estate Care Booklet and<br />
Meeting with Estate Care Counsellor<br />
$1895.00 *plus HST and NO HIDDEN FEES<br />
Contact us today to get started.<br />
519.271.7411<br />
wgyoungfuneralhome.com<br />
430 <strong>Huron</strong> Street<br />
Stratford, ON N5A 5T7
Thank you!<br />
Every issue of <strong>Huron</strong>-<strong>Perth</strong> <strong>Boomers</strong><br />
is always available online at<br />
www.huronperthboomers.com<br />
Your support during<br />
these difficult times<br />
has meant the world<br />
to us and other<br />
businesses in<br />
<strong>Huron</strong> and <strong>Perth</strong><br />
counties.<br />
To advertise or write for our Winter <strong>2021</strong>/22 issue, contact<br />
Amy at 519-524-0101 or amy@huronperthboomers.com<br />
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