Boomers Elgin April 2021

Boomers Elgin April 2021

EYOND B oomers

B and

Celebrating the 55+ Community of Elgin County April 2021 • Issue 21

Letter from the Editor We’re back, again, excited to continue bringing you great local stories! Hopefully, missing our March issue will be our last COVID related stoppage for Boomers & Beyond . This month, Canada celebrates National Volunteering week. To honour this, we’re giving some local organizations an opportunity to give their volunteers a shout out and say thanks. We also want to give them an opportunity to tell you a bit about themselves and let potential volunteers know more about the roles volunteers play within their organizations. We are also excited to share in this issue the story of a local couple who, working together, started their own ‘second act’ by starting a company offering locally made candles! We have an update from Southwest Public Health on COVID vaccines. We have a lighter take on on- line funerals by Bill Dennings. And of course, we have our usual columnist, Terry Carrol, a new regular columnist, Francis Kennedy, and a few guest columns. Plus, April 1st is the start of Baseball, so this month’s crossword is Major League Baseball’s greatest players! Recently, I had a reader inquire about getting a subscription to Boomers & Beyond Elgin mailed to their home. This is a service we are naturally happy to offer, with a small annual fee of $35.00 for all 10 issues, or $50 if you wish to include either Hometown St. Thomas or the Port Stanley Villager in your subscription. The fee covers postage and handling. Of course the magazine will remain free for those who pick it up at our many locations

across the county (over 65, pre-covid) or online at www.villagerpublications.com. But if you would like to receive it at your door, or live outside of Elgin County, we are happy to mail it to you. Boomers and Beyond Elgin is written for you, our reader. I hope you have been enjoying our magazine, and I would encourage your feedback. If there is a story you think should be shared, or a comment you would like to offer, please feel free to email me directly at [email protected]. So sit back, grab a cup of tea or coffee and enjoy the April issue of Boomers & Beyond . Geoff Rae

EYOND B oomers

B and

Boomers and Beyond April 2021 Cover Exciting times, Southwest Public Health administering it’s first vaccines! Photos supplied by Southwest Public Health

Celebrating the 55+ Community of Elgin County April 2021 • Issue 21

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Page 2 Boomers and Beyond – Elgin • April 2021

Shining a light on 2 Dogs Candle Co. By Whitney South Brian and Shelley Leverton are no strangers to hard work and dedication. For both, already working professionals in their own right, it was a passion for creating warm and welcoming scents as well as an entrepreneurial spirit that fostered the duo’s desire to kick off their company, 2 Dogs Candle Co., just three years ago.

and a consistent presence at a number of local markets. It’s no secret that when people truly love a product, they tend to want everyone they know to join in on the fun. This spring, 2 Dogs Candle Co. is featuring a wealth of sensational scents, including Cyprus Fig (one of their most popular offerings, with rich and distinct notes of fig blended with Cyprus boughs and balsam), Hugs and Kisses (think cinnamon hearts), Snickerdoodle (just like grandma used to make, but not for snacking), and more. A 10 oz candle goes for $12 and will burn for 65-70 hours. Local delivery is free, while Canada Post allows shipping of up to 10 candles anywhere in Canada for $145, taxes included. “We want to create high-quality candles at a decent price. That’s always going to be the goal,” says Brian. “That’s exactly what our customers can expect from us. Hopefully that’s what is going to keep bringing them back for more.” To keep up with their ever-expanding stock of scents, be sure to follow @2dogscandles on Instagram.

The journey began after the St. Thomas couple bought a candle that didn’t burn properly, prompting them to do a little detective work — asking their friend, Sue, owner at Village Craft & Candle in St. Mary’s, what could’ve gone wrong. “She said the other company had wicked it the wrong size. I didn’t even know that was a thing,” says Brian with a laugh. “From there, she prompted us to take a course to learn how to make our own candles. We thought that might be something interesting to do.”

“The first hour was all chemistry, which was really cool,” Brian explains. “After that, we decided to just make candles for friends and family. Three years later, we’re running our own business, and it’s been great.” With a name inspired by their two furry family members, 16-year-old Divot and six-year-old Gracey, the couple have found their niche with pet owners (who just adore the signature pawprint topper) and candle enthusiasts alike.

The venture has continued to grow, thanks to 2 Dogs’ burgeoning Instagram account, as well as word of mouth

Photos by Whitney South

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Boomers and Beyond – Elgin • April 2021 Page 3

Volunteering In the “NewNormal” By Bonnie Delaney, Assistant Manager, St. Thomas Mission Thrift Store The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members. Unknown Volunteering, in my opinion, is an act that does not get the recognition it deserves. Volunteers are people who often work behind the scenes and give their time, expertise and dedication to a company, usually a charity. Here at the St. Thomas Mission Thrift Store, our volunteers are giving us their time and hard work in serving others in the name of Jesus Christ. As with any company that has volunteers, if it wasn’t for the hard work and dedication of those volunteers, that company wouldn’t be so successful. This is the truth here at the St Thomas Mission Thrift Store. Everything you see when you walk through our doors is set up, maintained or cleaned by our volunteers. From collecting and sterilizing hangers, greeting customers at the entrance, assisting customers with inquiries regarding electronics or furniture, to processing your order and helping with a carry-out, our volunteers make the operations of the store run smoothly. Our volunteers enjoy interacting with customers and they are eager to help in any way possible. In 2020 and 2021 we, along with the rest of the world, adjusted our lives for this ‘new normal’. Unfortunately, we had volunteers who understandingly opted not to return to the store after lockdown for safety reasons and we miss those volunteers greatly. Fortunately, we have had a lot of volunteers return and new volunteers join us to carry on serving our customers and community. Many reasons bring our volunteers to St Thomas Mission Thrift Store. We have retired men and women who just want something to do, and students looking to complete their school hours. There are also volunteers looking to gain valuable work experience to add to their resume, and others who are simply looking to interact with people in St. Thomas’ Most Beautiful Cemetery Talk to us about our Lots • Columbarium • Markers and Laser Engraving

their community. Whatever the reason, all the volunteers give their time and hard work to and for the store, and their hearts to the community. Our volunteers take great pride in the work they do and it shows in the end result. We are very grateful for and blessed in our volunteers. We understand the significance and importance of their being part of the team and working toward the greater mission that we are striving for. We have a fun and positive work environment where laughing is a common sound. There is a constant hustle and bustle of customers daily and there is always something to do. If you or someone you know is looking for something to do for a couple hours a day, or if you need to complete your school hours, or maybe if you’re looking to meet new people in the community, consider volunteering with us. Give us a call at 519-633-7300, or send an email to [email protected] to set up an appointment to meet with us!

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Page 4 Boomers and Beyond – Elgin • April 2021

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Boomers and Beyond – Elgin • October 2020 Page 5

Stepping Forward By Port Stanley Festival Theatre, Artistic Director, Simon Joynes I did not have a particularly distinguished career in the Boy Scouts. It may have been that the 1st Ashgrove Troop was an ill-advised idea in the first place, but more than likely it was because the whole was not greater than the sum of the parts, and let’s be clear; the parts were not that great. My brother and I were two of those parts, and we spent most of the time punching each other, playing floor hockey, and trying to avoid doing helpful stuff. The Boy Scouts, however, did teach me one valuable lesson … it was about volunteering. We were on a weekend camping excursion and our beleaguered leader asked for a volunteer to dig the latrine … everyone, except me, stepped backwards. “Ahh”, I thought as I dug a woefully inadequate latrine, “to be a volunteer is to be a dupe, a patsy, the guy who is too slow to avoid the unpleasant task at hand.” Like many organizations, here at the theatre, we are built on volunteers. Volunteers are often the first point of contact we have with patrons when they come through our doors. Volunteers sell 50/50 tickets, show patrons to their seats, and help out with concessions. They are our frontline fundraisers, our community ambassadors, and it is volunteers who make up our Board of Governors. Countless hours are gifted to the Port Stanley Festival Theatre every year by over a hundred volunteers, many who also volunteer with other organizations, proving

beyond any shadow of a doubt that volunteers are the glue that holds our communities together. To be sure, it has to be a two-way street. Volunteers invest in you as an organization, and you need to invest in the volunteers. I learned early on in my time as an Artistic Director that you can never take volunteers for granted, and you should never think of them en masse. A volunteer is an individual, and woe betide the Artistic Director who forgets that vital fact. As individuals, many volunteers have been extremely generous with opinions on my programming, my pre-show speech, my apparel, and on one memorable occasion, the state of my facial hair. One volunteer (not with this theatre fortunately) reviewed each and every production with an economy worthy of Nero. At intermission, I would receive either a thumbs up or an emphatic thumbs down …. So, there you have it. Volunteers – with the ins and the outs, the ups and the downs, we literally could not do it without them. It’s got nothing to do with avoidance, or not stepping back in a timely fashion. Our volunteers always step forward and are we glad that they do! Photo of Port Stanley Festival Theatre Volunteers from the last Summer Season in 2019. Thank you. We couldn’t do it without you!

Thank you to our many wonderful volunteers. We are looking forward to whenwe canwelcome you back into our home!

250 Burwell Rd., St. Thomas 519-631-1030

VONwould like to thank the many voluneers in St. Thomas and Elgin County. Thank you for all the work you do!

For more information about volunteer opportunities or services, contact VON at 519-637-6408 or toll free: 1-800-201-0909

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Page 6 Boomers and Beyond – Elgin • April 2021

The vital roles of a Victim Services Elgin volunteer By Courtney McQuiggan, Volunteer Coordinator for Victim Services Elgin Victim Services Elgin has 38 Crisis Responders who generously donate their time to assist victims and survivors within Elgin County. Victim Services Elgin would not be able to meet the many needs of the people we serve without the dedication and compassion of our volunteers. Volunteers are trained in communication, crisis intervention, traumatic stress, and victim’s issues, to ensure that our community’s needs are met twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Volunteers respond on an on–call basis to a variety of different calls. Victim Services Elgin receives calls from Police, Fire or EMS to assist families during/after tragic circumstances. We are also available for self referrals during office hours. Victim Services Elgin Staff and Volunteers meet families in what could possibly be the worst time of their lives. They meet families that have just lost loved ones, been victims of domestic violence, assault, or human trafficking, families that have just lost everything they own in a house fire. While Police, Fire and EMS, are tending to the scene of a crime, accident, fire or medical emergency, we are with the families. We accompany families to the morgue or to the scene of a fatality to identify the deceased family member, to assist with making phone calls or funeral arrangements, to console a parent who has just lost their child or a child who has just learned of the death of a parent. We are the shoulder to cry on. We have the privilege of assisting a family and learning about their loved one, their hobbies, memories and much more during a tragic time in their lives. We are there for domestic violence victims in a time of uncertainty. We can assist in making sure their necessities met and that they have a safe place to stay. We become their confidant while the police are investigating the crime.

When a family loses everything in a house fire, we can assist on scene and comfort the families. While the firefighters are busy saving what they can from the home, we are making calls to get them a safe place to stay for the night. We can accompany a sexual assault victim to London for forensic evidence to be collected. We can hold their hand while they complete their statement if needed because nobody should have to be alone. We are their reassurance at a time when they feel violated. We are there behind the scenes, assisting during and after a tragic circumstance while Police, Fire and EMS must get back to saving lives. We are there to assist families to pick up the pieces. For more information on volunteer opportunities visit www.victimserviceselgin.com

We would like to thank all our volunteer Crisis Responders 613 Talbot Street, Unit 104 St. Thomas 519-631-3182 [email protected]

JEFF YUREK, MPP Elgin-Middlesex-London Here to help you with any of the following provincial matters Monday through Friday, 10:00 - 4:30: Ontario Disability Support Program OHIP Cards • Driver’s Licences Ontario Works • Birth Certi f icates P: 519-631-0666 • T: 1-800-265-7638 750 Talbot St, Unit 201 St. T h omas, ON N5P 1E2 Email: [email protected] JEFF YUREK, MPP Elgin-Middlesex-London Here to help you with any of the following provincial matters Monday through Friday, 10:00 - 4:30: Ontario Disability Support Program OHIP Cards • Driver’s Licences Ontario Works • Birth Certi f icates P: 519-631-0666 • T: 1-800-265-7638 750 Talbot St, Unit 201 St. T h omas, ON N5P 1E2 P: 519-631-0666 • T: 1-800-265-7638 750 Talbot St, Unit 201, St. Thomas ON N5P 1E2 Email: jeff.yur [email protected]

Ontario A heartfelt thank you to all the many residents of Elgin County who make our community better by volunteering!

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Boomers and Beyond – Elgin • April 2021 Page 7

ABIGOpportunity toMakeaDifference By Carolyn Johnson, Big Brothers Big Sisters of St. Thomas Elgin Big Brothers Big Sisters provides mentors for children and youth who may struggle with societal barriers and face adversities, providing guidance and support. The hope is that this important developmental relationship will empower youth so they can be anything they dream of being. But BBBS runs on volunteers. “There are so many ways to meet our commitment to mentoring, beyond our traditional Big, Little matches,” says Barb Matthews, Executive Director of BBBS St. Thomas-Elgin. “Covid has changed so much, but the need to serve meaningful programming for all at-risk kids is more important than ever.” Virtual 1:1 Mentoring This online-only mentoring program targets elementary school age children who have been identified as needing the additional support of a caring adult. The program asks volunteers for one hour of their time, once a week. “The power of that hour can be seen with measurable, positive outcomes in social awareness, positive identity, and school connectedness,” says Barb. Host A Bunch While youth are waiting to be matched, BBBS hosts activities once a month to keep kids connected. With the Covid restrictions, group activities have moved to online crafts and activities, but as things open up, outdoor

THANK YOU School STAFF & VOLUNTEERS for your overwhelming dedication & commitment to student nutrition programs during this very challenging year. YOU TRULY MAKE A DIFFERENCE! You can support Big Brothers Big Sisters by making a donation to help fund our unique programs’ careful, one- to-one matching and ongoing mentoring support. The gift you make today will help a child facing adversity to avoid risky behaviors, perform better in school, improve their interactions with others, and increase their self-confidence. “During this time of social distancing, when our children and youth need a friend and mentor more than ever, we thank our volunteers for continuing to stay connected,” says Barb. “But the need for more volunteers in this community continues to grow.” Looking for a meaningful volunteer experience? Volunteering matters. Please consider joining BBBS of St. Thomas Elgin and help change more futures. Call 519-633-3830 or visit our website www.bbbselgin.org activities will become a possibility again. This is a great way to volunteer and share your “craft”. Be A Big Being a Big Brother or Big Sister is one of the most enjoyable and fulfilling things you can do. You can help shape a child’s future for the better by empowering them to achieve their full potential. Sharing common interests is how, as a volunteer, you can begin to develop a close connection with one of our kids. Make A Donation

A Caring Community

We think you are all a BIG deal!!

Call 519-207-1040 or email: [email protected] www.osnp.ca • @osnpELGIN NEW VOLUNTEERS ARE ALWAYS WELCOME

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Page 8 Boomers and Beyond – Elgin • April 2021

Some Lessons are Learned the HardWay By Lesley Buchanan

before Doug Ford like the devil in a Charlie Daniel’s song bellowing, “Is that a double dog dare???” “Relax,” I said to myself. “Relax, don’t panic; we will travel again; we will leave home; it is a year of learning patience and wearing a mask. We’ve got this.” But the demon inside me is quivering and shaking, waiting to explode, and I fear it won’t be pretty. I may throw off my mask, kick over the hand sanitizer and run through the Superstore with my naked face screaming, “I am free!!” As the plan unfolds in my mind, the smile crosses my face and I think to myself …. “Self, this will be better than the time we mooned Mrs. Barnes from the front porch!” P.S. To the By-Law Enforcement Officer: don’t wait at the Superstore; I am not going to do it!

With the year of Covid Rules before us, I am reflecting on the demon residing inside me, using that nasty little two letter word, NO. It has nothing to with Covid but everything to do with being told what to do. All my life, I have done whatever I want regardless of what anyone has said. I have never managed to quell the demon within me when someone tells me I can’t do that. Red Flag, watch out – here comes the Bull.

Spring is here and we have A Bloom for Every Room! Some lessons I have learned. When I was 5, Uncle Johnnie said, “Don’t touch the electric fence; the top wire is live and the bottom one I am fixing.” So I stood there and said to myself, “I won’t touch them both but I will hook a piece of wire from the top to the bottom and see what happens.” I found out that electricity can fly from the palm of a hand when it spanks your bottom. That was a shocker. Once, the plumber was over hooking up the new toilet and he said not to run any water or pour anything down the sink. In my mind, I queried, “I wonder how quickly the water will get down the pipe to the plumber…. HEY! ... Wow, that was fast.... I wonder if I could just sneak a little bit in and he wouldn’t notice. “Resist this,” I said to myself. “He is going to give us an invoice in the end and it might not be pretty. Walk away from the sink, walk away.” Are you with me so far? …. You understand that I just have to when someone says not to. Don’t touch the stove. It is hot…. Ouch! … Yep, the stove is hot. So, stay home, no travelling, six feet apart; yada, yada…. Well, I feel like barging into Queen’s Park and jumping up

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Boomers and Beyond – Elgin • April 2021 Page 9

Saying Goodbye Through the Computer Screen By Bill Denning

By now, most of us have experienced what it’s like to attend an on-line funeral. Remote interaction has been thrust upon us, and like death, there has been no escaping it. The bereavement sector had to scramble to embrace the tech that would allow friends and family to continue paying their respects. We also had to find new ways to make remote gatherings meaningful. Since we beganweb-casting funerals, memorials and graveside ceremonies, we’ve had some quite interesting experiences. Some awkward, some beautiful. Here are my favourites: Elvis has entered the building A lady’s dying wish was to have Elvis Presley conduct her funeral. Seeing as the original was unavailable, I donned the rhinestone jumpsuit, threw on the wig and swaggered my way to the podium to try to delivera eulogy worthy of the King. By the way, this was the most embarrassing moment We had a service for a World War II vet. We asked our MP to record a video honouring this great man’s contributions to our country. We then incorporated the video message into his funeral on the big screen. Thanks Karen!!! of my life but I’m glad I did it for her. The Member of Parliament Pop Up

Southwestern Public Health is committed to getting vaccine to everyone in the region who is eligible and wants to be vaccinated against COVID-19. COVID-19 Vaccines Are Safe and Effective. To learn who is eligible, go to swpublichealth.ca/eligibility or listen to our pre-recorded greetings: Elgin County & St. Thomas: 519-631-4125 Oxford County: 519-533-4560 Toll-Free: 1-800-922-0096 Ext. 1444 A vaccination effort of this size takes time and patience. Please know that there will be vaccine for everyone who wants it. Continue to #protectthecommunityyoulove while you wait for your vaccine.

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Page 10 Boomers and Beyond – Elgin • April 2021

Photobomb We have arranged flyovers for veterans and aviation enthusiasts, thanks to the efforts of the Flight 75 Club of St. Thomas, and Pete Spence of Muirkirk. There may have only been 10 people in the cemetery due to the restrictions but during the incredible “missing man” formation, entire communities were connected by looking to the sky. The Downtown Drive-By We flew our drone over a funeral procession and captured the sight of over 100 townspeople lining the streets to show their respect for a well-loved pastor. The family now has a video keepsake to watch anytime they like. The Nursing Home Crowd We have watched nursing staff go above and beyond to set up live feeds with us so that residents can pay their respects when a friend has been lost. Wardrobe Malfunction One day, I was doing a celebrant service via live stream. It was one of the rare times that I chose not to use a lectern; as it was a small crowd, I just walked and talked. After the service was over, I realized my fly was open. I still go back to watch that recorded service – keeps me humble. Count After every live stream, my brother Josh shares with the family how many people watched online. It’s almost

always more than expected and it always makes them feel a little better knowing so many people cared. Throughout the pandemic, there have been some amazing moments that have undoubtedly helped in the healing process. A visit with your favourite funeral director ahead of time will make things a little easier on the family left behind. Pre-planning and the gathering of info ahead of time help us to help your family create these special moments. These uncertain times have taught us that we can still find meaningful ways to say goodbye and support each other, even if, temporarily, it is through a computer screen.

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Boomers and Beyond – Elgin • April 2021 Page 11

COVID-19 Vaccine has Arrived in the Southwestern Public Health Region – What you Should Know By Dr. Joyce Lock, Medical Officer of Health, Southwestern Public Health March 11, 2021 marked one year since the World Health Organization declared the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) a pandemic. Since that time, no individual, business, or organization has been unaffected. We have all felt the impact personally and professionally. Those of us connected to long-term care homes and retirement homes experienced firsthand the devastation this virus has on our most vulnerable residents. Our focus has been on preventing and containing the spread of the virus through infection prevention and control measures – screening for symptoms, staying home when sick, handwashing, disinfecting, and wearing a face-covering. Now we have a new avenue for prevention with the Health Canada approval of four COVID-19 vaccines. The first COVID-19 vaccine approved for use in Canada is manufactured by Pfizer. We started to use this in December for the critical work of protecting our long-term care home and retirement home residents. Once that task was done, we turned our attention to the residents of Oxford County, Elgin County and the City of St. Thomas living in the community. The vaccines approved in Canada are safe and effective. Most side effects are mild and like those experienced after other types of vaccine injection: injection site pain, redness or swelling, fatigue, headache, muscle/joint paint chills, or fever. Home Modifications for Aging-In-Place

On March 15 we opened two large immunization clinics. One is located at Memorial Arena in St. Thomas and the other at Goff Hall in Woodstock. While these are our largest and most permanent sites, we plan mobile clinics, “pop up” clinics, and pharmacy sites. Family health care providers will also join the effort. We follow Ontario’s Three Phase vaccination strategy. This strategy puts those at highest risk at the front of the line for vaccination. Those living in congregate living settings, our senior residents, health care providers, and those with complex health conditions are at the top of the list. To knowwhen it is your turn to be vaccinated, followSouthwestern Public Health on social media (Facebook, Twitter or Instagram), or visit our website: www.swpublichealth.ca/eligibility. If you do not use the internet, you can call a number and listen to a pre- recorded greeting that tells you who is eligible and how to book: ELGIN: 519-631-4125 OXFORD: 519-533-4560 TOLL FREE: 1-800-922-0096 Ext. 1444 When it is your turn, you can book by telephone or online. If you need help with technology, a family or friend can book for you. For those with mobility issues, our sites are accessible and there are wheelchairs on hand for those who need them. We look forward to seeing each of you between now and September 2021 when we hope to wrap up this work. Until then, please remember: 1. There will be vaccine for every eligible resident who wants it. 2. This is going to take patience as it is the largest vaccination effort in Ontario’s history. 3. Until everyone is vaccinated, please keep up with all the public health measures you have learned over the past year.

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Page 12 Boomers and Beyond – Elgin • April 2021

Play Ball!

Visit the Hometown St. Thomas Facebook Page for the Crossword answers.

Across 2 Rocket Roger

Down 1 Yankee Great Mickey

Proudly Printed By:

4 Broke Home Run record with 70 7 Dodger Lefty youngest in HOF 8 The Sultan of Swat 10 Hammerin Hank 12 Pitching Award 14 Padre great 16 Catcher who is always good for a quote 19 First unanimous HOF inductee 21 The Rajah Roger 23 The Big Unit 25 Dodger great catcher became paralized 26 Where have you gone Joe

3 Brewer traded to Blue Jays in 93 5 Nick named the Georgia Peach) 6 His card is the most valuable in existence 9 All time stolen base leader 10 First Blue Jay in HOF 11 First African American to play MLB 13 Him and his dad hit back to back dingers 15 Pirate great who died in plane crash 17 The Ironman

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Boomers and Beyond – Elgin • April 2021 Page 13

Ways to Move Forward From Two Solitudes by Terry Carroll In September, 2018, my lovely wife Nancy and I attended the Oneida Fair with two of our granddaughters who would have been nine and seven at the time. We may have been a tad conspicuous. Nancy and my granddaughters tend toward black

NOWASTE COLLECTIONONGOOD FRIDAY Community Recycling Centre is also closed Good Friday Those who are normally scheduled for Good Friday, put your waste out on Monday April 5th by 7am www.stthomas.ca (519) 631-1680 With 634 First Nations communities in Canada, and more than 50 languages, the answers will be many and various. Maybe that’s okay. According to the 2016 Census of geographic boundaries, Canada has 5,162 municipalities. If you ask the many races in those communities what they want, you’d get a lot of different answers, too. A multiplicity of answers could show us ways forward, rather than a one-size-fits-all. Different fare at different fairs, so to speak. From a Community Foundation perspective, we can’t just show up on the reserve with a bucket of money and a smile and say, “Hi, I’m from St. Thomas, and I’m here to help you.” Versions of that have been tried since before Confederation, with mixed results at best. The year before the trip to the Oneida Fair, at the Community Foundations of Canada national conference, I heard Indigenous-themed plenary session after plenary session, presented by mostly white academics to a largely white audience. I was underwhelmed and disappointed that almost nobody took a shot at a way forward, a better future. Fortunately, one Indigenous leader from the far north had the mic during one session. He ended his talk by suggesting that governments, charities, non-governmental organization and white people generally should do one thing before they act: “Ask us what we want.” Indigenous issues. At communityfoundations.ca, you can find a webinar on the impact of COVID-10 on Indigenous communities, and a guide and application form for the Indigenous Peoples Resilience Fund. While something is happening nationally, not much is changing locally. Oneida is about half an hour from St. Thomas, but it’s as if the twain shall meet only for cheap smokes or untaxed gasoline. Hugh MacLennan popularized the term Two Solitudes in his 1945 novel describing the dissonance between the French and the English in Canada. The book title could accurately be applied to much Indigenous/Caucasian interaction, or lack of it in Canada. What might alter that?

oomers B and E YOND B Geoffrey Rae Managing Editor / Sales [email protected] • 519-495-7177 Copy Editor – Peter Bloch-Hansen Publisher – Barb Botten [email protected] Graphic Artist – Cathy Wood Photos, community events and article suggestions welcome. Please email [email protected]. We look forward to hearing from you. My purpose in attending the Oneida Fair in 2018 was mildly work-related. I’m employed by the Elgin – St. Thomas Community Foundation. At the national level, Community Foundations of Canada has begun to address Irish paleness, and I present as a ruddier Irish/Scottish type, but there could have been little doubt that four palefaces had entered the fairgrounds. However, people tended to ignore us or to be kind. Nobody asked what we were doing there. It was recognizably a fair like, say, Wallacetown Fair, but with noticeable differences. On the circular track, Indigenous people danced in traditional garb or competed in foot races. There was an All-Nation Archery competition elsewhere on the grounds. Not everything announced to the grandstand was in English, and there were no big midway rides. In the food area, one booth sold a stuffed baked potato that was a meal in itself. It wasn’t our first time visiting Oneida. Nancy and I had attended a mixed martial arts competition in Oneida about six years before the fair. And in 2009 and 2010, I regularly drove copies of The Weekly News to the Oneida post office until the postmaster recommended I stop because nobody on the reserve was interested in it.

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Page 14 Boomers and Beyond – Elgin • April 2021

BADDA BOOM! By Frances Kennedy

legacy for our grandchildren, and also for theirs, and that is enough. That said, when “lockdown” has an end date, the “new normal” will already have begun. It is our optimism that gives us hope for a more friendly future. When reading a review of Journal of a Solitude by writer and poet, May Sarton, the phrase, “Twelve months of aloneness served up all the universal human experience of awe, joy, anxiety, despair, and creativity,” caught my attention. She described the dance between discontent and creative fulfillment. A year, by her description, “that felt like an eternity,” is something any one of us can appreciate. It is a deep-dive read that recommends the benefits of recording one’s daily life in the present for the future. To that end, check out Boomerang on facebook. Its mission is to provide opportunities for learning, connecting, and renewed purpose in “our golden years,” in the words of my late great father. When individuals act in unison, we are capable of setting miracles in motion. Let’s make 2021 the Year of Miracles. When we practice our best future, we create it. Badda Bing!

If ever there was a time to chronical daily life, it is now. We have an opportunity and, some would say a responsibility, to make a few notes for posterity. It is high time in the course of human history that we

record the personal experience of aligning the way we were with who we have become during this period of disruptive change, on a gritty, granular, and very individual level. If I take a picture of one of my granddaughters on a screen visit, I make a point of forwarding a copy to my sons with a recap of our chat. It requires you simply to use whatever means suit you, to take shots and notes of daily life. Imagine your great grandchildren trying to make sense of a gathering of masked relatives circling each other three metres apart! Reading an essay recently about the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918, I was struck by the parallels (Except that in a post- war period fraught with trauma and emotional turmoil, it got short shrift in the news). Although the COVID19 pandemic already suffers from a surplus of politically polarized reporting, despite dissimilar circumstances, what fascinates me are the similarities. In two years, Spanish flu reduced the world’s head count by an estimated 30% in four waves, between March, 1918 and April, 1920. Governments, politicians, and industry chieftains censored the news at the expense of millions of lives. Referred to as the “forgotten pandemic” because death tolls in the most vulnerable demographic, young adults, blurred with lives lost at war, “death by flu” was under-reported. But what remains the same is the transition … the human response to uncertainty, economic disruption, and “disinformation” (aka, lies). We may have responded better a hundred years later with more insights from those living then. In due time, historians will document current events with clarifying context and will distinguish between what is hysterical and what, historical. But it is our personal stories that become the testimony to how the human spirit struggles to prevail over adversity. To “know thyself,” takes courage, but to accept ourselves as perfectly imperfect, reinforces personal resilience and serves as lessons and

Hours of Operation Tuesday – Friday 10am-6pm Saturday 8am-3pm Closed on all statutory holidays

CLOSED FRIDAY APRIL 2 TO OBSERVE GOOD FRIDAY Hours will be reduced during the winter months. Household Hazardous waste accepted on Saturdays only. Please visit www.stthomas.ca for more information including, accepted items, fee structure and helpful tips. 330 South Edgeware Road, St. Thomas Ontario 519-631-1680 ext. 4258

To all the kind knitters who donated their hard work, we thank you! Your work warmed the heads, hands and hearts of those who needed to keep warm this year.

We will be collecting again next year, watch in the fall for more details!

oomers B and E YOND B Hometown St. Thomas

Port Stanley Villager

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Boomers and Beyond – Elgin • April 2021 Page 15

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Page 16 Boomers and Beyond – Elgin • October 2019