Fall Issue Better With Age

Better with Age Mieux avec l'âge Fall 2021 - Volume 3 A Message from the Seniors Take Action Coalition Welcome to our third issue of Better with Age. This newsletter was developed by the Seniors Take Action Coalition to learn more about seniors and their concerns by providing information and opportunities for seniors to contribute to this newsletter. We hope to demonstrate and celebrate the lives and contributions of older adults in Richmond County. As strong advocates for age-friendly communities, we will increase the awareness about, and emphasize the importance of, age-friendly communities for people of all ages who live in Richmond County. Nous sommes fiers de vous présenter notre troisième édition de Mieux avec l’âge. Ce bulletin a été développé par Seniors Take Action Coalition pour en savoir plus sur les aînés et leurs préoccupations en fournissant diverses informations propices. Nous voulons également offrir des occasions aux aînés pour contribuer à ce bulletin. Nous espérons démontrer et célébrer les contributions des personnes âgées dans le comté de Richmond. En tant que fervents défenseurs des communautés Amies des Aînés, nous augmenterons la sensibilisation et nous soulignerons l'importance de cette collectivité pour les personnes de tous âges qui vivent dans cette région.  Fall is in the Air What's in This Issue: The most beautiful time of year! Page 1:  Update from the Seniors Take Action We begin the fall with a new provincial government and a recently Coalition re-elected  federal government. We face uncertainty with respect Page 2: to COVID 19. And we can anticipate one of the loveliest times of Age -Friendly Communities year in Cape Breton! Fall is a time of reflection and preparation for the winter season; it Page 3: is a time for thanks and learning from the year past; it is a time to Message from Warden Amanda renew our efforts to work together. Richmond County had the Momborquette highest voter turnout for the provincial election at 71.43%. Decision power is in the hands of older adults as almost 50% of people in Page 4: Richmond County are over the age of 55 years!!! Who are the people in your Neighbourhood? The upcoming Seniors Week, Oct 1st to 7th, is our time to shine, Meet Anne Leavitt inform, converse, advocate, celebrate and enjoy all things senior! Page 5/6 And to explore how the lives of older adults in Richmond County Featured Article on COVID Travel can be improved through individual actions, group actions and Page 7  political actions as we move forward together. Community Corner As Seniors Take Action Coalition, we would welcome hearing your Services and Programs in your Community ideas and concerns. Take care and enjoy the season! Page 8: Dorothy Barnard, Coalition Chair Upcoming Events, Courses, and Other Useful Links and Tidbits Page 9: Grants Available Page 10: Last Words - Celebrating and thanking the many local businesses and organizations in our communities operated by older adults. Staying Connected: Click here to subscribe to the newsletter  For more information about the Seniors Take Action Coalition, or if you mailing list! would like to become involved contact: [email protected] Pour plus d'informations sur le groupe Seniors Take Action Coalition, ou si vous souhaitez vous impliquer, contactez: [email protected]

A G E - F R I E N D LY Social Participation and Social Support Are High On The List communities by: Celeste Gotell An age-friendly community has policies, services, settings, and structures that support and enable people When promoting an age–friendly community, social participation to age actively by: and social support are high on the list. Recognizing the wide range of skills and experiences When older adults are able to participate in leisure, social, cultural among older people. and spiritual activities in their community, as well as with family  Anticipating and responding flexibly to aging-related and friends, it goes a long way to promote good health, well-being needs and preferences. and quality of life. While many seniors in Richmond County are  Respecting the decisions and lifestyle choices of older active in social activities, volunteer for community organizations, adults. are involved with their families and friends, we know there are  Protecting those older adults who are most vulnerable. others that may not be.  Promoting the inclusion of older adults in, and contribution to, all areas of community life. An age-friendly community is where people of all ages can actively participate. Une collectivité-amie des aînés : Reconnaît la vaste gamme de compétences et It ensures that older adults are able to participate in both formal d'habiletés propres aux aînés; and informal activities that include a variety of opportunities and Connaît les besoins des aînés liés au vieillis une interests. Ensuring a broad range of activities, encourages more collectivité-amie des aînés:sement et y répond; participation. It is important to remember that cultural, Respecte les décisions et les choix de vie des aînés; educational and traditional activities are important to older people Protège les aînés vulnérables; in Richmond County. Sait que les aînés ont beaucoup à offrir à leur First and foremost, older adults need to know about activities and collectivité; opportunities in order to participate. Reconnaît l'importance de la participation des aînés While seniors may be aware of events and activities that exist in à tous les volets de la vie communautaire. their community, these activities also need to be accessible for them to actively become involved. November 11th is Remembrance Day We dedicate this issue is to the many men An age-friendly community needs to consider all issues of and women in Richmond County who have accessibility: served and continue to serve our country. Do we have community transportation? Is there accessibility to buildings, especially for people with limited mobility? Are some activities and opportunities free or at least affordable? Do we make it easy for older adults to volunteer in organizations?  Do we value what they bring to the table?  Do we recognize their experience and skills? People over 55 years and older make up 46% of the population of Richmond County. By reducing barriers for older adults to get involved in our community, we are not only recognizing the importance of older adults, but we are also saying, you matter!!!! The Act of Remembrance 2 They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old; Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning We will remember them. We will remember them.

SPOTLIGHT ON  Greetings from Warden Amanda Momborquette October 1 to 7, 2021 is Seniors Week – a time to celebrate the contributions older adults make in our communities!   All we have to do is take a look around Richmond County at the countless senior volunteers to see how important seniors are to our quality of life and prosperity. A heartfelt thank you to all seniors who lend their hands, experience, and talent to making our families and communities better! One of the priorities of Council is to work on our Accessibility Plan for the County. Over the summer we were pleased to welcome representatives from the Village of St. Peter's to our Accessibility  Advisory Committee (AAC). This will ensure that we are taking a consistent approach to making our County more accessible and inclusive for people with varying abilities. It will also be important for us to create strong connections to the Seniors Take Action Coalition as we develop our plan; accessibility and age-friendly communities go hand in hand! Maxine David who co-chairs this committee with me, is committed to being our liaison. I’m excited about developing an ongoing, productive partnership between our groups! Council has also decided to renew the strategic plan for the County. This is an exciting opportunity to ensure that the priorities and needs of older adults are considered in our path forward. Once we get further into the process, I encourage STAC to connect with Council to identify the gaps, challenges, and opportunities you see in creating more age-friendly communities.  Have a wonderful and safe Fall season! P.S. Our Recreation Department is providing some wonderful, age-friendly programming.  Check Richmond Reflections for the latest! Salutations du directeur Amanda Momborquette La Semaine des aînés est du 1er au 7 octobre 2021 et, c’est un moment pour célébrer les contributions des personnes âgées dans nos communautés! Tout ce que nous avons à faire c’est à regarder aux innombrables bénévoles pour voir à quel point les aînés sont importants pour notre qualité de vie et notre prospérité dans le comté de Richmond. Un grand merci à tous les aînés qui donnent un coup de main, leur expérience et leur talent au service de nos familles et de nos collectivités! L'une des priorités du Conseil est de travailler sur notre plan d'accessibilité pour le comté. Au cours de l'été, nous avons eu le plaisir d'accueillir des représentants du village de St. Peter's à notre comité consultatif sur l'accessibilité (CCA). Cela garantira que nous adoptons une approche cohérente pour rendre notre comté plus accessible et inclusif pour les personnes ayant des capacités diverses. Il sera également important pour nous de créer des liens solides avec Seniors Take Action Coalition au fur et à mesure que nous élaborons notre plan - l'accessibilité et les communautés amies des aînés vont de pair! Maxine David, qui copréside avec moi ce comité, s'engage à être notre liaison. Je suis ravi de développer un partenariat continu et productif entre nos groupes ! Le Conseil a également décidé de renouveler le plan stratégique du Comté. Il s'agit d'une excellente occasion de veiller à ce que les priorités et les besoins des personnes âgées soient considérés dans notre processus décisionnel. Une fois que nous aurons avancé dans le processus, j'encourage le STAC à entrer en contact avec le Conseil pour identifier les lacunes, les défis et les opportunités que vous voyez dans la création de communautés amies des aînés. Passez une merveilleuse saison d'automne en toute sécurité! P.S. Notre service des loisirs propose des programmes merveilleux et adaptés aux personnes âgées - consultez Richmond Reflections pour les dernières nouvelles! Depuis la première Journée nationale des aînés en 2011, les Since the first National Seniors Day in 2011, Canadians have used Canadiens ont profité de cette journée pour reconnaître les this day to acknowledge the life-long contributions senior citizens contributions de longue date que les aînés ont apportées et have and continue to make to families and communities. The day continuent d'apporter aux familles et aux collectivités. La journée also provides an excellent opportunity to raise awareness and offre également une excellente occasion de sensibiliser et de contribute to conversations about healthy aging. contribuer aux conversations sur le vieillissement en bonne santé. 3

WHO ARE THE PEOPLE IN YOUR NEIGHBOURHOOD by Josette Marchand ‘Come From Away’ or a ‘Come Back From Away’. We had the pleasure to chat with Anne Leavitt about her move to Anne Leavitt lives in Arichat in her maternal Isle Madame and what led her here. family’s home. She is currently Chair of the Isle Anne: I am not a stranger to Isle Madame. My maternal grandparents were born here. My Grandmother was a woman whose name was Hilda Cutler, Madame Historical Society and Friends of St. before she married. She was the sister of Laura Cutler who ran the John and is a member of the Telile Community switchboard out of that big old house on the Lower Road (Arichat).  So, in the summers, both of my parents who were from Nova Scotia, their idea of Television Board. She is a published author a vacation was to ‘go home’. And so, they would drag us kids along, as well. and holds a PhD in Philosophy. We would spend weeks visiting grandparents and relatives and we would come to Arichat to visit my Aunt Laura. Laura died in the early 70s. It was kind of a big shock to the whole family because the house had been in the family a long, long time and it had to be sold. It was one of those big moments in a family’s history where it was quite difficult, at least for them. It was sad, it had to be sold, because there was no one to look after it. So, dial ahead 40+ years, I found myself in early retirement and I was trying to figure out what to do with my life. I had been in Nanaimo, BC for almost 20 years with a brief stint in Halifax and I was searching the web for places to live, and Laura Cutler’s house popped up!  I bought it online and moved here in 2015. Laura Cutler’s house located on Lower Road in Arichat. What has been your experience so far? It’s been great; I really like it. I love living on Isle Madame. It’s beautiful and it is great to live in a space that gives me a connection to my family going well beyond my grandparents. My maternal family has been members of this island since the late 1700s - they are all buried up at St. John’s (Anglican Church Cemetery). People are just great and it’s easy to find things to do. A couple of years ago, I attended a volunteer dinner and was quite astounded at the number of people there. Somebody once joked to me that there were more organisations on Isle Madame, than Isle Madamians – which says something about the community. It does mean people like to get involved. There is a lot of history here and people are very rooted in this place. \" I’ve been somewhat rootless most of my life, so being able to connect in a small way is nice!\"  Do you consider yourself a come from away of a come back from away? When I moved to Halifax, I did a short stint as President of the University of King's College. Following that, I did some visiting teaching things and then decided to retire. It was an adventure, and I had a great time, and it is what got my imagination going about moving BACK EAST. I say BACK EAST and I never really lived here. I have eight (8) cousins in Halifax and there was a huge debate to whether if I was a ‘Come From Away’ or a ‘Come Back From Away’. I have no idea what I am. I just live here. I have moved a lot. So, I am somebody who is not really from anywhere. And so, I will never be from some place, but I have important family roots here. Because I have moved around a lot, I am pretty good at making myself at home, wherever I live. 4

The Trials and Expense of International Travel in a COVID-Crippled Industry by Cynthia Curtis  My partner, Ray, and I have a sailboat docked in Florida Anyway, back to the morning of our Halifax departure. Up at that hadn’t been attended to in 17 months.  Both of us 4:00 a.m., on shuttle by 5:00 a.m., and in flight by 6:45 a.m. double vaccinated,  we decided to head south at the end We landed in Montreal and produced all documentation of July to attend to it.  The border still closed to vehicle needed to enter the States: passport, COVID  test, proof of travel, air travel to Florida is permitted. A trip to the vax, and boarding pass. Temperature shots at our Sunshine State. Simple enough, right? foreheads. Try managing all that with two carry-on bags and a purse. Landed Chicago. Got through a chaotic Wrong. Customs check and then off to Orlando. Finally in Florida, we walked outside to get our Uber. WHAM! The heat and Let’s start with the flight down. Unsure of how long we humidity were suffocating. Alas we arrived at our boat in would be gone, we booked two one-way flights from Melbourne, FL at dark, happily paying the Uber driver $120 Halifax to Orlando. At $435 each, and the gift we bought US to have finally achieved our destination some 17 hours our friends who dropped us in downtown Halifax, we had later. That’s a long day in an N95, safety glasses, and a already kissed a grand goodbye before even seeing a bucket of sanitizer strapped to your hip. runway. Oh, and why downtown Halifax rather than the airport? We had to get a hotel so that, pre-arranged I will not get into the very trying experience of spending a online, we could get our $ 80 antigen tests at Switch month on a boat, fixing the myriad of problems that Health on Lower Water Street the following morning. present themselves on a vessel left unoccupied in salt water   After our negative results were printed, we looked into for almost a year and a half. And try fixing those problems transport to the airport. We soon opted for the city bus as in hell Hades heat in a breezeless marina that’s home to a cab was $68 plus tip. The bus was $4.25. Our flight left at swarms of blood-thirsty insects. Add to all that the rampant 6:30 AM the following day, so chock up the expense of Covid everywhere. And I mean out-of-control rampant. And another hotel and restaurant dinner. no one—no one—wearing a mask. I must say, however, the “we’re-so-over-it” Floridians were always super friendly I must now explain the serious panic--involving COVID while yacking most politely and “moistly” in your face. testing--that happened just after we booked those flights “Hey honey, so y’all from Canada?” Don’t get me started… south. Unlike some larger international airports, Stanfield does not have an on-site COVID testing facility. The only Not surprisingly, we decided to head home about three location to be tested for international travel is in weeks later. We hunted about again for a decent price on downtown Halifax—quite a distance from the airport. The fares and booked with a major carrier for just under $400 problem started this way: we hunted around for the best each. Monday, August 23, at 8:30 AM to be exact. After what price on a flight and excitedly booked it, with little regard we’d just been through with testing, you’d think we would for the day of the week. But with COVID test scheduling have tweaked on the Monday departure. Let me just say and lab closures, the day of your flight now matters—a lot. this: I did indeed feel intensely tweaked when we received Antigen test results can be had within an hour, but the an email the next day advising us that we needed the molecular PCR test can take up to 72 hours. The Halifax molecular PCR test done within 72 hours of our departure. Switch Health lab is closed on weekends.   The test must Advent Health does the testing there, but again the labs in be administered no longer than 72 hours before your the Melbourne area are closed on weekends. Mail-in was an flight. There was some confusion as to which test we option, but not enough time to get it delivered, mailed needed to enter the States. Our flight was very early back, and results verified. Tuesday morning. That meant that, if we needed the molecular test, we would miss that Tuesday flight. (If we Finally, after many unsuccessful  attempts to contact the had the test early Monday when they opened, the results airline and umpteen calls to  local  offices,  we learned that may not be known until Thursday, far too late; if we had there is a 24/7 Advent Health lab at the Orlando airport. the test on the Wednesday before, enough time to realize Huge sigh of relief, even at the cost of $232 ($175 US) each. the results, we’d be past the 72 hour time limit.) The We arranged the test for Sunday afternoon. upshot: we lucked out and only needed the antigen test. We got the results Monday, good to go for Tuesday. But know this: had we been travelling to another country wherein the PCR test was needed, we’d have been out the cost of our flights, hotels and other incidentals. This is information you learn only by doing, not reading. It is nowhere to be found. Take note. WANT TO HEAR MORE ABOUT CREATING WEBS  OF SOCIAL CONNECTEDNESS PROJECT?   Debra can be reached at: 5 [email protected] or call 902-623-2215

The Trials and Expense of International Travel in a COVID-Crippled Industry … continued To our good fortune, the test results were negative. However, the real jaw-dropper occurred when Ray and Cynthia, are healthy, we were advised that, if we tested positive, we would not be allowed back in Canada. The airline \"younger\" older adults with would refuse boarding. Recall, too, the borders are closed to land crossings. How long entry would be denied remained unclear. Alas that was one nightmare scenario we escaped. So we stayed the night in another hotel not far from the airport. It promoted itself on Priceline as extensive experience travelling.. offering a free shuttle. Not true. Cancelled due to COVID. We had to pay the $20 US for a cab each and they encountered all these way. Apparently, there is a disclaimer somewhere in the fine print. challenges. Clearly, COVID travel Monday morning, the trip from Orlando to Montreal went well. We felt some sense of COVID is not for the faint of heart! safety on that flight because no one could board without the PCR. Everyone wore masks and sanitizing wipes were distributed. The real issues surfaced when we arrived in Montreal. At first, we didn’t know what was causing a sea of humanity to bulge from every passageway. Turned out, it was a  more-than-major back up at Customs. Unthinkable back up. Like, an emergency-evacuation-of-a-SuperBowl-stadium unthinkable.  We had 75 minutes to catch our flight to Halifax.  Well, we missed it. Why? Even exercising our Nexus privileges, the wait to see a Customs Officer was long and arduous. Second, we had not loaded the ArriveCAN app. We were well aware of the app, but believed we could get back into Canada without it because the official Government of Canada Travel website states, “Travelers with a right of entry, such as Canadian citizens…will not be denied boarding of their flight or entry into Canada if they do not use ArriveCAN.”  We all know what happens when you assume or cannot get clarification on what you’ve assumed. Alas, we were escorted to a nearby office and guided through loading the app and inputting our address, personal id, passport info, vax status, and CVR test results.  Running frantically to our terminal afterward, we already knew we had missed our connection. The later flight fully booked, we were offered a flight back to Toronto and then a midnight landing in Halifax. We opted instead for the same flight we missed, now on Tuesday. So another hotel. Two more cab rides. And another expensive (c’est Montreal, n’est-ce pas?) meal. Tuesday morning, we made sure to be early for the 1:15 p.m. flight. We arrived at 10:30 a.m., only to learn the flight was delayed two hours. With that 4+ hour wait, we later decided to enjoy a beer. Peel off another $30—yes, that’s $15 each.  Ah, well, at least that was 30 Canadian dollars.  Advice: expect delays, read the menu, and ask for prices. The flight to Halifax was uneventful. Perhaps more so than usual because the mini TVs in the backs of the seats were “malfunctioning”. Then the attendant smiled and said, “our apologies, but we are out of snacks for today.” I almost laughed. Since we had been a month in COVID-crazy Florida and wandering two international airports where social distancing has turned to social sardining, we did not want our friends who dropped us off to be in a car with us. We asked them to leave our car at a mall in Antigonish and we hired a cab in Halifax to drop us there. N95s all round, we happily paid the $300 fare plus tip. As night descended an hour later, we were safe, back in Rockdale--home sweet home, at last.  Never. Ever. Again. Trivia Answer from last issue: What Maritime Province has the highest How many centenarians (persons 100 and over) were proportion of seniors? there in Canada in 2020? Quelle province des Maritimes a la plus Combien de centenaires forte proportion de personnes âgées? (personnes de 100 ans et plus) y avait-il au Canada en 2020? In 2019/20, all four Atlantic provinces currently had the largest share of seniors (as a portion of 8,500 7,145 the population).  11,517 16,129 Newfoundland and Labrador leads the way at 21.4% of its population followed by New Brunswick at 21.3% , Nova Scotia (20.8% and Prince Edward Island at 19.7 %.. Tune into our next issue to see if you have the correct answer! 6 Lisez notre prochaine édition pour vérifier si vous avez coché la bonne réponse !

COMMUNITY CORNER Services and Programs in Your Community MICHELE MACPHEE RICHMOND COUNTY SENIORS SAFETY AND  SOCIAL INCLUSION COORDINATOR Did you know? Caregiver Support Groups Cape Breton Region Do you give unpaid care to: Due to: a parent? frailty or advanced age? a spouse? a chronic illness? a child? a mental illness? a friend or relative? a disability? You are not alone! Free support group offers a confidential, friendly atmosphere for you to discuss your experiences, and receive helpful information in a supportive environment. Port Hawkesbury 1st Wednesday of each month from 1:00 to 3:00pm Medicine Shoppe, Health and Wellness Room, 708 Reeves St. For more information/or to register, contact: Maggie Roach-Ganaway, Caregiver Support Coordinator - Cape Breton Region 1-902-371-3833 or Toll-Free: 1-877-488-7390 Email: [email protected] Michele MacPhee Caregivers NS will be doing a Programs and Services presentation Dr. Kingston Memorial Community Health Centre at St. Joseph Parish in Port Hawkesbury on October 7 at 6:30 p.m. (902) 587-2800 ext: 5 or Please call the Parish office at 902-625-1045 to register as space [email protected] may be limited. Contact Marie MacNeil for more information about the program. She can be reached at 902-625-2114 or at [email protected]. This was made possible by a New Horizons Grant to help Seniors with Technology. 7

UPCOMING events, courses, and other useful links and tidbits National and International Websites https://www.carp.ca/ https://www.activeagingcanada.ca/  https://www.mcmasteroptimalaging.org/ https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/health- promotion/aging-seniors.html Fall schedule of free virtual wellness programs now available https://cnpea.ca/en/ Primary Health Care is offering a variety of online wellness https://www.endsocialisolation.org/ programs for adults of all ages on healthy eating, physical activity, https://www.nia-ryerson.ca/  mental wellness, parenting, and reducing one’s health risks. The Global Campaign to Combat Ageism - Toolkit (who.int)/ wellness sessions are offered online via Zoom for Healthcare and https://www.canage.ca/ are facilitated by health care professionals and trained volunteers. Anyone with a valid Nova Scotia health card can participate in these online sessions. Learn more and register at HealthyNovaScotia.ca https://www.seniorsactionontario.com http://www.eapon.ca/ http://agesafecanada.ca/  https://helpagecanada.ca/seniors-can/    Healthy Aging CORE Canada  https://www.nicenet.ca/talk2nice  https://www.who.int/ageing/decade-of-healthy-ageing- NEW Provincial Websites Ways to get involved with this program: https://caregiversns.org/ Share pictures and stories through the photovoice https://alzheimer.ca/ns activity – Until October 7, 2021. https://ns.211.ca/ Participate in an engagement session (more info https://nscommunitylinks.ca/ to come) – November 2021. https//novascotia.ca/seniors/ Read and share the photobook– Published April https://novascotia.ca/dhw/ccs/ 2022. https://housing.novascotia.ca/programs/housing- programs-seniors Social Isolation: Are You at Risk? https://mha.nshealth.ca/en Discover the risk factors. Learn https://fountainofhealth.ca/ how social isolation impacts COVID Relief Fund - Maritime Division health and well-being, and (salvationarmy.ca) practical ways to reduce your risk. 30th edition of the  Social Isolation| McMaster 8 Positive Aging Directory:  Optimal Aging Portal Guide to Programs and Services  for Older Adults in Nova Scotia.  Click here to read.

GRANTS AVAILABLE for organizations  and individuals Wellness Grants typically range The Age-Friendly Communities anywhere from $250 to $3000. The Grant Program provides funding for maximum granting amount is $5000.  projects that lead to more age-friendly It's not too late! Contact the Coordinator inclusive communities – projects that help develop communities in ways that foster Dorothy Bennett by e-mail: healthy aging and support Nova Scotians to [email protected] - she can age-in-place. help with your application! The call for proposals is expected to open the first week of October 2021 and close in early December 2021. The grant program has two streams of funding: age-friendly planning and projects. Click here to learn more and/or to apply. HomeWarming offers home energy assessments and upgrades for income-qualified homeowners, at no cost for people living on lower incomes. For qualifying homeowners, if determined that  upgrades like draft-proofing and insulation will help reduce your heating and power bills, upgrades can be installed at absolutely no cost to you. Apply Here. Home Adaptations for Seniors Independence - Seniors Can! (Aînés Debout!) is an initiative of HelpAge Canada Helps homeowners pay for home adaptations designed to help low income seniors across Canada avoid so seniors with low incomes can stay in their isolation and loneliness and to engage more fully with their homes independently for longer periods of time.   communities. Visit: https://helpagecanada.ca/seniors-can/  A one-time forgivable grant of up to $3,500 is available. https://housing.novascotia.ca/programs/h Well-Being Grants of up to $10,000 ousing-programs-seniors/home-adaptations- Innovative Programming Grants of up to $10,000 seniors-independence Emergency Relief Grants of up to $10,000 Senior Citizens Assistance Program - Provides assistance to senior homeowners (age 65+) who would like to remain in their own homes, but cannot afford necessary repairs.  https://housing.novascotia.ca/programs/housing- programs-seniors/senior-citizens-assistance- program Call one of our caseworkers today at 1-844-424-5110. The Nova Scotia COVID Relief (NSCR) Fund was established by the Government of Nova Scotia from the Federal Safe Restart Agreement in April 2021. This fund supports low-income Nova Scotians struggling to pay their home heating or electric bill as a result of income loss due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The funding provides one-time assistance of up to $400. COVID Relief Fund - Maritime Division (salvationarmy.ca) 9

LAST WORDS Celebrating and thanking the many local businesses and organizations in our communities operated by older adults Perry Marchand and Geno Polegato, both  from Louisdale, became partners in 1990. Geno's business Polegato Trucking had been in operation for about 10 years, when they decided to purchase Richmond Sand and Gravel. 31 years later, you can still find them both offering their community a wide range of services that include trucking jobs, hauling pulp, working on excavation projects, land clearing, digging basements, building roads, driveways, garage pads and installing septic systems. In 2021, they added a new company to their services, Lennox Metals Recovery and Recycling. They recycle metals and rent out large waste disposal bins. For years to come, customers throughout Richmond County and the Strait Area will continue to benefit from the many services offered by Perry and Geno. When chatting with Perry, he advised me they don’t plan to retire anytime soon. He can be reached at 902-227-7766. When Pearl LeBlanc started Pearl's Canteen in her home in D'Ecousse Pearl's Canteen - 1970 operated from the little did she know that 50 years later, she and her husband, Raymond, house, expansion in 1972. would still be operating Shamrock Store, the only convenience store and gas bar on the North side of Isle Madame.  In 1972, they added the store and Raymond and Pearl LeBlanc have been serving their community ever since. Located at 3150 Highway 320 in D'Escousse, at one time there were 11 stores and gas stations on the north side.   About 12 years ago, Shamrock Store also became a Caper Gas location. Open seven days a week from 9am to 9pm, they used to be open until 11pm.  50 years in business, what’s the secret?  Well, over all these years, they have always given 110% to serve their customers’ needs in both official languages, and  are always accessible to the community by offering products and services requested. Call 902-226-2954. If you have comments, feedback and Pepperell Place Inn ideas for future issues let us know Cindy and Steve Walker hadn’t thought they’d be the proud at [email protected] owners of a historical landmark at 9383 Pepperell Street in St. Peter’s when they bought their cottage in Lower L’Ardoise over Si vous avez des commentaires, des 15 years ago. Falling in love with the beauty of the area, they were réactions et des suggestions pour happy to make the summer trek from their former hometown of nos prochaines publications, faites- Ingersoll, Ontario. It was just recently—this past July—that they realized their retirement ambition and bought the renowned le nous savoir à Yellow Seabird B&B Inn, now renamed The Pepperell Place Inn. [email protected] As new proprietors, the Walkers are busy tending to their eight suites and preparing made-to-order hot breakfasts for their clients. The large dining room and veranda overlook the main street of St. Peter’s and the windows of premium suites frame beautiful views of the Atlantic Ocean. Connie Stewart, Carol Dixon-Nightingale Cindy promises a real treat foranuds Daellb—bitehMe aocpDeonnainldg    of Chocolatea, an on-site boutique that will PfehaotourceoufritneesywofoJruldlietFeraesemaannd several varieties of her handcrafted chocolates. With seven years of crafting experience, Cindy is proud of her wares and promises that Chocolatea will open in time for Christmas cheer and gift-giving. The Pepperell Place  Inn slogan is apt: stay, eat, shop, relax. It certainly offers each of these delights—and more. https://pepperellplace.ca/wp/ Newsletter Committee Newsletter Design Celeste Gotell Celeste Gotell and Janelle AuCoin Cynthia Curtis Julie Freeman Health Promotion Team Mental Health and Addictions Josette Marchand Nova Scotia Health 10