SPARK Booklet

Pictou-Antigonish Regional Library A Social Isolation Learning Event Second Edition - September 2020

SPARK A CONVERSATION WELCOME Welcome to SPARK a Connection!  We are heartened by the strong interest in this learning event to address social isolation in our communities. We are especially excited to share the stories of how people are creating important connections for community members of all ages.  Social isolation was identified as a target priority by the three Community Health Boards’ Collaborative Community Health planning process and it is fitting that we gather together today to discuss and share our ideas. On behalf of the organizing committee, we hope that you are energized and inspired towards collective action to SPARK a Connection!  Warmly, Debra Leigh - Event Assistant Sarah O’Toole - Pictou-Antigonish Regional Library Dorothy Bennett – NSH Community Health Board Coordinator Kristel Fleuren-Hunter – Antigonish Community Health Board & Pictou-Antigonish Regional Library Michele MacPhee – Strait Richmond Community Health Board Mary Desmond – Guysborough County Community Health Board Celeste Gotell – NSH, Mental Health & Addictions Andrea Donovan, NSH, Mental Health & Addictions Kalen Long – NSH, Public Health Graphic Design by Janelle AuCoin, Mental Health and Addictions, Nova Scotia Health Page 2

SPARK A CONNECTION TABLE OF CONTENTS Welcome ................................................................................................................ 2 Sponsoring Organizations ...................................................................... 4 Agenda ..................................................................................................................... 6 Speakers' Bios .................................................................................................... 7 Let's Take a Moment ................................................................................... 8 Fireside Chat: 9 Coffee & Conversation with Community Panelists ............................................ Shining the Light: on Local Community Strengths and Assets ............................................................ 10 The Spark that Lights the Fire: Ignite Action in our Communities ..................................................................................... 13 Sparks ...................................................................................................................... 14 Community Showcase: Community Approaches to Address Social Isolation ....................................... 15 Wellness Fund Program .......................................................................... 30 Notes & Evaluation ...................................................................................... 31

SPARK A CONVERSATION SPONSORING ORGANIZATIONS Serving the counties of Pictou and Antigonish the public library’s objectives are to meet the informational, educational, recreational, and cultural needs of the public, and to cooperate with other community groups and agencies involved in meeting those needs. PARL works with the other 8 regional public libraries across NS to enhance services for seniors, patrons with print disabilities, etc., and its Books-by-Mail service extends to residents of Guysborough and Richmond Counties, providing free library materials delivered to the doors at no cost to the borrower. Nova Scotia Health provides health services to Nova Scotians and some specialized services to Maritimers and Atlantic Canadians. We operate hospitals, health centres and community-based programs across the province. We work in partnership with community groups, schools, governments, foundations and auxiliaries and community health boards. Whether we are hosting wellness programs in the community, conducting innovative research in labs, or helping a patient recover in hospital; we are creating a healthier Nova Scotia. Page 4

SPARK A CONVERSATION SPONSORING ORGANIZATIONS ”Community partnerships and a voice for a healthier future” Community Health Boards (CHBs) are a committed group of volunteers from the community that work together under a legislated mandate to improve the health and wellness where people live, work and play.  CHBs serve a vital role in the well-being of their communities, helping to support many community projects and partnerships. This includes providing grants to community-based groups to support projects focused on health promotion and the social determinants of health. We have 37 CHBs located across the Province of Nova Scotia, nine of which are located here in our Eastern Zone. The Strait-Area CHBs (Antigonish Town & County/Guysborough County/Strait Richmond) worked in collaboration to develop a 5-year community health plan. Social Isolation was identified by our communities as one of the 4 priorities during extensive consultations in the development of this plan. As CHBs we strive to engage and support the community in addressing the need for social connectedness each year in our annual action plans as well as through our Wellness Funds in community projects.   https://www.communityhealthboards.ns.ca/ Department of Seniors For more information, visit: https://novascotia.ca/seniors/ Page 5

SPARK A CONVERSATION AGENDA 9:00 a.m. Plenary Tinder and Kindling - Preparing the Space with Facilitator Gerard Murphy, Barefoot Facilitation 9:45 a.m. Plenary Igniting the Flame - The Impact of Social Isolation on Individuals and Communities with Keynote Speakers Dr. Mary Pat Sullivan and Dr. Christina Victor 10:30 a.m. (approximately) Nutrition and Movement break (30 minutes) 11:00 a.m. Plenary Fireside Chat - Coffee and Conversation with Community Panel Seniors’ Safety and Social Inclusion Program - Michele MacPhee and Mark Feltmate Keep Well Antigonish – Michelle Power and Jean McGee Lifting Spirits – Catherine Hartling & Katherine Gerro Bright Lights in our Communities - Gallery Tour Featuring Local Community Projects 12:30 p.m. Lunch Break (30 minutes) 1:00 p.m. Plenary/Breakout Conversations Shining the Light - Small Group Discussions on Local Community Strengths and Assets 2:15 p.m. (approximately) Nutrition and Movement break (30 minutes) 2:45 p.m. Breakout Conversations The Spark that Lights the Fire - Small Group Discussions to Ignite Action in our Communities 4:00 p.m. Plenary Lighting the Way - Reflections of the Day with Dr. Katie Aubrecht Page 6

SPARK A CONVERSATION SPEAKERS' BIOS Gerard Murphy, Barefoot Facilitation Gerard Murphy is the owner and president of Barefoot Facilitation Inc. and a graduate of the School of Health and Human Performance at Dalhousie University. He has a 25 year track record providing facilitation, training and consulting services to clients within the voluntary, public and private sectors in Nova Scotia and across Canada.  He has extensive experience working with organizations to design and deliver learning opportunities and processes, and in-depth content knowledge in health promotion and community development, with expertise in supportive care program planning for people living with heart disease, stroke, cancer and dementia. Dr. Mary Pat Sullivan Mary Pat Sullivan is Professor of Social Work and Social Gerontology in the School of Social Work and Affiliate Graduate Faculty, Graduate Studies and Research at Nipissing University.  She is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Alzheimer Society of Ontario. Dr. Sullivan’s research focuses on the social contexts of aging and older age.  She is currently co-investigator on a 5-year study with colleagues at University College London and Bangor University which is exploring support for people with young onset and rare dementia.  Her research collaborations with Professor Christina Victor have explored trajectories of loneliness and social isolation, interdisciplinary conceptualizations of loneliness and media portrayal of isolated and lonely older people. Link to full bio: https://www.nipissingu.ca/users/mary-patricia-sullivan Dr. Christina Victor Christina Victor is  Professor of Gerontology and Public Health and Vice Dean (Research) in the  College of Health and Life Sciences and Ageing Studies Theme Leader in the Institute of Environment, Health and Societies at Brunel University London. Her research interests focus on health and health inequalities in later life; the evaluation of services for older people; exercise and activity in later life and the experiences of old age and later life amongst minority communities and people with intellectual disabilities. She has an international reputation for her research in the field of loneliness and isolation and is engaged with policy makers, practitioners and third sector organisations working in this field. Link to full bio: https://www.brunel.ac.uk/people/christina-victor Dr. Katie Aubrecht Katie Aubrecht is Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology and Canada Research Chair Tier II in Health Equity and Social Justice at St. Francis Xavier University. Her interdisciplinary research program maps marginality and mental health, rurality and resilience across the life span, in community and institutionalized sites of care. She draws on intersectional disability studies, aging studies and participatory, decolonizing and arts-informed qualitative research methods to analyze mental health education, policy and practice. Link to full bio: https://www.mhrc.ca/personnel/katie-aubrecht/ Page 7

SPARK A CONVERSATION LET'S TAKE A MOMENT... Before we start, let's take a moment to reflect on this question: Who are you here for today? What role might you have to play in reducing isolation in your community? Page 8

SPARK A CONVERSATION FIRESIDE CHAT: Coffee & Conversation with Community Panelists List of Names & Project: Seniors’ Safety and Social Inclusion Program Michele MacPhee and Mark Feltmate Keep Well Antigonish Michelle Power and Jean McGee Lifting Spirits Catherine Hartling and Katherine Gerro What stands out for you? What is new? What reaffirms your experience? Page 9

SPARK A CONVERSATION SHINING THE LIGHT on Local Community Strengths and Assets Discussion Questions: Who or what groups most impacted by social isolation or loneliness in your community? __________________________________________ __________________________________________ __________________________________________ __________________________________________ __________________________________________ Who is most at risk of becoming isolated in your community? __________________________________________ __________________________________________ __________________________________________ __________________________________________ __________________________________________ Page 10

SPARK A CONVERSATION SHINING THE LIGHT on Local Community Strengths and Assets .What do you think contributes to [causes] social isolation or loneliness in your community? __________________________________________ __________________________________________ __________________________________________ __________________________________________ __________________________________________ What obstacles/barriers exist? __________________________________________ __________________________________________ __________________________________________ __________________________________________ __________________________________________ Page 11

SPARK A CONVERSATION SHINING THE LIGHT on Local Community Strengths and Assets What already exists or what’s happening in your community that helps people deal with social isolation or loneliness? __________________________________________ __________________________________________ __________________________________________ __________________________________________ __________________________________________ What strengths or assets can your community draw upon? __________________________________________ __________________________________________ __________________________________________ __________________________________________ __________________________________________ Page 12

SPARK A CONVERSATION THE SPARK THAT LIGHTS THE FIRE: Igniting Action in our Communities What can we do together to keep people connected? __________________________________________ __________________________________________ __________________________________________ __________________________________________ __________________________________________ What specific actions can community organizations commit to in working on social isolation? __________________________________________ __________________________________________ __________________________________________ __________________________________________ __________________________________________ Page 13

SPARK A CONVERSATION SPARKS What are you excited about? What sparked ideas for you? __________________________________________ __________________________________________ __________________________________________ __________________________________________ __________________________________________ __________________________________________ __________________________________________ __________________________________________ __________________________________________ __________________________________________ __________________________________________ Page 14

SPARK A CONVERSATION COMMUNITY SHOWCASE: Community Approaches to Address Social Isolation Community members and organizations were invited to submit recent projects (within the past 3 years) which addressed social isolation in their communities. Page 15

SPARK A CONVERSATION Antigonight Art-After-Dark Festival 2020 As a long-standing fixture of the arts scene in Antigonish, the Antigonight Art After Dark Festival has earned a reputation locally, provincially, even nationally for its capacity to bring artists and audiences together in an inter-active, free, public-friendly celebration of art and community. It has brought up to 4000 participants and community members together to interact and share in the art-making, the spectacle, the ideas, the fun. When the Covid 19 pandemic reached Nova Scotia, the ACA was faced with a difficult decision: what to do about ntigonight? There was both appetite and enthusiasm among ACA Board Members for proceeding in whatever fashion physical distancing might allow in order to bring people together—an aim made more important than ever before by the very substantial threat of social isolation created by efforts to combat the pandemic and by the anxieties the pandemic itself generated. And so we put out a call to artists and our community collaborators, asking creative people to come up with not only with projects for this year’s festival, but also with creative ways for addressing physical distancing protocols and abiding by NS Public Health restrictions and advice. The response was fantastic, and we were delighted with the many different and ingenious ways the artists and community groups we selected had devised to bring people together while keeping people safe. As an additional measure, the organizing team decided to spread the festival events out over more days and to get creative about venues and spacing so that we could avoid having large groups of people too close together. While restrictions have eased since we began planning the event, it is still not possible to hold the festival in the same way we have in the past. Nor have people’s anxieties about the pandemic gone away. Yet, we think that by ensuring that physical distancing can be maintained, and choosing venues for many of our events that are out of doors in large, open spaces, we will have made a series of community gatherings possible. The project has been funded chiefly through a Heritage Canada Grant, with support from Summer Jobs Canada and Nova Scotia Summer Jobs, as well as from the Town and the County of Antigonish. Name of Organization: Antigonish Culture Alive Contact: Maureen Moynagh, mmoynagh@stfx.ca, 902-863-0895, 902-870-3047 Project Dates: September 1st-12th Locale: Antigonish Town and County Page 16

SPARK A CONVERSATION Around the Dinner Table Around the Dinner Table (ATDT) was born from the Mind Body Spirit project spearheaded by the Kingston Memorial Health Care Clinic. Originally it was proposed that individuals from the community would invite socially isolated individuals to their home and have dinner and engage them in meaningful conversation….but when we got together to discuss the project we realized that there were so many individuals that needed our help that we would host the dinner at the community hall.  We maintained the idea that there would be two hosts that would invite five to six identified individuals to their table for dinner.  In total we had approximately 100 people attend. The two hosts from each table were expected to engage their guests in meaningful conversation. The topics were: school days (their experiences with school), Christmas time, traditions and stories, music and dance traditions and how they learned to dance, gardening and their experiences with it in the past and now. We had such a good response to the first two dinners, we hosted two more and they were successful. The events were equally as successful in that we added a square dance to the evening that we discussed music and dance and we grew vegetables in the community garden to have a garden stew meal at the end of season. To make it all sustainable we decided to launch two new initiatives to ensure these people stayed engaged. In September 2019, we began our “We Care Cafes”, which is included later in this booklet. Then, In February 2020 we set guidelines for individuals alone or in groups of two to host ATDT events in their own home.  we handed out approximately 50 applications for stipend towards the food and many of our active seniors were interested in hosting and were in the planning stage when March isolation began. Name of Organization: Fleur de Lis Seniors Club Contact Info: Debbie Samson, debbiesamson52@gmail.com, 902-345-2998 Locale served: Louisdale and surrounding areas Page 17

SPARK A CONVERSATION Father Daughter duo Archie Chisholm and Brenda Chisholm-Beaton have been organizing a free dinner before Christmas for seniors for the past five years.  Cape Breton Christmas for Seniors provides a free traditional Christmas dinner, some festive music, and recruits volunteers to help out before and after and to keep seniors company for the afternoon. In the Fall of 2015, Archie noted that he worried about seniors at Christmas time, because it can be a vulnerable time of year for them, not just financially, but also socially.  He also noted that there didn’t seem to be as many supports for seniors as there were for families in need. This event was a quick success in the community. As the years went on, feedback from the seniors attending was wonderful, however, we were surprised to hear that for several seniors, their last community gathering that was barrier free to attend was the  year prior. This demonstrated that there was a greater need to provide opportunities for Seniors to gather for a meal, and to connect with each other, as well as with other members of the community. The Festival of the Strait decided to incorporate the same concept. It was a summer picnic, with music, down at the waterfront. This was also a success and there was fantastic feedback as well, from both volunteers and seniors. In 2019, we were able to host more than 400 Seniors and had 180 volunteers. An event like this requires many partnerships, collaboration and coordination.  We work with local business like, 101.5 The Hawk, Strait Area Transit, and the Town of Port Hawkesbury. And for the first time, our 2019 Christmas event was supported by the Community Health Board.  Another new element incorporated this year was the participation of elders from our neighboring communities of We’koqma’q and Potlotek First Nations.  We also have some incredible Mi’kmaq artists and musicians who have volunteered as part of our entertainment team. Lastly, an amazing component is the youth participating in the event. Close to 100 youth from the ages of 5 to 17 came to serve and interact with our seniors. Submitted by: Brenda Chisholm–Beaton, Owner/Operator – Fleur de Lis Tea Room and Dining Room fleurdelistearoom@hotmail.com Page 18

SPARK A CONVERSATION Channeling Maud Lewis: Art for Heart’s Sake Nova Scotia Heritage Day in 2019 was in honour of artist Maud Lewis. Maud lived in poverty and suffered from rheumatoid arthritis, but her artwork always made her smile and it brought her joy to share it with others. Public libraries were given money by the Department of Communities, Culture and Heritage to offer Heritage Day programming in honour of Maud Lewis. The People’s Place: Antigonish Town and County Library approached local artist Anne Camozzi to work on a presentation. Anne has drawn a great deal of inspiration from Maud and she was keen to work with us, however as she has a fair number of health challenges, it was clear we had to think outside the box. We came to the decision that we would offer a presentation from Anne's home via Facebook Live on the People’s Place Facebook page.   Anne talked about how Maud influenced her love of making art and also how she uses art as means of coping with isolation and chronic pain. She gave a demonstration on how you can use simple supplies like pastels and paper to be creative in your own home. The result was a presentation that garnered more interest and reach than we ever could have imagined. The live event itself was popular but as the video remained on the Facebook page and was uploaded to Anne’s YouTube channel, it has reached more people in Antigonish and around the world. At the time of the live feed, the video reached 33 people. To date, the video has reached 5,226 people and received 245 likes, comments, and shares. To this day, Anne still gets messages from people who came across this video and felt inspired. Not everyone has access to Internet or devices so we offered a live viewing of the video at the library. We made supplies available for people to participate in the art activity and allowed people to ask questions via the library staff member who was facilitating the event. “I got a thank you card and present from Missouri from someone who follows me on Twitter saying it has changed her life completely and she has watched it like 4 times or something - crazy! She has Parkinson’s and is an artist who thought she had to give up art and totally changed her perspective apparently after viewing the presentation on YouTube.” - Anne Name of Organization: Pictou-Antigonish Regional Library Contact Info: Kristel Fleuren-Hunter, kfhunter@parl.ns.ca, 902- 863-2486 Date of Project: February 19, 2019 Locale served: Antigonish Page 19

SPARK A CONVERSATION Community Garden Four community food boxes were constructed during the initial phase of Riverside Estates. Another six were added with the second phase. This year saw the construction of an accessible walkway into the garden. All of these were built with the support of the Antigonish Town and County Community Health Board Wellness Funds. “Tranquility,” noted Darlene MacIntosh when asked about the garden’s benefits. It also provides food security to the community and a place to gather and socialize. On pleasant evenings a regular group of 4-5 individuals gather in the garden to chat. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, neighborhood BBQs were held regularly. The garden has provided the community with peace of mind, fellowship, and learning opportunities. The following quotes concerning the garden are responses to a recent tenants survey: \"Chance to be outdoors \"Time to share what we and socialize know about - come together around gardening and learn the gardening.\" from other residents and helpers.\" \"Pleasure of eating \"Gardening is food which we grew something we can all ourselves\". do even if we are disabled.\" Name of Organization: Antigonish Affordible Housing Society Locale served: Antigonish Page 20

SPARK A CONVERSATION Doula Training in Paqtnkek Mi’kmaw Nation Women's Wellness Within (WWW) will be offering free training to women connected to the Paqtnkeke Mi’kmaw Nation and the Antigonish Women’s Resource Centre. The three-day training includes an introductory level Doula education module plus a Childbirth Education module provided by the Doulas of North American (DONA) regulatory body. This training program is to take place in September 2020 and participants will be given an opportunity to provide feedback on their experience. Doulas are non-clinical support people for the perinatal period including prenatal education, labour and delivery, and newborn care and feeding. The research evidence demonstrates the presence of a doula improves patient outcomes and satisfaction. However, there are very few doulas in certain communities such as low- income, women of colour and Indigenous women. Participants will be prepared to begin working as a Doula to support clients in the Paqtnkek, Antigonish, and Guysborough areas.  There are few trained birth doulas able to provide support in this region; this training aims to begin to fill that gap. Women’s Wellness Within (WWW) is a registered non-profit organization that, since 2014, provides support, education and advocacy for criminalized women and transgender individuals who are pregnant or parenting young children in Nova Scotia. As part of our core educational mandate, WWW works with community partners to host doula training for under-represented groups and populations. We have worked in partnership with the Elizabeth Fry Society of Cape Breton, the Mi'kmaq Legal Support Network (MLSN) of Eskasoni First Nation, the Mi’kmaq Child Development Centre and Promoting Leadership in health for African Nova Scotians to host doula trainings with these communities in the past few years.     We were approached by Paqtnkek Mi’kmaw Nation and the Antigonish Women’s Resource Centre to host a training there for the first time in Fall 2020. Name of Group: Women's Wellness WIthin Contact Information: Lindsay McVicar, 902-221-4473, womenswellnesswithinns@gmail.com Start/End dates of Project:  September 14-16, 2020 Locale served: Paqtnkek Mi’kmaw Nation (Antigonish County) Page 21

SPARK A CONVERSATION Guysborough Poppy Project 2020 The Guysborough Poppy Project 2020 is an initiative to decorate the local legion Branch – 81 in Guysborough with knitted/crocheted poppies for Remembrance Day 2020 for the last two living World War II veterans to honor them for their service and commitment. The Upper Big Tracadie Seniors Action Club put the call out about the poppy project and participants began to join.   As the word began to spread, more residents joined; in March about 30 ladies attended. The ladies knitted, crocheted, chatted, taught one another, and decided to meet on a regular basis. When the pandemic struck, all activities at the legion were suspended. The ladies kept on knitting and crocheting and because of social isolation; it was decided to create a Facebook page to keep the participants up to date with the project.   The Wall of Recognition was started for those who produced increments of 100 poppies or more and pictures plus videos were placed on the Facebook page.  Thanks to Facebook, we started to get participants from out of town and from different provinces. We got participants from Alberta, Ontario, Quebec, and ladies from Sierra Leona asked to join. The Seniors Action Club receive funding from the Guysborough Community Health Board Wellness Fund and a small donation from the Guysborough Councillor, Miles MacDonald.  Most people are supplying their own yarn and needles, although supplies are available and have been delivered upon request. Most have joined this project due to the social isolation and because they want to belong to something (social inclusion) and the Poppy Project is something that came along at the right time. The pandemic, believe it or not, elevated social isolation, which increased our enrollment of participants due to social distancing. Also, it’s a great cause; who wouldn’t want to help veterans and put a smile on the last two living World War II veteran’s faces?  Each day the participant’s list grows because someone’s friend or a neighbor will join without registering, everyone is invited.   This project is inclusive, all ages, all communities and all sexes. The goal is 6000+ and we have no doubt that we will reach our goal. Submitted by: Mary Desmond Contact info: 902-870-5680 or 902-232-2036, handonmom@hotmail.ca Date of Project: February 3, 2020 to November 11, 2020 Guysborough Poppy Project 2020 - more pictures available on our Facebook Page Page 22

SPARK A CONVERSATION Healing Art Café Lead by a local artist from Upper Big Tracadie, the café was a chance for people of all ages to discover their artistic abilities. Social and bond together and to discover how relaxing it can be to create a piece of art.  All materials were supplied by the Circles of Support and Change Project. The Healing Art Cafe allowed us to see the importance of using art to explore and promote individual and community healing and it addressed social isolation. It also solidified that initiatives led by community members help to engage families. Identifying individuals that can lead events helps to create volunteer and paid opportunities for women in rural areas. We should look inside our own communities first. Culturally creative ways should be further explored. These opportunities can spark discussions that lessen survivor stigma and address individual and community trauma.  This event also brought out all different ages, multi-generational families as well as individuals. “I never knew \"We should be getting that I had an together and doing artistic side.\" this more often.\" “I will have to \"I wish we had \"It is nice to be able come out to more things to relax and work more events” happening in this on something hall.” creative.\" Organization: Antigonish Women’s Resource Centre (AWRSASA.) Contact Info: Tara Reddick (ANS community facilitator) tara@awarcsasa.ca, 902-989-0591. Date of Project: Ongoing - Sept 2019- ongoing, five year project.          Locale served: Upper Big Tracadie, Linconlville, Sunnyville Canso and Strait Area NSCC. Page 23

SPARK A CONVERSATION Inter-generational Yoga Pilot The inter-generational yoga pilot was designed to introduce participants to a form of play-based yoga in a comfortable environment, reduce isolation by creating opportunities for natural/meaningful interactions between young and old, while increasing physical activity and movement for all participants. Seniors’ Safety & Social Inclusion Coordinator Michele Mac Phee relishes any occasion to introduce yoga to people. She designed and coordinated the program. The yoga pilot received funding from the Government of NS and was supported by the Dr. Kingston Memorial Community Health Centre, Municipality of Richmond, St. Peter’s Villa and NS Pre-Primary Program. There were between 10-15 participants weekly. The pilot took place over four weeks which allowed all the interested Pre-Primary students and Villa residents a chance to participate. Residents from the Villa were also selected by the Recreation Dept. and included those experiencing isolation. The project was very well received by all participants and partners. The plan was to offer the program annually with each new Pre-Primary class and interested Villa residents. Unfortunately, COVID prevented that from taking place this year. We will explore the opportunity again in 2021. “My daughter still talks about this program. Awesome job!” Parent “This was such a great opportunity for the children, they loved it!” Pre-Primary Teacher “Great for the kids and great for us too!” Villa resident Name of Group: Seniors' Safety & Social Inclusion Program Contact Information: Michele MacPhee, 902-587-2800 ext:5 Start/End dates of Project:  May 17 - June 7, 2019 Locale served: St. Peter's, Richmond County Page 24

SPARK A CONVERSATION The Keep Well Antigonish Exercise and Wellness Program involves weekly two-hour sessions that are free to seniors. One hour is exercise geared to seniors (general fitness or chair-yoga) followed by informal social time with healthy snacks to promote friendships and connectedness to others, and then a wellness program that varies weekly (e.g., talk by a nutritionist, mindfulness activities). Additionally, participants are informed about other programs in the community for seniors and events/activities of interest to seniors to increase their engagement in the community.   The goal is to keep older people healthy, fit and engaged in community for as long as possible.    We run three sessions per year, Spring, Fall and Winter. The target population is mid-70s (age range to date, 55-97), who will become at-risk or vulnerable for care unless they maintain or strengthen their fitness level. Our program takes place at the People’s Place Library (Antigonish Town and County Library). It is accessible, has parking, and is on the public Community Transit bus route that serves town and county residents. The two options for exercise classes (general fitness and chair-yoga) allow participation of seniors with varying mobility and health conditions. The atmosphere is open to diversity. The advertising of the program targets specific community groups that include vulnerable seniors: public housing complexes, L’Arche community, Antigonish Town and County Crime Prevention Senior Safety Program. The program was started by a community-based group comprised of individual seniors and persons involved with community organizations that serve seniors who were concerned about the physical health and mental well-being of our growing population of seniors. The community organizations involved included Antigonish Town Recreation, Antigonish County Recreation, Antigonish Town and County Crime Prevention Senior Safety Program, and Community Links Nova Scotia. Name of Group: Keep Well Antigonish Society Contact Information: Ann Bigelow, abigelow@stfx.ca, 902-863-1296 Start/End dates of Project:  Started Spring 2018, ongoing Locale served: Antigonish Town and County Page 25

SPARK A CONVERSATION Lessons on the Bus ‘Lessons on the Bus’, was a 9-week program that ran in Antigonish. It was collaboration between the Antigonish Community Transit Society (ACTS) and Eastern Mainland Housing Authority (EMHA) and offered through a grant from the Department of Seniors. A coalition of groups including the Seniors Getting Involved Association, the Town of Antigonish, Antigonish Community Transit, and a seniors agency called Community Links applied for the one-time grant. Initially it was designed to increase comfort and awareness of the new transit system but was celebrated for the connections and camaraderie that resulted. It was led by a paid coordinator with senior participants from local housing authorities that took weekly trips to local cultural sites or community centres with an accompanying visit to the library. Organizers planned about 25 outings that included a tour of a cheese factory and dairy farm, bowling outings, yoga, cooking classes, live music concerts, and a tour of the Peace by Chocolate factory. Some of the seniors who participated have problems with mobility. Each busload carried up to 16 seniors, including some who use wheelchairs, and occasionally the bus made multiple journeys to carry everyone who wanted to participate. Some of the journeys were within Antigonish, while some were longer journeys of about 30 minutes each way. \"What we've discovered through it all has been a lot greater \"There was a lot of humour, we than we could have ever anticipated.\" laughed a lot,\" said one participant. Olivia Rossong, coordinator \"When they say that laughter is great for your well-being, we should be one hundred per cent from the laughing that we've done.\" Name of Organization: Antigonish Community Transit Contact Information: Madonna van Vonderen 902-870- 5433 Website: www.antigonishcts.org, Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AntigonishCommunityTransit Locale served: Antigonish Town and County Page 26

SPARK A CONVERSATION Lifting Spirits The Upper Big Tracadie Seniors Action Club funded their project, “Lifting Spirits” through the Wellness Fund in 2018.  The project was design to lift spirits during the Christmas season.  Statistics shows that Christmas can be a difficult time for vulnerable people, but for the African Nova Scotia community of Upper Big Tracadie, it was compound with the fact that they were facing the devastating anniversary of the Desmond Tragedy. \"Lifting Spirits\" was much needed at this time. Three events were held each week prior to Christmas. Week one was the Ugly Sweater Competition, which wasn't too popular. Week two, making the Christmas wreaths, had a good attendance. We laughed, joked, enjoyed snacks, and had lots of fun.  It was a beautiful evening and we made about 20 Christmas wreaths. We gave the Christmas wreaths to the sick and shut-ins and seniors in the community. Most seniors never had the chance to have a Christmas wreath hanging on their door. To find out that, they were homemade and were free, put smiles, disbelief, and some tears in their eyes. We, too had smiles and some tears as we saw how happy it made our seniors.. We realized that the Christmas wreath project must continue; therefore, the Tracadie United Baptist Ladies Auxiliary agreed to continue the Christmas wreath project for the seniors and shut-ins and we would help out. Week three, we made Christmas cookies and delivered them to the sick and shut-ins, as well as our seniors.  The project, “Lifting Spirits” did surely did lift spirits! How a little Christmas wreath and cookie help combat social isolation for so many people are amazing! Submitted by: Upper Big Tracadie Seniors Action Club Contact info: 902-870-5680 Catherine Hartling, President – cathyh@seasidehighspeed.com Mary Desmond, Secretary – handonmom@hotmail.ca Page 27

SPARK A CONVERSATION News Out Loud News Out Loud, is a weekly recording of our local community newspaper in Pictou County, the Pictou Advocate.  Working together with the editorial staff at the newspaper weekly, we receive the top news stories in advance – and with the assistance of Sea Level Sound studio and volunteers, the stories are read, recorded, and uploaded to the Library’s YouTube account. It was through our ongoing efforts to support our local Let Abilities Work Partnership Society, and members of the Visually Impaired Pictou County, that members let us know they really miss hearing about the local community news. Pictou-Antigonish Regional Library (PARL) continues to grow and support a loanable collection of accessible reading devices to library patrons, for long-term loans in addition to supporting library patrons who self-identify to register for the CELA (Center for Equitable Library Access, CNIB) and NNELS (National Network for Equitable Library Access, a library co-op) collections (for the print-impaired).  The Library assists folks making sure it is as trouble-free as possible. PARL is the only library in Nova Scotia, and one of very few in Canada to offer free, long-term loans of the accessible reading devices and to fully support patrons in being able to employ the CELA & NNELS services. It has taken a bit of time, to work out some of the technological challenges, and eventually the library will be able to offer a small community recording booth in one (or several) of our locations, where library visitors can create their own digital audio content that may be shared, including opportunities to volunteer and help us record the weekly news, and also audiobooks for the NNELS collection. We have heard from our local members of VIPC, and LAWPS, and family members from beyond the county borders that they are so very thrilled, and appreciative to be able to independently ‘read’ the local news and keep in touch with their neighbours too. It provides an opportunity to reach people at home and volunteers, and family members to help too. Tune In: PARL – Pictou Advocate, News Out Loud, YouTube – Playlist (updated weekly, Wednesday nights/Thursday mornings) https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClg351iZrsFC82EAxCU2T4A/playlists Name of Organization: Pictou-Antigonish Regional Library Contact Info: Trecia Schell, Community Services Librarian, tschell@parl.ns.ca, 902-755-6031, or Matt Kenny, Emerging Technology Assistant, PARL Locale serviced: Pictou & Antigonish Counties         Page 28

SPARK A CONVERSATION Planting Seeds of Sustainability Planting Seeds of Sustainability arose from one on one discussions with SHOPS participants, as all identified gardening as a main area of interest they wanted to learn more about. SHOPS is a day program/workshop for adults with intellectual and physical disabilities in the Municipality District of St. Mary’s and surrounding areas. The overall goal of our project was to teach SHOPS participants how to properly plan and plant vegetable and flower gardens and use the resulting crops to prepare a meal(s) for the community. We also planned to sell excess vegetables and any flowering plants to the community for work experience. Our plan was to hold group sessions with members of the St. Mary’s Garden Club once a month from January to March and twice a month from April to June. Garden boxes on site would be repaired and a few raised for wheelchair accessibility. The shop class of St. Mary’s Education Center and Academy (SMECA) would help with repairs and construction needed. At the end of the summer, SHOPS planned to put on a community meal(s) using vegetables from the garden. Two fantastic, hands-on sessions with the Garden Club were completed with SHOPS participants before shut- down due to the pandemic. This project targeted social inclusion/isolation as SHOPS participants reside in very rural areas and would be engaging with community members throughout (i.e. garden club, shop class). SHOPS already had a good relationship with the garden club, and this project was a way to solidify that relationship and further connect SHOPS participants with members of their community. The involvement of the SMECA shop class with the garden boxes was a way to further engagement between both. Embedded within the project was the desire to make some of the garden beds more accessible, not only for SHOPS participants but also for community members. The end of the project was to be celebrated by putting on a community meal with vegetables and herbs from the garden and sell the excess for work experience, both of which would reach members of the local rural community. SherbrookeOpportunitiesSociety ... Check us out on Facebook! Name of Group: Sherbrooke Opportunities Society (SHOPS) Contact: Katie Mattie, Board Consultant and Activity Aide, shops_kmi@outlook.com Date of Project: January 1, 2020 extended to December 31, 2020 due to COVID-19 pandemic Locale served: Sherbrooke, NS/Municipality District of St. Mary’s Page 29

SPARK A CONVERSATION Preteen Healthy Cooking Classes This project was something that had been done many years ago by ECYA and was very successful. The youth had enjoyed it very much and had learned basic skills that they could carry through their lives. One of the Board Members suggested it be done again. The goal was teaching basic cooking skills and the importance of life long healthy eating. We brought in a chef certified in Culinary Arts from NSCC to plan and instruct the participants. Eastern Communities Youth Association (ECYA) provided the supervision the weekly sessions. A partnership between ECYA, Fanning Education Centre/Canso Academy, Community Health Board was struck that saw this project to a successful end. ECYA did the majority of the planning, doing registration, making recipe books, helped with clean up and did most of the supervising, and the school donated their kitchen space. Public Health and the local nutritionist were also involved. Twelve youth participated in the cooking classes. Being such a rural community isolation is a problem that interferes with after school programs. Any youth that required assistance with travel this was offered. ECYA staff promoted the classes on social media sites, at the local school, and in the Guysborough Journal, and by word of mouth. We measured outcomes by asking the youth to fill out a questionnaire after each session. Lots of positive feedback was received from the youth and their parents. Mya MacKenzie, 11, shared her thoughts below. Mya says she had lots of fun with her friends and other participants. She said she always loved to bake and cook with her grandmother, so this helped her learn even more about baking and cooking. It was fun to get to sample new foods and she loves her “Cookbook” that she got when it was over with all their recipes. She still uses some of the recipes, as they have become some of her favorites. Name of Organization: Eastern Communities Youth Association (ECYA) Contact Info: Susan O'Handley, ohandley@ns.sympatico.ca, 902-366-2146 Date: May 2019 Locale Served: Eastern Guysborough County Page 30

SPARK A CONVERSATION Our Dungeons and Dragons Youth Workshop was aimed specifically at kids (aged 9-12) who were experiencing some degree of social isolation or anxiety who might benefit from interaction with peers, but who also might have a hard time finding a social activity that would allow for this kind of interaction. We wanted to offer an alternative to the typical arts/culture/sports programming found in rural Nova Scotia, and give kids an opportunity to interact meaningfully with peers outside of situations that typically induce social stress (e.g., school, sports). When the Innovation Fund was announced this seemed like a good fit for the funding program and members of the organization were well positioned to lead the project. Academic research has shown that tabletop role-playing games are beneficial for kids with social anxiety and other social deficits. Dungeons and Dragons players are both actively collaborating with other players in order to solve problems and attempting to see the world through the eyes of their character, they develop social skills that involve empathy, perspective taking, and theory of mind (i.e., the ability to attribute and interpret the thoughts and mental states of others). This in turn boosts their ability to interact with their peers, reduces social anxiety, and builds social skills and resilience. The role-playing framework provided by Dungeons and Dragons allows kids to engage in social interaction that would otherwise be well outside theircomfort zone. Over the course of the six workshops, we hosted approximate 30 children. Each workshop was 6 hours long (typically split between three, 2-hour sessions). We had mixed-age groups, with some kids as young as 8, and some as old as 13. We also had a number of children with varying developmental or other behavioral disorders take part (e.g., autism, ADHD, etc.), as well as kids who self-reported to be shy or otherwise uninterested in typical social activities. Name of Organization: Antigonish Culture Alive Assoc. With Outside The Lines Press Contact Information: info@antigonishculturealive.ca http://outsidethelinespress.com/, http://www.antigonishculturealive.ca/ Locale served: Antigonish Town & County Page 31

SPARK A CONVERSATION Tune Up: Piano Lessons In 2019, a Community Wellness Fund grant made the all-ages piano lesson possible. The lessons took place at the Canso Seniors Community Centre. The Wellness Fund grant provided a stipend for the piano instructor and a subsidy toward rental of the club facilities. The idea an all ages piano program began with awareness of a club member's annual donation toward the cost of keeping the Shamrock Club piano tuned and simultaneous awareness that a  new, young senior,  had moved into the area.  It happens that Mr. Pearl is retired from a career in administration and piano playing with Broadway musicals.    Shamrock Club members approached the new neighbour with an invitation to teach piano. This was an excellent way to integrate a new, senior to our community.   His adventurous spirit had inspired him to leave the fast-paced life of Southern Ontario to a healthier pace at Hazel Hill.  Affordable piano lesson within the community enticed students that ranged in age from eight years to eighty years.  Within a short time, students developed the skill to read music, play musical scales, and play tunes.  Mr. Pearl enjoyed the noticeable progress the students achieved through the lessons he prepared.  Weekly piano lesson brought a new dimension to Shamrock activities. Contact Information: Renee Sagebear, 902-870-5631 Locale served: Canso Page 32

SPARK A CONVERSATION The Xaverian Pen Pal Project is an initiative that was launched in response to the COVID-19 pandemic as a method of easing feelings of loneliness and social isolation. The project’s aim is to connect St. Francis Xavier University students with community members in Antigonish- specifically, senior citizens and elementary/high school students. These two groups were identified as being more vulnerable to negative effects due to social isolation and in order to alleviate this, participants were paired with individuals based on shared interests and provided with a pen pal to communicate with. Methods of communication include e-mail, Skype, “snail mail”, and telephone calls. Participants were encouraged to engage in weekly Sonja Cummings and family with their pen pal, communication with their pen pal(s) and the project has Loretta MacGillivray fostered positive intergenerational relationships between StFX students, senior citizens and young students in Antigonish. The project has been graciously funded by the McKenna Centre for Leadership. In addition, they have also provided excellent resources and guidance throughout the project! There are currently approximately 140 individuals registered as pen pals Sonja Cummings, whose family was paired with a local senior (photo above): “We have been paired with Loretta McGillivray and we have been communicating by e-mail mostly but also a few phone calls and some social distancing visits. She recently came over and dropped off some homemade cookies for the kids. My three children and I have sent her pictures to show her how their days have gone and crafts they have completed. We are really enjoying our pen pal relationship and are so happy we have met such a wonderful lady. Thank you for this great opportunity!    Sonja, Sadie (4), NJ (3), & Lucas (2) Wilson” Contact Info: Alyssa Spridgeon, x2019eoc@stfx.ca or 905-922-0686 Date of project (start/end dates): Ongoing- began April 4th 2020 Locale (region or community served by project): Antigonish County Page 33

COMMUNITY HEALTH BOARD WELLNESS FUND Each year, through annual funding from the Nova Scotia Department of Health and Wellness, Nova Scotia Health designates funds for each Community Health Board in the province to distribute as Wellness Fund Grants (WF).  Wellness Funds are for non-profit groups working to improve health in their communities and must address the health priorities identified by the Community Health Boards (CHBs) in their current community health plan. Wellness Funds are intended to support the implementation of the CHB Community Health Plan recommendations by funding local community projects that use a population health approach, addressing the Social Determinants of Health, such as income, education, social supports, early childhood development, etc. Any non-profit community group and/or organization that has been together for a minimum of six months and is able to receive, manage and track funding can apply for Wellness Funds. This includes municipalities and groups/organizations associated with the provincial school board including local Parental Advisory Committees and Schools Plus. Applicants are asked to contact their local CHB Coordinator for more information and assistance with the application process. Application deadline is October 15th each year. https://www.communityhealthboards.ns.ca/wellness-funds Page 34

SPARK A CONVERSATION NOTES & EVALUATION A space for you to write some notes, ideas, and thoughts. __________________________________________ __________________________________________ __________________________________________ __________________________________________ __________________________________________ __________________________________________ __________________________________________ __________________________________________ We'll be in touch to hear your thoughts on the format and content of this event. If you have thoughts to share right away please follow this link: https://forms.gle/HawZBNJFytdmSVU68 Page 35

Second Edition - September 2020