Depending on who you ask, attaining senior status can come at different ages in Canada. By the federal government’s definition, a senior can receive an old age pension starting at 65, while other programs and organizations may consider an earlier threshold.
As the late, great R&B songstress Aaliyah once crooned, age ain’t nothing but a number, and nowhere is that truer than in the hyper-active, young-at-heart community of Whistler.
It's because of that youthful vigour that local seniors are less likely to think about issues around aging, argued Mature Action Community (MAC) co-chair Lyn Stroshin.
“I think that’s true, but you can’t be active and healthy without looking after yourself and preparing for aging,” she said. “That’s what we try to do. We really try to educate people, combine resources and allow people to really think about what it is to age in place here.”
It’s why MAC, a non-profit dedicated to improving the lives of locals aged 55 and up, is launching its Health and Well-Being: Saturday Sessions, a monthly series of workshops and talks starting this week.
“I’m really keen on aging in place, but as I age, I’m really aware of the number of people who’ve decided to stay here or move here who are over 55 and, as such, there are all these different life changes that come with that,” said series organizer and local retiree Libby McKeever.
The series will be held at the Whistler Public Library, and the first session on Oct. 26 is The Hospice Experience, which welcomes the Sea to Sky Hospice Society’s Leslie de Bie, the society’s executive director, and Jody Kramer, client services coordinator. Both will discuss the society and the services they offer to those with a life-limiting illness and their loved ones.
“Many of us have experienced [hospice care] via family and friends, and of course it’s something in the back of our minds,” McKeever said. “We have a wonderful hospice now in Squamish, so this is a topic of interest for seniors, but it’s also for any community member who is caring for somebody else, a parent, or for themselves, out of interest.”
The second session, slated for Nov. 16, is Strong Bones, hosted by Peak Rehab kinesiologist Makenzi McLeod, who will focus on healthy aging and the correlation of targeted exercise with the prevention of falls and fractures. The workshop will offer opportunities to practice exercises attendees can bring home.
“If you have osteopenia or osteoporosis, the idea of your activities being curtailed by what they call a fracture cascade is really real,” McKeever said. “We live in a town that has ice and snow so that’s an issue, but also as we age, Whistler does have a high proportion who are active, so as we are active, we really need to take care of our bones.”
The final session of the year happens Dec. 7 and centres around an issue that is integral to anyone, no matter the age: The Importance of Connection and Community. Led by Lisa Coulter, director of social services for the Whistler Community Services Society (WCSS), she will discuss mental health and wellness, particularly for those who have lost a loved one or are far from their families, and what self-care resources are available.
“I think this really comes from the pandemic, and it was evident that seniors, especially seniors living alone, really struggled with the lack of connectivity and community,” McKeever said. “It’s the idea of ensuring people are aware of the resources available through WCSS and even thinking about how they can set up their own circle of connection.”
While geared to seniors, the events are open to all ages.
“The one thing I want people to really realize is that MAC just isn’t for those old people,” Stroshin said.
That speaks to MAC’s long-held desire to establish a community centre in Whistler where seniors, and the wider resort, could gather side by side.
“It could host all these different activities that, if you look at every other town our size, they all have a community centre, probably a town hall or a legion—and they have a seniors’ centre,” said Stroshin. “Here we live in one of the most affluent places and we have no services for seniors.”
Each session is free and runs from 10 a.m. to noon. Email [email protected] to sign up. There are also future sessions, with dates to be confirmed, slated for January through June 2025.
