SHAUNAVON — Nearly 60 people participated in the Age-Friendly Shaunavon Wellness Day on Thursday, May 15. The event has become a popular and regular offering by the local Age-Friendly Committee.
The half-day event was held at The Bridge and featured speakers, an art activity led by the Grand Coteau Heritage & Cultural Centre and a pop-up library by Shaunavon Library was on-site. Lunch was prepared by Deb Aadland and volunteers from the Shaunavon High School Wellness class helped to serve lunch.
Presenters included Emmy Frohlich and Kathy Springer from Affinity Credit Union who spoke about financial abuse, fraud and advance planning. Cindy Willms of Prairie Creek Counselling spoke about elder abuse.
Tammy Willman, with assistance from “Stella,” led the group in an easy art activity to create a bookmark.
Several residents from Shaunavon long-term care were in attendance. The local chapter of the Superannuated Teachers of Saskatchewan sponsored the lunch, the Pioneer Co-op sponsored the coffee break, and a New Horizons for Seniors grant helped fund other expenses for the event. Beautiful geranium centrepieces were given away to one lucky winner at each table.
The local Age-Friendly Committee will be winding down their spring activities before a break over the summer. Shaunavon Library is organizing the year-end wind-up of the popular Reading Buddies program.
The local committee was honoured on Friday, May 30 when Minister of Seniors Lori Carr was in the community to present the group with provincial recognition for their age-friendly efforts. Senior Resource Co-ordinator Kim Anderson, who passed away suddenly in March, had applied for this recognition on behalf of the group in March 2024.
The recognition is being provided following recommendation from the provincial Age-Friendly Committee through SSM (Saskatchewan Seniors Mechanism) to the provincial government.
Committees that have secured the support of municipal government, and have assessed the community's needs and taken actions to address those needs can apply for this provincial recognition. The Town of Shaunavon passed a resolution in February 2022 supporting the efforts of the community to become age-friendly. The assessment of what is needed has been ongoing, with programs and services put into place to address many areas. An out-of-town transportation project will be the next endeavour for the group when they reconvene in the fall.
Chair of the local committee, Debbie Olesen, says, "Kim Anderson's effort in advancing the work of the Age-Friendly Shaunavon Committee was integral to this recognition achievement. We are pleased that the recognition ceremony is being held in the community so that locals can help celebrate this achievement with the committee, and to further honour Kim's legacy."
