Seniors’ Week kicks off in Red Deer

June 5 to 11 is Seniors’ Week in Alberta.
 
The Golden Circle in Red Deer is making sure it’s one to remember for local seniors, kicking the week off with a seminar on diversity.
 
Executive Director Monica Morrison says the diversity session went very well, featuring French Polynesian dancers and a conversation called Us vs. Them, which centred around the recent events at Lindsay Thurber.
 
Student Ursella Khan, who is Muslim, was a part of the conversation.
 
“There were some touchy subjects talked about, for example, when the wave of immigrants came in the 50s and 60s, there was racism even then towards the groups coming from England and Germany,” she says. “Really, what happened then is no different than what’s happening today in terms of not feeling wanted and being told to go back home.”
 
Seniors’ Week events
 
Tuesday – Tacky Tourist games day
Wednesday – Cutest Baby contest
Thursday – Unbirthday party to be attended by Minister of Seniors and Housing Lori Sigurdson
Friday – Pancake breakfast hosted by Central Alberta Council on Aging, then Black and White dinner (call for ticket info)
Saturday – Event at Timberland Mews hosted by Christenson Communities at 11 a.m.
 
“Seniors in 2017 are a very diverse group. Seniors today are not the same as seniors were 50 years ago — they’re very energetic, they want to engage in a lot of different types of activities. It’s not your traditional go to the seniors centre and play bingo, or do crocheting and knitting and plastic canvas,” continues Morrison. “They want to do a lot of travelling, they want to, like today, engage in controversial conversation and do life-long learning. Even when our seniors go on trips, they go zip-lining or hang-gliding, whatever it is that they want to do.”
 
However, it’s not all rosy for seniors, according to Morrison.
 
“One of the biggest challenges for seniors in our community is crisis emergency housing. That is slim to none here in our community,” she says. “We need more affordable housing for seniors and we need crisis housing so we don’t have to put them in a hotel or they end up at Safe Harbour, which is really not the appropriate place for seniors to be going.”

During Seniors’ Week, Albertans 65 and older get free admission to the province’s 19 historic sites and museums. The province also has a calendar of events for the week.

“I just think it’s a great opportunity for people to understand the important contributions seniors have made to build our province,” Morrison concludes. “They need to be celebrated.”