Our Stories

There was a bump in the night.

The smell of sweet grass, ruffled by a breeze, permeates the air as the 2 dozen sheep graze, their shepherd watching over them. Teresa is only 15 years old, but she escourts her family’s sheep to the pasture near her house in the Italian countryside often. Sometimes, she’s joined by Donato, 18, who brings the 100 sheep owned by his family to the pasture to graze as well.

The air is quiet, filled with a sweet-grass smell. Four sleeping bags are spread out on the floor, their occupants fast asleep. Down the hall, residents sleep snug in their beds. Outside, an owl hoots goodbye to a waning moon, and the wind ruffles the leaves in the trees.

When Charity Votary began working as a dining room server at Royale Place Retirement Residence in Kingston, she didn’t expect that her love of art would make its way into her everyday work. But when she saw a chalkboard menu in the dining room, she couldn’t resist the urge to add drawings around the menu items.

“Eventually, I just took over and started taking up the whole board with drawings, and the residents really enjoyed it,” she said. Her drawings are often seasonally-inspired, with sunshine, flowers and birds for summer, and pumpkins, leaves and holiday images for fall.

Charity’s love of art and music began at a young age. After experiencing mobility and health challenges for all of her life, she discovered art and music as a way to cope.  

“Art and music helped me get through it all – painting, singing, playing piano, harp and the violin have all been outlets for me.”

This strong creative foundation motivated her to apply for a position as a Recreation Assistant, a role she began in September 2017. Now, she leads a broad range of art-based activities for residents. She shared that this work “is so fitting. I always wanted a career in art, but wasn’t sure I could make it. Here, I can connect with residents through art, helping them gain a new skill. They complete projects with pride, even showing off their paintings to their family.”

Residents have also asked her to paint special pieces for them. A resident asked her to paint two roses intertwined, to symbolize his upcoming wedding.

“He loved it so much that he placed it on his walker and took it on a tour around Royale, sharing it with his friends and the team members,” Charity said. She also recently painted a portrait in honour of a resident’s late wife.

“It was the 1-year anniversary of my wife’s passing,” says resident Gene, “it meant a lot to me that she would create this portrait.”

Charity is currently working part-time and completing a recreation and leisure studies program. She has truly found her calling in working with seniors.

“I love it. I can bond with residents because of what I’ve gone through and help them look beyond whatever health challenges they’re going through, so they can fully participate in music and art. We’re connected in that experience.”

10-year-old Marilyn Coulter stands in the basement of her house contemplating the blackboard on the wall. Coloured chalks lay waiting for her. As she begins to draw, the chalk whispers across the blackboard, trailing coloured lines that had previously only existed in her imagination.

The tap of type writers fills the air with a symphony of sound. Richard Archambault, a cipher operator with the Canadian Armed Forces, adds to the music, his fingers encrypting a military message.

Reginald Harrop woke up, confused. He was on a large cruise ship that should have been heading off across the Atlantic, with a convoy of 10-20 ships. But when he looked outside, they were alone, and the Rock of Gibraltar was towering over him.

The electrical lines wind off into the distance. Footsteps and soft murmurs echo through the tunnel as mothers come forward, cradling cardboard boxes. Inside the boxes, swaddled in blankets, is one of the only things they were able to bring with them. Gently, they lower the babies onto the dead electric lines, where they will spend the night safe from the German bombs raining down on the surface.

Born in 1924, Angelo was only 19 when he joined the Italian Army to fight against the Nazis.

In 1944, 20-year-old wireless operator Patrick Gallagher was killed in battle in Berlin, Germany. Later that year, his younger brother, Charlie, followed in his footsteps, joining the British Royal Air Force.

Dennis Cutting is no stranger to the sound of the wind rushing in his ears. A sergeant in the 250th. Light Company RASC 1^st Airborne Division, Dennis served as a paratrooper in the Second World War.