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The Aspira Astoria Retirement residence in the center of Port Coquitlam is not just an emblem of premium senior living, it is also a beacon of community spirit and kindness. This Thanksgiving, Astoria reaffirmed its commitment to community welfare by serving up a delicious slice of charity and gratitude.
At 93, Bill Reid possesses the vibrant spirit of a much younger man and artistic skills that have stood the test of time. Now residing at Aspira Traditions of Durham in Oshawa, Reid continues to live a life devoted to his art and his family.
Early life and studying his craft
Bill's journey as an artist began at an early age. "I started pretty young," he recalled, with a hint of nostalgia. Even as a child in the first or second grade, his talent was evident and Bill continued to hone that craft before studying art in Minneapolis. After graduating from university he embarked on a professional career as an art director for a company called Photoplate. While there, Bill (pictured above) was the sole artist, however, his artistic spirit wanted more than that job could offer and he moved on.
Every July 1, Canadians around the country and those scattered across the globe unite in a grand celebration of Canada Day - a tribute to the country’s rich history and diversity. It’s a day that holds a special place in every Canadian’s heart, especially the senior citizens who have been the bedrock of our society, playing an indispensable role in molding the Canada we know and love.
In a heartwarming display of intergenerational bonding, Aspira Kensington Place retirement home recently hosted a “Prom Night” as part of their flourishing pen-pal program. This initiative, founded during the pandemic, saw high school students penning letters to the residents, resulting in some unexpected and invaluable friendships.
Born in Grand Rapids, Michigan in the early 1940s, Vivian Klinck’s journey to becoming a respected artist wasn’t straightforward. Her relationship with her craft started from a young age and she graduated from Michigan State University with a minor in art, but it took a divine moment of realization in her 40s for the talented American-Canadian painter to truly embrace her calling.
Following her passion after “an epiphany”
"I could always sort of draw when I was young,” said Vivian. “But when I had an epiphany, I looked up and asked the powers that be 'just let me learn' and I haven’t been disappointed since,” added Klinck from the comfort of her new home at Kensington Court.
This transformative moment sparked a late but very fruitful and prolific career in art, marking a significant departure from her previous life. "Before my career as an artist," Vivian recalled, "I was a content housewife. I spent that part of my life trying not to work, and I had a wonderful husband who was earning enough to allow me to do that."
More than 70 years ago, after a chance meeting at a dance in New Westminster, Gordon and Doreen hit it off right away. The future Mr. and Mrs. Eliinson didn’t know it at the time but an unbreakable bond had been formed, one that would last several decades and enter a new millennium.
The happy couple married on March 21, 1953, but - life being as unpredictable as it is - they immediately encountered bumps in the road. The couple’s wedding rings and honeymoon savings were stolen from Gordon’s parents' house the night before the wedding.
Determined not to let the theft spoil their big day, the family pulled together and pitched in money to make sure everything still went according to plan. The flowers of choice at the wedding were red roses with white calla lilies, and “Gord” promised he would get Doreen a bouquet of those exact flowers every year on their anniversary. And he has, every year, for 70 years.
Being a centenarian is an exceptional and somewhat rare feat. The odds of any of us making it to dizzying heights of 100 years old are slim, about5,000 to one in fact. So it’s no surprise then that centenarians represent just 0.03% of the Canadian population.
Gail Bissett grew up on a farm 40 miles from Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. The self-proclaimed “prairie farm girl” made the move to Saskatoon in 1964 where she earned a degree in nursing. Gail, 76, spent the last 18 years of her lengthy career working in Tuberculosis Control which she really enjoyed as it took her to parts of northern Saskatchewan many do not get to see. She would oversee the treatment of TB in communities in the north.
Her husband John and the “positive accident”
Gail married her late husband John in 1969. They were married for 31 years before John’s untimely passing in 2000 at the young age of 53. Both John and Gail were active wildlife and scenic photographers. In a strange turn of events, Gail retired in 2004 after being kicked in the face by a horse.
“I didn’t lose my vision or have a head injury so that was my wake-up call to retire,” she said. “That was when I was 57. I was going to work until 60 but that plan got jettisoned. I called this my “positive accident,’ she added with a laugh.
