Our Stories

Joy Green, 72, is a smart, articulate woman happily residing at Aspira Mayfair Terrace in Port Coquitlam, British Columbia. A third-generation Japanese-Canadian, she was born in Manitoba but after meeting her husband Robert - or “Bob” - the pair moved out west to live in BC.

New life in BC with Bob
Joy spent 37 enjoyable years working for the Canadian forestry company Weyerhaeuser while living on the mainland. Before making the move to retirement living, Joy and Bob planned to retire in the beautiful, natural surroundings of Vancouver Island. Green requested a transfer to the island and that’s where the pair settled for a few years. Sadly things took a sudden turn for the worse in 2008 when Bob was diagnosed with two rare and aggressive types of stage 4 cancers. The couple were forced to move back to Vancouver City so that Bob could receive the best treatment possible.

It’s February again so love is in the air. People across many walks of life are currently planning a romantic surprise for their significant other on February 14th. New romances are growing at Aspira and anniversaries are also being celebrated by those who have spent their lives together. So please join us - as Cupid’s arrows fly - as we look at how romance has blossomed across some of our residences.

A story from Island Park resident Bob Bennett
On a Sunday afternoon late last June I decided to go for a walk in Ferris Park by the way of the suspension bridge. My wife Ann - always the keeper of the welfare of her family - asked me where I was going. And as usual said “Bob, be sure to wear your Tilley sun hat. You know it’s a very warm, sunny day.”
“Yes dear!,” I replied.

The walk took me - a 91 year old man - about 20 minutes at my fastest speed, anyone else would likely only need ten. About halfway across the bridge I got into a conversation with a group of four young men who were enjoying the view down stream. A gentle breeze tried to lift off my hat but my fast reaction saved it from blowing away. A few seconds later a stronger wind blew the hat off faster than I could stop it. All five of us watched as the hat sailed off and landed in the water about 100 yards downstream and floated upside down. I asked the young men if anyone was a good swimmer who might retrieve it. There were no takers so I was sure that I had seen the last of my hat.