Senior Power a success

By Miriam Ostermann, Associate Editor

While 81-year-old Doris Audet certainly enjoyed the entertainment at this year’s Senior Power, she also used the outlet to gather information on some pressing issues she and her husband are facing.
Audet was among 94 seniors to attend last week’s event, which was geared towards providing information to seniors on local resources to improve quality of life.
Currently Audet is facing a crisis at home regarding the possible loss of her driver’s license, which could affect her ability to stay self-sufficient while dealing with the lack of transportation – an ongoing concern in Strathmore.
“Right now, my husband and I are dealing with transportation,” said Audet, who attended Senior Power two years ago. “The family is thinking that it’s time to not be driving and that’s a big issue. It’s really hard to give up your independence. I’m still trying to make a good life and keep my independence.”
The Senior Advisory Committee is currently in discussions to address the problem of transportation. The committee was one of 35 vendors with a booth at the event, including the Town of Strathmore’s Family and Community Support Services (FCSS), the Strathmore and District Historical Society, Wheatland Lodge and the Strathmore Municipal Library.
“The people there were really engaged and interested and we had a lot of people who didn’t realize that they could get E-books for free with their library cards,” said Rachel Dick Hughes, director of library services at the Strathmore Municipal Library.
“For us it’s wonderful to be able to get our message out and get people excited about using the library. I think it gives seniors a really good view of what is available in Strathmore for them, and services and organizations they can access that maybe they don’t know about.”
The library and the Wheatland Society of Arts (WSA) participated this year by providing interactive sessions. While WSA got seniors involved in a paint project, the library focused their presentation on informing Strathmore’s population on the available services at the library. Those in attendance also received a free one-year membership to the library – an option many chose.
Held at the Hope Community Covenant Church on Sept. 22, this year’s turnout surpassed those in the past, setting a new attendance record. Senior Power 2017 featured keynote speaker and music therapist Jennifer Buchanan, as well as interactive and informational sessions.
According to Wheatland Family and Community Support Services (WFCSS) chief administrative officer Lynn Walker, word of mouth over the last decade assisted in the increase in attendance.
However, by providing information with relevance to seniors in Strathmore and Wheatland County, such as housing and financial aspects, Walker is aware of the impact the event has on the community.
“We need to recognize them,” Walker said. “We have senior week every year, but to me this just shows them that they are that much more important. We target them and this is how we honour them. Give them their day.”
WFCSS hosts Senior Power every year, alternating with Women’s Day.
Walker added that WFCSS received much positive feedback following the event, along with inquiries about next year.