Seniors' Week filled with oldies but goodies

It’s the same as it ever was and that’s pretty good news for city seniors getting set to celebrate everything senior.

Seniors’ Week is on next week, the perfect counterpart to the youth-filled antics of the children’s festival. According to census details released this week, St. Albert has 7,760 people who are 65 and older.

The St. Albert Senior Citizens’ Club, however, deems anyone who is at least 50 to be a ‘senior.’ That means there are 21,297 residents eligible to become members of the club that currently has only 600 active members.

Chantelle Labrecque, the executive director of the facility that hosts the events, says that Seniors’ Week might seem like the same set of activities from year to year, but that’s what keeps people happy. As membership grows, it’s enough of a challenge to fit everybody in at the Strawberry Tea.

“We’re just going to keep doing what we’re doing, and try to make our events bigger and better.”

A lot has happened in the club since she started on the job in May 2011. There have been some new programs added to the fold, some new fundraisers and special events as well.

“It’s been a really busy year, and that’s always a good thing,” she stated, adding that the club is undergoing some renovations but programs are still running smoothly. “I notice the improvement in the demeanour of the members … they’re happy, they’re smiling, they’re laughing. Classes are full. Activities are full.”

She has also seen an upswing in corporate or organizational memberships. This, to her, means that seniors are becoming more relevant as their population grows. She says this is a positive reflection on how the community views the club.

Labrecque says that apart from getting people out of their homes and bringing them together, Seniors’ Week also provides valuable tools. The Learn to Ride event next Thursday, for example, has steadily been growing in popularity since it was first introduced during Seniors’ Week in 2009.

“It’s a major, major issue among seniors so it’s really nice that the City of St. Albert and St. Albert recognizes that and works with us to get people more informed and educated on how easy it can be to use those services.

For more information on the club or the events, call 780-459-0433 or visit www.stalbertseniorsclub.org. The club is located at 7 Taché Street.

Historic sites

Seniors can also get in on the celebration by taking in any of the 18 provincial historic sites and museums, all for free. From June 4 to 10, Albertans 65 and older can keep their wallets in their pockets when visiting places like the Royal Tyrrell Museum, Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump, Stephansson House and, of course, St. Albert’s legendary Father Lacombe Chapel.

In a prepared statement, Alberta culture minister Heather Klimchuk said that this was the least that she could do to honour seniors at this special time.

“Our seniors represent the very best of Alberta. They have helped Alberta grow into the great province that we have today and I know they will continue to make vital contributions as volunteers and active members of our communities.”

Visit www.seniors.alberta.ca/seniorsweek/events for more details on what’s happening around the province.

A complete listing of the province’s historic sites can be found at culture.alberta.ca/museums/historicsiteslisting.

Seniors must provide proof of age at admission.