THE SENIOR SENTINEL

Publish by the Senior Citizens Council

May — 2012

Volume: 34, Issue: 5

 

MAY EDUCATIONAL MEETING

 

Pole Walking

 

It may look funny, but it works! Heather Seaman, from Ottawa Public Health, will explain the benefits, and demonstrate the proper technique of pole walking.

 

Location:         Crystal View Lodge

                          6 Meridian  Place

Date:                 Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Time:                 2:00 p.m.

Buses:               #95 (Woodroffe/Tallwood stop)

Crystal View Lodge will provide a mini-bus, leaving Good Companions at 1:00 p.m. To reserve a seat call the Senior Citizens Council at  613-234-8044 by May 4th.

 

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

 

A Pill for Every Ill – Yes or No?

 

Have people started to believe they can have it all and do it all because when things go wrong, the medicine will take care of it?  Shelley Stepaniuk has a 20+ career as a community pharmacist. She will bring her perspective to these thoughts and perhaps leave you wondering about your own answer.

 

Location:         The Palisades Retirement Residence

                          480 Metcalfe Street (at Pretoria)

Date:                 Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Time:                 l:30 p.m.

Buses:               #1, 5, 7, 101

 

From the Editor’s Desk   ____________

 

The Quebec Bridge:

 

The Philosophy House was in Quebec City. It was there that we spent the first three years of our preparation for the priesthood. It was a life full of activity: study, manual labor, prayer and all those rigors demanded by a monastic life. Every Wednesday was known as “walk day” when we were permitted to leave the monastery in small groups and to visit the beautiful city of Quebec. It was so steeped in history that even after three years we had only begun to appreciate the richness of the city. As we had pronounced a vow of poverty there was no question of cars and transportation. Any place we visited we walked  unless of  course some kind soul was willing to give us a lift as we ventured outside the city. This often happened as people were very kind to us. We were not permitted to “thumb” a ride. But as we walked along the highway we were often picked up and driven some distance.

 

One such outing three of us decided to visit “le pont de Quebec”. This bridge was opened in December 1919, and was the longest cantilever bridge span in the world. In its day it was an engineering marvel and perhaps still is. It crosses the St. Lawrence River between Levis and Quebec City.

 

Our intention was to walk over the bridge and to come back from Levis on the Ferry. The Ferry Boat crew was always very kind to us and would allow us to ride on the boat at no cost.

 

As we arrived at the bridge we crossed paths with one of the engineers on his regular inspection tour. As was our custom we stopped to talk with him for a while and explained our plan to cross the bridge and to   come back by the ferry. Because of our accent he knew immediately that we were not “Quebecers” and surmised that we came from all over Canada. After we answered his questions as to how we came to be studying in French and how did we like Quebec City, we prepared to move on.

 

He then told us that he was inspecting the Bridge and would we like to come along. We were not too sure until he told us that he was going to cross over the top of the Bridge. There was a walkway all along the top girders and  we would have a spectacular view of Quebec City.

 

It took us only a nanosecond to decide and away we went, up and over the Quebec Bridge. It was one of the most thrilling moments of my life to view the scenery standing out there in the middle of nowhere.