Facing the future and planning for the final years is never easy


I


am a planner. Given the opportunity, I like to map out a plan and some contingencies. I don’t like being caught off guard. Life, how-


ever, does not seem to care if I am a planner. There are some difficult conversations that we need to have over the course of our lives. We know they are the right thing to do but they are not easy.


nurturing a young family and a


In 2007, we were rela-


Nancy Cooke On the Hustings


tively new business when my mother- in-law began to have health issues. She had been the orga- nizer and planner in her home, as well as the


caregiver, prid- ing herself in look-


ing after her grandchildren and husband. Sud- denly, this otherwise unstoppable woman was having difficulty breathing and eating. When she passed away soon after, my father-in-law was faced with planning and organizing life. This role was uncomfortable for him and he became lost, struggling to make decisions. My husband and I tried to help him but, because the family had never had a conversation about his future needs, wants or desires, the situation was even more dif- ficult for all of us.


He avoided making plans for a couple of years, while his health caught up with him and he could no longer stay in his home without support. The idea of having strangers come to help him was foreign to him. Eventually, his health deteriorat- ed to the point that we had to step in. We were able to help organize the sale of his home and to arrange for him to enter an assisted- living facility. As most of us anticipated, these changes were difficult, and we struggled as he resisted being a part of the decision making pro- cess. We did our best to support and encourage him and agonized when he expressed frustration with his situation. He stayed in the assisted-living suite until he was hospitalized within the year and did not return.


My husband and I believe that we did the best


we could, but it was not easy. My parents are now entering the planning phase of aging and are trying to be proactive. We now know what a lack of planning can look like and we want to support them as best we can. It's a delicate balance to shift from being the child, to being a friend and then a guide for your parents. You hope that the relationships have evolved to allow for open conversations. In the last decade, there have been advances in options for senior housing and aging-in-place with various levels of support. This has opened up a new world of planning for those with the means to select the various options. I have re- cently had the opportunity to visit with seniors who are aging in place by choice in the assisted living environment at Riverwood Square in Fort Garry. It was inspiring to hear from strong, inde- pendent, capable seniors who were enjoying life well into their 80s and 90s. It is important to involve seniors in the conversation about what types of options will allow them to age in place successfully.


I am simply glad to be there to have these con- versations with my parents and provide support as they plan. To understand what is important to them will assist me in helping them the best way I can.


My husband and I will, in turn, have these con- versations with our children. They may be dif- ficult but they will provide peace of mind for our future. You can reach Nancy Cooke to comment on this article at nancycooke11@gmail.com.


16 www.lifestyles55.net


The bagpipe march will open the annual Manitoba High- land gathering at Cook’s Creek.


Gail McDonald


Gathering. Hereditary Chieftain of the Clan Sinclair, The Right Honourable Malcolm Ian Sinclair, P.C., 20th Earl of Caithness, is led into the ceremonies as the celebrations of Scottish heritage begins. Chieftan Sinclair is here to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Canadian branch of Clan Sinclair. Family names such as Clouston, Inkster, Sinclair, Hourie are part of this clan, one of many Scottish and Orkney ancestors that chose Manitoba as their new homeland.


C


Along with the piping competition (bands and solo), go see the dancers doing the Sword Dance or a Highland Fling as their tartans showcase their family ties. Banned at one time in Scotland, these tartans tell the story of the clans, their allegiances, who they stand behind and fight beside. Come and visit the Clan tents, learn about your own ties to Scotland and the Orkney Islands. Perhaps you are related! You'll discover the Heavy Games, the Scottish version


of ancient games of strength and endurance. Men and women both compete, using different weights for com- petitions like the caber toss or the Scottish hammer throw. Explore through the ages with the Vikings and fighting demo’s, the Baron of Castel Rouge, and members of the Jacobite Rebellion period. Manitoba Living History So- ciety has a village where you will be able to experience life on the Manitoba landscape in the 1800s. June 22nd & 23rd, 2019 Along with all the action, a quieter time can be found on Cook's Creek. Watch the 28th Annual Canoe and Kay-


hills move down your spine... the wail of the bagpipe floats through the air. The march begins opening the 53rd Annual Manitoba Highland


Celebrate the centennial of the town of Teulon with a mix of Ukrainian and Metis culture.


ak Provincial races. Stop by the Scottish market, with its many handcrafted items. Check out Heritage displays, the petting zoo along with the Red Lion Scottish food booth and Wee Willies pub. Enjoy 2 days with them at Legacy Park, in East Selkirk, June 22nd & 23rd, 2019. June 27th to July 1st, 2019 After you've enjoyed the Scottish culture, take a dive into one of our many Interlake Ukrainian communities. The Town of Teulon is celebrating their 100th Anniver- sary of the founding of the town, with a huge weekend of festivities June 27th to July 1st, 2019. With a mix of their Ukrainian heritage and a strong Me-


tis presence this weekend will bring together the past with the present. An amazing line up of entertainment and tal- ent will be enjoyed as people come home to reminisce. From the visual displays showcasing one hundred years, to a Golf tournament, from an old time dance to a movie in the park there is no time for boredom. Join the crowds at the parade after the Pancake Breakfast Saturday morn- ing, then take in the Classic Car Show n' Shine in the Park. Free entertainment and activities are set for the week- end with a mix of Celtic, Piping, Dancing, Blue Grass music along with Axe throwing, Hamster Balls, wagon rides, petting zoo and pony rides all in the park. Visit the Dr. Hunter Museum or an Art Show for something different. Sponsored by the Teulon Chamber of Commerce the concert on Saturday evening features Doc Walker with special guest Brady Kenneth. Tickets are available for $20. Antique Tractor Pull, Metis entertainment, Bannock


Bake, Wagon rides, Threshing Demo's, and a Traditional Turkey Dinner with Fireworks rounds out Gail McDonald is the Interlake Tourism manager. www. interlaketourism.com.


Closure, a play by Winnipegger Ron Blicq, about the aftermath of war


“C


losure”, set in 2005, is the story of a WWII RCAF veteran, who, at 80, re-


ceives the shocking news that he fa- thered a son while serving in the UK. When his son, a grandfather himself, wishes to connect with him, tense drama unfolds in both the British and Canadian households. This Winnipeg writer won the 2008 Samuel French Canadian Playwright Competition An estimated 25,000 Canadian war


children were born of unions between Canadian servicemen and unwed, single women in Britain and Europe during and immediately after World War II. Most were born in England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, reflect- ing the length of time Canadian ser- vicemen were stationed in the UK between 1939 and 1946. Many such children were treated as outcasts in a society that viewed pregnancy and single motherhood as a social taboo. For those children, the search for their father has great meaning. The most famous Canadian war child is legendary rock-blues guitarist Eric Clapton (“My Father's Eyes”), who found out in 1998 that his fa- ther, Edward Fryer, was a Canadian soldier from Montreal. A large num- ber of the war children were put up for adoption immediately after birth, but others, like Eric Clapton, were


raised by their grandparents or rela- tives. Some courageous women, like the deceased Wendy Barlow in this play, defied social prejudices and kept their children who grew into adults never knowing their father was a Ca- nadian soldier. Closure for them took many forms – finding out if their father was still


alive, meeting him


and perhaps their half-brothers and sisters, or, if he were deceased, learn- ing about his personality and life. In some cases just knowing where he is buried, or having a photo of him could effect closure. In writing this play, Ron Blicq


drew on his experience as a naviga- tor in WW2, flying Mosquito fighter/ bombers with the RCAF, followed by ten years as a navigator with RAF Bomber Command, and then as a teacher of technical writing at Red River College in Winnipeg. Born on the Isle of Guernsey, Ron was part of a mass evacuation of children dur- ing the German occupation (1940 to 1945). Later emigrating to Canada, Ron has lived permanently in Winni- peg since 1957. “I was prompted to write Closure after listening to a radio documenta- ry,” he explains. “The BBC was inter- viewing men and women in the UK whose mothers had a relationship with a Canadian serviceman during


WW2, and they now wanted to find their fathers, in other words, to seek closure.” Closure has been produced in the UK, in Australia, in New Zealand (twice), in Texas, and in Vancouver; Shoestring is honoured and thrilled to be asked to produce this wonderful play in the playwright's hometown. The cast, directed by Katherine


McLennan, includes Connor Hop- per, Pete Hudson, Andrea Marantz, Josh Marantz, Cheryl Moore, Carol Stephens, and Jack Szabo. Shoestring has had a strong pres-


ence on the Manitoba stage for 50 years. It began life in the 1960s as the Manitoba Speech Association, formed by a group of University of Manitoba drama educators, to facili- tate teachers and students in the prac- tice of their art. As well as perform- ing in nearly all the A.C.T. Festivals, and at other urban and rural venues, the troupe has performed many times at the Gimli Theatre Festival, in the Master Playwright Festival and in the Winnipeg Fringe Festival. Tickets are just $15. Call 204 475 6821 to reserve a seat at the Forrest Nickerson Theatre in the Deaf Cen- tre at 285 Pembina Hwy. The play runs from June 12 to 16 at 7:30 with matinees on Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m.


June 2019


Festivals celebrate Interlake cultures


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20