By Sylvia Helmer
On April 30 and May 1, 2025, dozens of seniors enjoyed the benefits of three in-person presentations on relevant and practical health and wellness information specific to seniors’ needs. Topics included aging in place, falls prevention and safety in the home. The sessions were free. The potluck supper in Sandspit and light lunch in Daajing Giids were ample and delicious. The conversations focused on the value of such sessions and how optimal seniors’ health and wellness could continue to be supported.
A huge thank you goes to Judy Whaley (North of 50, Sandspit), whose browsing fingers submitted a workshop request form, to which now-retired former Daajing Giids teacher Sylvia Helmer responded. The rest is an example of cooperation among the local communities acting on behalf of seniors in our midst.
Thanks to the generosity of a private donor and financial support from the Better at Home program (South), Sylvia’s airfare to Haida Gwaii was covered. Thanks also to Mary Lou von Niessen and Lin Armstrong, Haida Gwaii Better at Home (South) staff, for their help in planning and organizing the Daajing Giids session.
Sylvia enjoyed returning to the islands and, as she noted, being a lifelong learner and continuing to learn from and with the groups of seniors she meets is a priceless reward.
The fact that this was also a convenient excuse to come and see how the place looks and feels these days didn’t hurt.
Anyone interested in other workshops available by Zoom or presentation can inquire by calling Haida Gwaii Better at Home South at 778-260-9606 or emailing the staff at [email protected]. Those wishing to learn more about the Seniors Health and Wellness Institute Society can visit their website at [https://seniorshelpingseniors.ca].
(Note: Sylvia taught at QC Elementary Secondary School from 1977 to 1980 and lived in the Isabel Creek Store house when it was the doctor’s residence for the United Church-run hospital. During those years, Sylvia also coached and organized the school’s gymnastics club program.)
