At 5:47 PM PDG Nancy rang the bell to start the meeting. The singing of O Canada (in seven different languages – English, French, Dutch, Arabic, Malay, Bulgarian and Italian) by the teachers of the Canada Music Academy followed and that in turn was followed by the thought of the week in the words of 1912-1913 RI President Glenn C Mead: “A Rotary Club gives us an opportunity that no social, political, or specialized business club can do. It is strong on the human side; it stands for the individual, unfetters him, appeals to his originality, brings out his latent powers, and puts him at his best by extending him the full measure of his confidence and appealing to the best that is in him – ‘service not self’ ”.

ROTARY MOMENTS

• The District 5550 Talk Show will take place on Thursday, Sept 2^nd at 8:00 pm (Manitoba time) It’s the third session of a 4-part online series dealing with the Four-Way Test. It will deal with how to seek fairness to all concerned in challenging situations. Specifically, the topic will discuss: “How can lawyers seek fairness to all concerned while maintaining the duty of loyalty to their clients?” and “How do mediators seek fair resolutions in difficult disputes?”
  Register in advance for this at https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwpf-ysqTMiHNGaWRtF5WjVYHMijEbDt9ke

• Nancy Hansen has received confirmation from her Rotarian contact Carrol Farmer in Australia that her latest package of stamps has arrived. Nancy continues to collect stamps and can tabs for charitable organizations.

• Chase the Ace winner for Week 19 was club member Lyle, who won $30.

PDG Nancy introduced our speaker Sherry Mooney. She is a social worker by training and has a long-standing interest in the health and wellness of older adults. Her Masters’s thesis was entitled “Growing Older Staying Well” and now she is the one who is growing older and striving to stay well. While President Doug shared Sherry’s slide presentation online, she addressed the issues as she has experienced them in her role as the chair of the Board of Directors of the Charleswood 55 Plus Active Living Centre.

The mission of the Charleswood 55 Plus Active Living Centre (officially called the Charleswood Senior Centre Inc.) is to enhance the quality of life of Charleswood residents 55 years and older by providing resources that help them enjoy an active, social and creative lifestyle in their community. Over the past 20 years, the number of members in the Centre has ranged between 425 and 525 members, most of whom lived in the Assiniboine South area of Winnipeg. The Centre provides the Charleswood community with fitness and recreation services, transitional supports, social networks and volunteer opportunities. However, the Centre is at risk of losing its location at 5006 Roblin Blvd in the next 5 years, due to the city considering that building to be “surplus”.

In Winnipeg. there are an average of 14 people in the 55+ age group per available apartment while in Charleswood the number is 25 people in that age group per available apartment. The projected need for 55+ housing in Charleswood is 440 units by 2025 and 980 units by 2030. The current vacancy rate of 55 plus units in Charleswood is at or near 0%. A proposal to build the ~260-unit Oakdale 55+ Senior Residence at 365 Oakdale Blvd by Exemplar Developments is aimed at addressing this shortage of rental units for seniors in Charleswood as well as providing about 4000 square feet of space for the Charleswood 55 Plus Active Living Centre’s activities which will include a gym, offices, reception, storage, arts and crafts room, multipurpose room, kitchen and large outdoor patio space suitable for physical activity and social engagement. Suites with one, two and three bedrooms are planned to accommodate needs identified by seniors living in Charleswood. Four companies involved with the development have met with Oakdale Drive residents. The advantages of this 55+ Senior Residence development include

• Being located in the heart of Charleswood
• A new model of a Private-Community Partnership
• Will contain new accessible-adaptable rental units
• Will have some larger suites surrounded by a natural environment
• New home of the Charleswood 55 Plus Active Living Centre
• Provides an enhanced potential for aging in place, community connections, and social networks

(Summary of questions and answers on the development:
https://www.oakdaleresidences.com/faq-mojave )
In addition, 55 plus adults who live in care homes, assisted living apartments or in social isolation in their own homes have been hit the hardest during the COVID-19 pandemic. There have also been changes in the housing market, in financial planning, transportation concerns and the need for social and community connections. Research has indicated that 55+ seniors prefer to age gracefully in their own communities. However, based on the neighbourhood’s reaction to the building of the Oakdale 55+ Senior Residences at 365 Oakdale Blvd, it appears that Charleswood is not a particularly age-friendly community.

The next step in bringing this project into fruition will take place at the zoning meetings taking place in September and October. This will require community input and feedback. Some discussions between Charleswood residents and the four companies involved with the construction of the Oakdale 55+ Senior Residences have already taken place. After the zoning, the issue will go through the bureaucracy at City Council. If it’s approved, final planning will begin, expecting “shovels in the ground” in 2022 and the opening of the 55+ rental building taking place in late 2023 or early 2024, providing new housing for some of the 440 seniors needing it by 2025. Currently there is also a 55+ structure proposed for Scotswood with 60 units.

Questions followed the presentation and from the answers we learned the following:

• A similar project proposed by the Masons was apparently subsequently rejected because of last minute social enhancements that was going to include evenings and weekends at that centre. The 365 Oakdale project has a lot more space than the Masons property did.
• The speaker agreed that the project needs to have a lobby for the project using professionals like Dr. Richard Milgrom at the U of M City Planning Department.
• The first marketing for residents at the new 365 Oakdale project will be done to the Charleswood 55+ members first, then what’s left will be marketed more broadly. (Membership at 55 Plus Active Living Centre is $30/year.)
• To respond to the objectors of the project, supporters are encouraged to click on the SUPPORT button on their website ( https://www.oakdaleresidences.com/ ). There are currently 540 letters of support to the city. The developers are working closely with the city to meet all the city’s objectives.
• The project is an unsubsidized multi-storey rental building.
• Sherry is from Wawanesa and attended Grades 1 to 12 with PDG Ed’s cousins.
• A traffic study has been done and determined that it wouldn’t be much higher than when the location was occupied by a church.

PDG Nancy and President Doug thanked Sherry for her presentation

Sarge Mike welcomed our guest - tonight’s speaker Sherry Mooney - to the meeting then proceeded to ask for Happy Bucks.

HAPPY BUCKS

PDG Nancy had a happy buck for the great afternoon visit she enjoyed with Amy Hall (visiting from BC), whose brother Mike was an exchange student to a country in South America.

Dave was happy to see some progress on the street in front of his office – some of the holes have been filled with concrete.

Sarge Mike was happy for all the rain that we’ve just got.

Chuck had a happy Five Bucks for a weekend at the cabin with his grandson Kelvin and three of his friends (13s & a 14 year old). He thoroughly enjoyed their conversations about shows, schools and teachers, which was so different from what Chuck and his own buddies would have had at that age decades ago. They also had a blast tubing on the lake in the howling wind on Saturday. The downside of that weekend was that he came back home with three garbage bags full of laundry (towels, sheets, etc.)

Glenn – At the cottage, he had to replace a 15 year old water pump with one purchased in Kenora, which was installed very quickly. After bragging about this, everything came apart and water was all over the place. One part of the pump had failed and another trip to Kenora to get a replacement for that part has resulted in a stable system that ought to be good for another 15 years.

PDG Ed was pleased to report that the rain on his farm had produced wheat at 60 bushels to the acre, which is pretty good for this year (of subnormal moisture).

BIRTHDAYS AND ANNIVERSARIES

President Doug and his wife Sandie recently celebrated their 39^th wedding anniversary by having dinner at 529.Wellington Steakhouse.

Lyle and his wife will be celebrating their 49^th wedding anniversary on September 2^nd

NEXT WEEK’S MEETING

• Next week’s meeting will take place in person at Varsity View Community Club, 315 Laxdal Road at 5:45 PM on Monday, August 30^th (fellowship at 5:30 PM); (Masks recommended).
• Lobsterfest meeting at 4:30 Aug 30 at VVCC
• Cathy Skene will present her Craft Talk
• Please inform Lorraine Forestell of your participationbefore 3 PM on Friday , August 27^th to be able to provide De Luca’s South Landing three full days of advance notice of the number of people that will be enjoying their $20 meal of lasagna, salad, buns and soft drinks or water.