Lots of Energy and Activity at 50 Plus Celebration

By Dave Tinker

For The Spectator

NovaNewsNow.com

Susan Cameron is not your average retiree, but then it was hard to find any elderly stereotypes at the 50 Plus Celebration hosted at the Kespuwick Conference Centre on April 26.

Organized by the Victorian Order of Nurses (VON) and community groups, the event was a showcase for the activities and opportunities available to seniors living or moving into our area.

Cameron was on duty at the CARP booth (Canadian Association of Retired Persons) and was full of information about issues affecting seniors, and enthusiasm for their monthly magazine.

Retired from a career in human resource management with the Canadian government, when she and her husband moved to Cornwallis Park she decided to return to her first love of creative writing. So besides volunteering with CARP, she formed a writers' group to help others get started. Now all of the members of that group have published work, and Cameron's first novel has been released by McArthur Press - it's called "These Four Walls" and it chronicles the life of an orphan girl who is "definitely not Anne Shirley," according to the author.

The CARP booth was one of many set up by community groups to showcase their activities. Across the aisle Linda Hankinson was promoting the annual Moonlight Concert under the stars while grabbing a quick lunch (she had been on duty since 9 a.m.). This popular event takes place in Paradise each August and features the Annapolis Big Band playing hits from the swing era, which might have started a long time before the Beatles but is still going strong.

As this reporter (for whom 50 plus is a fond memory) departed, Linda cheerily called out "See you in Paradise!"

A little farther on Paula Dodaro was on hand to talk about the activities and field trips sponsored by the Annapolis Field Naturalists, who this year celebrate 20 years of work to preserve and protect the environment and bring speakers to educate the public about the natural world around us.

Besides volunteer organizations, there were booths providing information about every conceivable service, including the VON itself, RCMP services for seniors (which go far beyond issuing speeding tickets), food banks, libraries, health information, as well as exhibits set up by commercial enterprises.

But there is more.

There was live entertainment all day, door prizes, a great lunch, and much fellowship among old friends. I met Rev. Harold Kay, a retired Anglican priest and his friend Anne Gabriel, who were having a great time and could hardly believe all this was available for a two dollar ticket.

According to the organizers more than 500 people attended besides the exhibitors, and everyone is looking forward to doing it again next year.