'Hands on Exotics' Travelling Animal Show Makes a Stop at Delmanor Northtown

Residents of Delmanor Northtown had an opportunity to get up close with a few rare and exotic animals when Hands on Exotics came to the retirement residence with their fun, interactive and therapeutic travelling zoo.

 

 

Hands on Exotics shared interesting facts and stories about the red-foot tortoise and ring tailed lemur from Madagascar.  For those residents who dared, they were able to hold the boa snake and touch the cold blooded lizard, a close cousin to the komodo dragon.
 

The amazon parrot spoke very clearly, while the rare macaw displayed its colourful feathers to anyone who chose to hold him. 

Residents welcomed the long-legged Russian wolfhound showering him with loving pats on the head before he found a comfortable place to rest in the Northtown Lounge.

Newborn bunnies visited just in time for Easter and were definitely a favourite with the seniors watching the show.  Everyone loved this educational & unique experience!

If you would like more information about retirement living at Delmanor Northtown or to arrange a tour of the residence, please contact Laurie Fortin or Nikki Lewis, Marketing & Community Relations Managers at (416) 225-9146 or online at delmanor.com

A Love Story ~ Celebrated at Delmanor Glen Abbey

"A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person". 
 
Delmanor Glen Abbey couple Jean and Rayner Hayhow were given a very special 70^th wedding anniversary celebration with fellow Glen Abbey residents and their two daughters. The Hayhow family planned a memorable afternoon with the help of Glen Abbey GM Karen Goyer and her team.

 

Mr. & Mrs. Hayhow with daughter, Marilyn

Julie, Christine, Joan, Doris & Betty laughing as they thought they looked like
bridesmaids all wearing blue!

Jean and Rayner were ushered to their decorated seats wearing a beautiful corsage and boutonniere while the champagne and exquisite cake was brought out for everyone to enjoy. 

Mr. & Mrs. Hayhow cut their cake amidst claps and cheers from all of the seniors that were in attendance to celebrate this milestone with them. The beautiful sounds of the harp provided a romantic background for the toasts and well wishes being given to the happy couple.

Mr. & Mrs. Hayhow cutting their cake
 

The lovely cake
 

Pat playing the harp

It was very special for Jean & Rayner to have their lovely daughter Marilyn present for this moment as well as their other daughter Joanne, who was able to participate with the retirement residence from Florida thanks to the modern advancement of video calling.

Marilyn with her sister online

Everyone in attendance was thrilled to share in this special celebration with Jean and Rayner Hayhow and thank their daughters for the opportunity to share this with all of the seniors at Delmanor Glen Abbey.

If you would like to arrange a personal tour of Delmanor Glen Abbey, or if you wish to obtain more information about retirement living with us, please contact Julie Shuster, Marketing & Community Relations Manager at (905) 469-3232 or online at delmanor.com

Delmanor Glen Abbey Visits a Butterfly Conservatory

What better way to welcome spring then by surrounding yourself with butterflies in their natural habitat!

Delmanor Glen Abbey residents visited the Butterfly Conservatory in Cambridge. The lush tropical gardens and thousands of butterflies and live plants warned up the seniors on a cold March morning. The conservatory is an enclosed butterfly habitat where hundreds of different butterfly species live and breed in a very natural, yet controlled environment. The exhibit at the Butterfly Conservatory educates and encourages visitors to support the creation and preservation of native butterfly habitats.

The Cambridge Butterfly Conservatory is essentially an observatory where the residents were able to walk directly into a butterfly habitat and were able to interact with the butterflies. The residents loved the beautiful smells and warmth that came from this tropical escape.

After spending a day surrounded by butterflies, everyone who visited the Conservatory is even more anxious for the arrival of spring weather!

If you would like to gain more information about retirement living at Delmanor Glen Abbey or to arrange a tour of the residence, please contact Julie Shuster, Marketing & Community Relations Manager at (905) 469-3232 or online at delmanor.com

Delmanor Wynford Resident, Mr. Minoru Yatabe Presented with the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal

The Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal is one of a series of national celebratory gestures created in 2012 to mark the 60^th Anniversary of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II's accession to the Throne as Queen of Canada. The medal is awarded to Canadians who have devoted themselves to the well-being of family, community and country. The selected medal recipients have made a significant contribution to a province, territory, regions or community within Canada or an achievement abroad that brings credit to Canada. 
 

The Diamond Jubilee Medal

 Like Her Majesty, those recognized have dedicated themselves to serve their fellow citizens and country. In recognition of this outstanding dedication, the Diamond Jubilee Medal was created in honour of these exceptional Canadian citizens to thank them for their accomplishments. 

In WW II, Japanese Canadians were barred from Canadian military service until the beginning of 1945. Mr. Yatabe was on of many loyal Japanese Canadians who enlisted immediately. He was attached to British Intelligence forces in the South East Asia Command and performed counter intelligence work in Malaysia and in Thailand. His post-war community activities included working with the Boy Scouts of Canada, local senior citizens, and in the Royal Canadian Legion.

Mr. Yatabe accepting the Diamond Jubilee Medal

The Medal is administered by the Chancellery of Honours, which is part of the Office of the Secretary to the Governor General. During the year of acknowledgment of this historic event, 60,000 Canadians were recognized and presented with this medal along with Mr. Minoru Yatabe. 

Member of Parliament John Carmichael attended the ceremony held at Delmanor Wynford to present the highly distinctive Diamond Jubilee Medal to Delmanor Wynford resident, Mr. Minoru Yatabe for his extraordinary contributions to Canada. Mr. Carmichael was accompanied by the Honourable Salma Ataullahjan, Senator for Toronto for this event. 

 
The entire Delmanor community commends and gives gratitude to Mr. Minoru Yatabe for this outstanding achievement and are honoured to have him as a part of our Delmanor family.

If you would like to acquire more information about retirement living at Delmanor Wynford, or one of the other prestigious Delmanor Retirement Community properties, please contact Pam Palmer or Monique Kuhn, Marketing & Community Relations Managers at (416) 331-9797 or online at delmanor.com
   

 

Celebrating, Irish Style, at Delmanor Elgin Mills!

Now, "wasn't that a party!", was spoken by many residents of Delmanor Elgin Mills after the residence held a grand St. Patrick's Day celebration.  The party had the seniors dancing and singing along to the toe-tapping entertainment provided by the "Elderly Brothers".

The Irish tunes resonated in the hearts of everyone in attendance lifting spirits and leaving all in a lively mood.  All of the seniors and staff were feeling very festive and showed it by sporting green for the occasion.  The staff were wearing fashionable green bow ties while they served beer Shandy's and pub style appetizers.

Residents wearing Irish green, cheers!

The lobby of Delmanor Elgin Mills was transformed into an Irish pub for the day.  There were festive decorations that adorned the "pub" that added to the ambiance and social atmosphere of the party.

The cheer of the Irish holiday was in full swing as the Delmanor seniors celebrated with wonderful food, great friends and warm hearts.

Green beer shandy's

If you would like more information about retirement living at Delmanor Elgin Mills, or to arrange a personal tour of the residence, please contact Susan Applebaum, Marketing & Community Relations Manager at (905) 770-7963 or online at delmanor.com

Delmanor Wynford Residents Submerged in the Wondrous World of Storytelling

Delmanor Wynford resident Virginia Davis served as an executive director of the Canadian Children's Book Centre. For many years Virginia reviewed children's books and videos as well as served as a panelist on CBC Radio's Morningside. Virginia has been past president of the Canadian Association of Children's Librarians and a past president of IBBY Canada. With this wealth of literary knowledge and experience, the staff of Delmanor Wynford were thrilled when Virginia recommended Celia Lottridge to come and speak at the retirement community.

   

Delmanor Resident Virginia Davis

 

Celia Barker Lottridge is a writer and professional story teller that has written several highly acclaimed children's books including "Ticket to Curlew", winner of the Canadian Library Association book of the year for children and the Geoffrey Bilson Historical Fiction Award.
Much of Celia's captivating work was influenced from stories that her mother had told her about growing up in Persia and after reading powerful letters from family members.

Celia Barker Lottridge

 

Celia was a founding board member of the Storytellers School of Toronto. Celia promotes the use of storytelling in schools while improving and enhancing the art form. She does this not just by being a storyteller herself, but by teaching courses, conducting workshops and giving children and adults the experience of hearing traditional stories.
Delmanor Wynford residents and guests were very entertained with her stories about her family's quest in "Finding Home". The stories were written about three generations of her family and the many adventures they endured moving to a new home.

One of Celia's Novels, "Home is Beyond the Mountains"

  

While listening to Celia's wonderful stories about "Finding Home", the seniors and invited guests enjoyed delicious specialty Spanish coffees accompanied by slender chocolate filled café styled pirouette rolled crème wafers. At delightful afternoon was enjoyed by all!
If you would like to gain more information about retirement living at Delmanor Wynford or if you would like to schedule a tour of the residence, please contact Pam Palmer or Monique Kuhn, Marketing & Community Relations Managers at (416) 331-9797 or visit them online at delmanor.com

Celebrating St. Patrick's Day at Delmanor Northtown

All of the residents and staff of Delmanor Northtown were Irish for the day for fun filled celebrations to commemorate St. Patrick's Day.

Scarlett Black visited the retirement community to delight and entertain with her Irish singing and dancing.  Along with sharing her artistic talents, Scarlett provided history of the songs she sang.  By providing additional meaning to her performance, the seniors were able to connect to her words and the deep tradition that embodies this Irish holiday.

Scarlett brought along props such as flags and tricks for various songs and encouraged the residents to sing along and dance with her.  There was a fabulous upbeat energy that filled the retirement community throughout her performance.  Scarlett chose many songs that were familiar to the seniors which made the celebration even more enjoyable. 

Delmanor Northtown residents and staff loved being Irish for the day and paying tribute to Irish history and culture.

Scarlett performing for the residents

If you would like to obtain more information about retirement living at Delmanor Northtown, or to arrange a tour of the residence, please contact Laurie Fortin or Nikki Lewis, Marketing & Community Relations Managers at (416) 225-9146 or online at delmanor.com

The Shakedown on Salt!

The sodium component of salt is vital for controlling the amount of water in the body, maintaining the normal pH of blood, transmitting nerve signals and helping muscular contraction. Salt is present in all foods in varying degrees, and almost all processed foods contain added salt.

Sodium, unlike all other minerals, is generally over consumed, with the dietary intake of salt in Canada being far in excess of the recommended daily requirement. Adults are advised to consume no more than 6g salt per day (about one teaspoon). Babies and children should have less salt than adults.

People who have experienced heart problems or have high blood pressure should follow a low-salt diet and take advice from their health care professional. Reducing sodium has been proven to be one of the best ways of lowering high blood pressure, especially in combination with broader dietary changes.

The Delmanor Experience - LivingWell

March is National Nutrition Month and everywhere you look there is abundant advice on food and nutrition.  One of the common myths is that most of our sodium intake comes from the salt shaker on our tables; however, 75% of the sodium in our diets actually comes from processed foods.  It’s a good idea to consider thoughtfully the importance of each dietary decision, particularly how each can affect immunity, energy and mood levels.

While good nutrition is essential for people of every age, dietary requirements of older adults make healthy eating even more important than ever.  Older adults can experience a dangerous cycle:  health problems can lead to appetite loss and difficulty eating, which can in turn worsen your state of health. 

A nutritious diet provides sufficient vitamins, minerals, proteins, carbohydrates and fat - a good balance of foods from all food groups.  The best way to get the nutrients we need is to eat a variety of foods every day.  As we grow older, changes occur in the way our bodies use food.  Our metabolism slows down and our activity level often decreases, which means most of us need fewer calories to stay at a healthy weight.  But the need for nutrients remains the same - so we need to “eat smart” and avoid junk foods that contain excess calories, but few nutrients. 
Eating right can give you a sharper mind, a greater resistance to disease and illness, higher energy levels and a healthier immune system.  Bon appetite!

Brought to you by your LivingWell Coaches.

Delmanor Wynford Residents Delight in the Old World Art of Making "Pysanky" - Ukrainian Easter Eggs

Delmanor Wynford Residents came together in the Wynford Center for a very unique workshop that was conducted by Oksana Hawrylak and the ladies of Kosa Kolektiv. This group of creative ladies from the Toronto area aim to revitalize Ukrainian peasant folklore in an urban context. They do this by crafting and putting on workshops and sharing ideas with others in a fun and social atmosphere.

 

Delmanor Wynford Residents learned how to make beautiful Pysanky; Easter eggs in the traditional Ukrainian style. Residents were amazed with their skills and beautiful creations! Experienced instructors guided them through all the steps of transforming a raw egg into a work of art using stylus, dyes, and wax.

Residents working on their eggs

Using some of the designs for ideas

 

Kosa Kolektiv members assembled multiple jars of dye with spoons, pieces of paper towel, cartons of raw eggs, candlesticks, beeswax and small wooden instruments used to draw on the eggs.  Oksana began with ensuring her hands were clean so that any greasiness would not alter the intended design on the egg.  It was explained to the seniors how different areas in the Ukraine had their own distinct designs for the eggs and "if it breaks", Oksana said, "don't worry, it's good luck"!

 

Very unique and personalized art

Decorating requires great detail

 

 

Each egg that is created is designed with symbolism.  The practice of egg decorating has existed across Eastern Europe since prehistory.  In the Ukraine, it was passed from mother to daughter for centuries.

 

The Kosa Kolektiv essentially came together through the creation of these eggs.  The Pysanka Projekt consists of organizing the workshops and the fundraising program.  All of the proceeds that Kosa Kolektiv raise from their workshops are given to the Pysanka Orphanage in Potelech Ukraine.

 

Some examples of previously designed eggs

 

Beautiful creations!

Resident creations

Residents had a wonderful time with their designs!

 

The four members of Kosa Kolektiv wanted an outlet to meet, sing songs and make traditional crafts; essentially keeping their heritage alive.  Kosa Kolektiv are inspired by bringing people together to slow down and enjoy the simple things; and the residents of Delmanor Wynford were thrilled to be given this opportunity!

 

If you would like to acquire more information about retirement living at Delmanor Wynford or to arrange a tour of the residence, please contact Pam Palmer or Monique Kuhn,  Marketing and Community Relations Managers at (416) 331-9797 or online at delmanor.com

The Amazing Famous People Players Delight Delmanor Glen Abbey Residents

The Famous People Players is a theatrical entertainment company that has been delighting audiences since 1974.   The company is based out of Toronto and tours its black light puppetry show worldwide.

The not for profit organization employs individuals with physical and intellectual disabilities. The company uses the works of well know individuals as the basis for its show content and design inspiration.  The cast of Famous People Players share responsibilities in dining room management as well as have duties to perform both on stage and behind the scenes during this unique opportunity.

The Famous People Players are well known for their delightful and uplifting shows.  The residents of Delmanor Glen Abbey thoroughly enjoy every performance that they have attended and look forward to the next opportunity to watch the Famous People Players.

If you would like to gain more information about retirement living at Delmanor Glen Abbey or to arrange a tour of the residence, please contact Julie Shuster, Marketing & Community Relations Manager at (905) 469-3232 or online at delmanor.com

Art From the Heart with Delmanor Glen Abbey

Artistic expression can stem from many different sources.  Some artists credit their inspiration to life experiences or struggles, others to relationships or even illnesses withing themselves or loved ones.

Art from the Heart is an exhibition that was held at the Joshua Creek Heritage Art Center in Oakville.  The artists featured come from diverse backgrounds and those who have experienced adversity and challenges.

Glen Abbey resident Lillian at the exhibit

 
The exhibition portrayed these powerful expressions of art centering around sharing, awareness, artistic expression and courage.  The realities of life of each artist were made visible through this unique opportunity and the Delmanor Glen Abbey seniors were very moved by the pieces and stories that were displayed through this thoughtful exhibit.

The Art from the Heart exhibition was a wonderful opportunity for the unsung to be heard, as well as for the Glen Abbey residents to share in this very special form of expression and awareness.

Artwork display

Artwork

If you would like to obtain more information about Art from the Heart or any of the unique opportunities presented through Delmanor Glen Abbey or to arrange a tour of the residence, please contact Julie Shuster, Marketing & Community Relations Manager at (905) 469-3232 or online at delmanor.com