Mar 23, 2018 - Whitby, and for companies in the Durham Region, as well as a personal tutor. His classes in Pickering hav
55+ Aging Well Spring 2018
Games Day Friday, March 23 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm George Ashe LCC
470 Kingston Road Free event for 55+. Pickering Residents are invited join us for an exciting afternoon of games & social fun. Refreshments provided. Hosted by the 55+ Community Council. Call to reserve your spot 905.420.4660 ext. 6100
Sunday Afternoon
Big Band
Sunday, March 25 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm Pickering Rec Complex
1867 Valley Farm Road, Pickering 55+ event. Live entertainment, dancing & music with the George Lake Big Band. Light refreshments available. Tickets are $6.50 each. Available at Pickering Rec Complex, East Shore CC, and George Ashe LCC
The Pickering Horticultural Society has endeavoured to beautify Pickering since 1933. We will be celebrating our 85th anniversary at our meeting on April 10, 2018. We invite you to visit and help us celebrate. On this day, visitors will be given special recognition; there will be goodies to munch on while socializing and a speaker to teach us something new. We would love to welcome you to this special occasion. Here we present a few tips on how to get the gardening season off to a good start: 1. Most important: be patient! Do not walk on your lawn; do not attempt to start digging. Wet soil is easily compacted which is detrimental to good plant growth. 2. By mid-April, the soil has usually dried out enough to be friable. It’s a good time to sow seeds for the cabbage family, lettuce, onions, peas, carrots and radishes. 3. Carrot seeds are very tiny; you might want to mix them with radish seeds to make them easier to handle. Also, the radish seeds will germinate quickly and mark your row. 4. Some flowers do better if sown directly where you want them. Good candidates for this are calendula, salvia, scabiosa and sweet alyssum. 5. You also need patience with heat-loving plants such as tomatoes – they sulk in cold soil. An old saying is that you should not plant them until you are ‘comfortable sitting on the soil with your bare bottom’. To see our full meeting and event schedule, our newsletters and photographs, please visit www.pickeringhorticulturalsociety.com. You could also contact me, Sigrid Squire, at
[email protected] if you need more information.
Alternate format available upon request, call 905.683.7575 or email
[email protected]
pickering.ca/adults55plus 905.420.6588
55+ Aging Well Together
Program Highlights:
Spring Programs Guide will be available March 13. Spring Program Registration Begins Tuesday, March 20 for Aquatics Thursday, March 22 for all others
Spring | Summer 2018 City Services & Leisure Guide
Classes start in April Check it out online or pick one up at a City facility near you.
pickering.ca/cityguide
Aquatics | Fitness & Active | Arts & Leisure | Racquets | Camps
pickering.ca/cityguide Program Registration begins March 20 for Aquatics March 22 for Fitness, Leisure and Camps
*New at George Ashe LCC this Spring: Open Jam for the Rusty Musician Tu Apr 17 - Jun 19 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm 10 wks 8928 $70.00 Country Line Dance Ultra Beginner F Apr 20 - Jun 22 11:30 am - 12:30 pm 10 wks 8962 $41.00 Country Line Dance Level 2 F Apr 20 - Jun 22 12:45 pm - 1:45 pm 10 wks 8970 $41.00 iPad Class M Apr 23 - Jun 4
10:30 am - 12:30 pm 6 wks 11050 $50.00
Internet and Gmail Th Apr 19 - May 24 10:00 am - 12:00 pm 6 wks 8957 $60.00
More fun for spring... Story of My Life This is a journaling workshop, that uses creative expression, inspiration, reflection, and storytelling, to guide participants to write the story of their own life. Individual and interactive activities will help put pen to paper, to captivate and create your personal history, to be enjoyed for years to come. East Shore CC - Meeting Room 2 Tu Apr 24 - Jun 26 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm 8 wks 8920 $85.00 Bollywood Adults This style of dance is an exciting way to get in shape. This class will teach the fundamentals of Bollywood dance and also learn dance routines. No previous dance experience is necessary. No partner required. East Shore CC Community Room M Apr 23 - Jun 18 7:35 pm - 8:35 pm 8 wks 8903 $34.00 Volleyball A great evening designed for men and women to meet new people, play a sport and have fun while getting some exercise. Elizabeth B Phin PS - Gymnasium Tu Apr 24 - Jun 26 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm 10 wks 8921 $53.00
Pickleball 55+
Have you been looking for a fun way to get a bit of exercise, something that doesn’t require you to be an athlete? Well I was. I was also looking for something that my sporty husband might enjoy along with his most non-athletic wife, so the search was on. We found the perfect solution within Pickering’s Leisure Guide 55+ pages - Pickleball. So I signed us up. He was a bit reluctant - I was apprehensive about the skills that might be required. That was last November when the program first appeared, and here we are already in our 3rd session, and loving it. We even purchased our own paddles. Not to worry about equipment, if you are just starting the City provides everything you will need. Our intrepid instructor - Rick Crumpton - took a group of newbies and provided us with the rules and basics to begin playing in a friendly relaxing environment. Each week we continue to develop our skills, enjoy a few laughs and friendly competition. No stress to become the next Gold Medalists, just enjoy the company of a wonderful group of people, while getting a great workout. It is the fastest growing sport in North America and got its start as a backyard game that the entire family could play. A game that could be challenging and yet accessible to all who wanted to play. Today Pickleball is played all over the world - through community groups, PE classes, YMCA, retirement communities and more year round as the game can be played in both indoor and outdoor courts. Here’s your chance to get out, meet new people and enjoy - look for the program in the next Service and Leisure Guide. ~ Participant, Jutta V.
Spanish 55+
Conversational Spanish has been offered as one of Pickering’s many activities and with much success. Tony Sierra teaches Pickering’s 55+ Spanish class at all levels, Basic to Advanced. A teacher of Castilian Spanish for more than 30 years, he teaches at Durham College, Seniors Centers in Whitby, and for companies in the Durham Region, as well as a personal tutor. His classes in Pickering have proven to be very popular with high enrollment all the time. Tony teaches in an easy, laid back manner making the atmosphere comfortable and unintimidating. Students have found his classes so inspiring and motivating that many return repeatedly. His advanced level class bulges at the seams with more than a dozen very pleased registrants engaging in active and energetic classroom Spanish conversations. ~ Participant, Richard S. ¡ Olé !
Health & Wellness: It’s Never Too Late ~ by Michael McFarland
As we age, our brains begin to shrink and the cortex, or gray matter becomes thin. Hence, we begin to forget things, multitasking becomes difficult and most of us worry about dementia or even Alzheimer’s. What we desire most is quality of life. There is good news on this front and the big story is – ‘It’s Never Too Late’. Never too late to what you ask? It’s never too late to improve your physical, social and intellectual stimulation. Research results from a University of Maryland study showed that physical activity can thicken the cortex, the wrinkly gray outermost layer of our brain. It’s the thinning of the cortex that often leads to the onset of mild cognitive impairment, a decline in thinking skills that can lead to Alzheimer’s disease. The University of Maryland researchers got a group of previously inactive adults ages 61 to 88 to walk at moderate intensity on treadmills four times a week for 30 minutes. Three months later,
MRI’s showed that many participants experienced a thickening of the cortex. The study supported previous research suggesting that exercise can improve memory function. When you add social and intellectual stimulation to the physical activity – things just get better! All studies conducted around exercise are in concert with each other. They show a program will help delay many of the changes of aging, particularly when you combine it with other preventive measures. Exercise is one way to slow the aging process, but it works best in combination with eating properly; keep your mind active and stimulated. Mental exercise is an important complement to physical exercise. Get regular medical care, and build strong social networks. Friends are good medicine at any age.
from the City and begin the road to a better quality of life. Oh, yes if beginning… talk to your Doctor first. Remember, it`s never too late to have regular physical activity in your life. Aging is inevitable, but with some planning, we can age with grace and vigor. Regular exercise, along with a good diet, good medical care, good genes, and a bit of luck, can make it happen. We can Age Well Together! We can`t stop the clock, but every one of us can slow its tick.
Here in Pickering, the City offers exercise programs for residents 55+ and you don’t have to be an athlete to participate. There are people from 55 to 90 in some programs. You can go at your own pace and the instructors will tell you to rest when you want. So, in time you can build your confidence. Plus, many participants socialize before class starts. Get yourself a Leisure Guide
From the Fitness Pro
• It takes longer to react when something is in our way causing us to fall
Balance Exercises:
• Low blood pressure can lead to light-headedness, increasing risk of falls
~ Lauren Grenier, Fitness Specialist, Pickering Rec Complex As we age, our ability to maintain our balance becomes more and more important particularly as good balance is a key factor in fall prevention. Every year, more than 1/3 of adults aged 65 or older, suffer from fall-related injuries. Some of these injuries, for example, a hip fracture, can have a serious impact on an older adult’s life. Falling could limit the person’s activities and make it challenging for them to live independently. Proper balance exercises paired with strength training exercises can be great at helping prevent falls by improving the body’s ability to control and maintain position. Most balance exercises don’t require you to go to the gym, let alone leave your house. Why Do we Lose Balance? • Your vision may decrease which can lead to falls due to not seeing clearly • Your hips and legs can become weaker making it harder to walk • We can develop poor posture or have spinal degeneration making it harder to stand erect • Our ability to lift our feet decreases and we can stumble
• Some prescription drugs can cause dizziness or decrease balance Below are some exercises that you can do anytime, anywhere, that are aimed at improving your balance and lower body strength:
Spring Workshops 55+
Speakers Bureau
Paint Like a Master Workshop
Free interactive seminars and presentations on various topics of interest presented by local guest speakers. Light refreshments provided. Seminars are free, but registration is required.
Pickering Recreation Complex – Arts Studio Tuesday, April 17 10:00 am - 1:00pm code Tuesday, May 15 10:00 am - 1:00pm code Registration is required – spaces are limited!
$25.00 $25.00
Placemat Workshop
Create placemats for your home. Sewing machines provided. You are also welcome to bring your own. George Ashe Library & CC - Russel Franklin Room Monday, June 18 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm 8965 $25.00
Spring & Summer Events Grandfriend Day
7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
George Ashe Library & CC
Tuesday, April 10 Tuesday, May 8 Tuesday, June 12
Retirement Life & Estate Planning with DUCA Financial Services Credit Union Downsizing with DUCA Financial Services Credit Union Who to Call and When with City of Pickering Bylaw Services, Animal Services and DRPS.
Call to reserve your spot, 905.420.4660 ext 6100.
Artfest on the Esplanade
Saturday, May 26 11:00 am - 5:00 pm Esplanade Park, behind City Hall Annual outdoor art show and sale.
Saturday, April 7 11:00 am - 3:00 pm George Ashe Library & Community Centre Free intergegerational event - games, food, fun & Rotary Ribfest Friday, June 1 12:00 pm - 11:00 pm prizes. Call to attend, 905.420.4660 ext 6100. Saturday, June 2 12:00 pm - 11:00 pm Rouge Hill Senior’s Spring Bazaar Sunday, June 3 12:00 pm - 8:00 pm Saturday, May 5 10:00 am - 2:00 pm Esplanade Park, behind City Hall George Ashe Library & Community Centre Information at pickeringribfest.com.
Rabies & Microchip Clinic
Saturday, May 5 12:00 - 4:00 pm Pickering Rec Complex - O’Brien Rooms Use arena entrance. $20 for each service. Cash only. Details at pickering.ca/rpo
Petapolooza
Saturday, May 12 10:00 - 4:00 pm Grand Valley Park Concession 3, west of Valley Farm Road Pickering’s annual pet trade show. pickering.ca/petapolooza
D-Day Parade & Ceremony
Sunday, June 3 10:45 am City Hall Courtyard Presented by the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 606 in partnership with Branch 258.
Sunday, June 10 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm Pickering Rec Complex Live entertainment by George Lake Big Band and Senior of the Year announcement/award presentation. Tickets on sale May 14.
Canada Day
Sunday, July 1 12:00 pm - 5:00 pm at Esplanade Park 7:00 pm - Fireworks at Kinsmen Park Free celebration for the whole family.
Waterfront Concert Series Thursdays in July & August 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm Free evening concerts at the lake.
Esplanade Park Concert Series
Farmers Market
Tuesdays from June 5 - October 2 8:00 am - 2:30 pm Pickering City Hall, south side parking lot
For a full list of events and details visit the City’s event calendar online.
Seniors Month Celebration 55+event
Sundays in July & August 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm Bring your lawn chair and enjoy free music entertainment in the park. note: no concert on August 12.
pickering.ca/greatevents
Free Lunch Time Skating Tuesdays: March 20 & 27, April 3, 10, 17 & 24 11:30 am - 1:00 pm at Pickering Recreation Complex These free skates have been sponsored by Chartwell Pickering City Centre and Chartwell Parkway Retirement Residences.
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Visit pickering.ca/55plus and at the bottom of the page, click ‘Receive Email Updates’
