allowing her humour to detract from the message . A Type 1 diabetic herself , her focus was the Type 2 diabetes that most of us ( by a show of hands ) seem to be fighting .
The next day ' s sessions began with the executive director of the Alberta Seniors Communities & Housing Association ( ASCHA ), Irene Martin-Lindsay , presenting information about " Ageing in Community ." She shared information about housing options , costs , family concerns and the all-important question , " How do I know when I ' m ready ?" Each attendee was given a copy of the ASCHA annual report that contains truly valuable information for seniors .
The afternoon was reserved for outdoor activity . There has been a walk along the river each year that the retreat has been held in Canmore , and most of the attendees , either with Nordic walking poles or not , took advantage of the chance to see the sights while raising their heartrates . There was also an option to visit Elevation Place , Canmore ' s new and utterly phenomenal recreation centre .
Merit Travel hosted a wine and cheese session after the walk , giving attendees the chance to chat and network — neither of which had been possible during the frenetic icebreaker the day before .
After dinner , Phil Callaway , an award-winning writer and speaker , presented " Laughter Is the Best Medicine ," a talk with a family focus . Both funny and insightful , he also had a tasteful way of skirting the edges of a faith-based life in his offering that was a reminder that spirituality is also a part of wellness .
On Tuesday morning , Lisa Campkin of the Heart and Stroke Foundation talked about vascular health in general and heart health in particular . She provided attendees with up-todate information about how to live longer lives , as well as the first-aid for heart attack and stroke . ( Dial 911 first ! Aspirin for heart attack , but NOT for stroke .)
The last presentation was by Laurie Bauer , the business development manager for TW Insurance
Brokers Inc . Laurie introduced two new life-insurance products especially designed for ARTA members and explained that there is an online tool on the TW website that permits ARTA members to select coverage , price the coverage and order a policy — all with no medical examination .
Non-Board of Directors members went home at noon on Tuesday with the afternoon given over to an information session for the Board . The Board of Directors held their meeting on Wednesday morning , and went home at noon .
Networking
River walkers
Mrs . Pudding news & views AUTUMN 2016 | 27