The Glebe Report: Welcome to the Glebe Centre

We have a fresh slate of programming on offer at The Glebe Centre Community Programs at Abbotsford this September. Come see for yourself at our Open House on Friday September 8 th between 9 am and 4 pm. Get a tour, pick up a brochure, ask about the classes and meet the folks who make Abbotsford vibrant. Councilor David Chernushenko’s Seniors Lunch will take place at Abbotsford this September 8 th, for Capital Ward Seniors. Reserve your seat by contacting his office at 613-580- 2487 or by e-mail at lunch@capitlward.ca.

Take this opportunity to find out what you have been missing by visiting Abbotsford in person and/or have a look at our new website listing all of the community programs and services that are offered to those 55+ in our community. Look under the Community Programs/Services  and ask us for more information about the programs of interest to you.

Fall is the time of year when we can start with a “clean slate”, fulfill resolutions to improve our health and make an effort to connect with longstanding or new friends, or take up a pastime that we always thought we would pursue someday. Today is the day. Don’t put it off because it seems challenging; those new challenges may lead to fulfillment.

We had a suggestion for a new club so we formed a new breakfast club on Thursday mornings. This club will evolve with the needs and wishes of the participants, but its main goal is simply for people to connect with each other. Connection to community is never more important than in our elder years. This group is specifically designed with the “On My Own Again” individual in mind. Whether you find yourself a long-time single, widowed, divorced, new to Ottawa, away from home, or simply looking to meet new people, this is the club for you.

We also have Wine 101 class on offer for the wine steward in you who could do with a crash course on wines. You’ll find out where to start when choosing a wine for a friend, where to look within the LCBO (we might even go on a field trip!), and how to get good value for your money; to name but a few topics.

Music and dance are still playing an important role at Abbotsford with Propeller Dance workshops as well as Family Dance, Belly Dancing, Dancing to World Music and Zumba! On the music front we hope to gather enough interested musicians to form a band on Wednesday afternoons and the Sing N’ Jam group is going strong on Monday afternoons. We also have a course on the life and music of Leonard Cohen and a study of eight great Canadian artists in our Classical Music Appreciation class.

We have Conversational Spanish for Beginners this fall along with our Conversational Spanish Plus. Memoir Writing, Pottery, Calligraphy, Art, Stained Glass, Card Making and Bridge will keep you engaged. Clubs such as Mahjong, Tai Chi, Lok Hup, Scrabble and Opera will keep you coming in weekly if not daily for a dose of enjoyable and stimulating activities.

Our ping pong club is flourishing due to the avid players who all “pitched in” to purchase a second table. Book ahead and revel in a game that challenges the body and brain simultaneously.
You might ask how all of these activities are in one building and how we could possibly still be reaching out to ask more community folks to come join in. The answer is simple; the more the merrier! There is always room for one more person and if there isn’t, we simply add another class. Fitness is a fine example. Some of our classes do fill up on the first day of registration (Thursday August 24 th at 9 am). But when one fitness class fills up we can offer another. New instructors, new times and new days, as well as our well known fitness instruction, are all on offer this fall.

Put Abbotsford at the top of your slate of places to visit, courses to take, lectures to attend and people to meet this fall. You won’t be disappointed. Abbotsford is your community support centre for Adults 55+. We are the community programs of The Glebe Centre Inc., a charitable, not-for- profit, organization which includes a 254 bed long term care home. Find out more about our services by dropping by 950 Bank Street (the old stone house) Mon- Fri 9-4 pm, telephoning 613-230- 5730 or by checking out all of The Glebe Centre facilities and community programs on our website www.glebecentre.ca

By: Pat Goyeche