Staying active is key

From May 24 to June 2, more than 500 seniors aged 55 and older were in Fergus for the district portion of the annual Ontario Senior Games, which rotate between Cambridge, Kitchener, Waterloo, Guelph, and the townships of Wilmot, Woolwich and Centre-Wellington. The township laid claim to several medals, as 15 athletes brought home either a gold,  silver or bronze from the games, which will be hosted in Elmira next year.

The senior games have their roots in Kitchener; Ontario held its first provincial competition back in 1986, and the first Canadian senior games – which are held bi-annually and are now called the Canada 55+ Games – were 10 years later in Regina.

The games offer senior citizens the opportunity to flex their minds and their muscles in a wide range of activities to fit their lifestyle, from cribbage to canoeing.

“Our mandate is to encourage 55-plus people to remain active,” said Canada 55+ Games president Peter Nordland. “The more active you are the healthier you are going to be, and the healthier you are the less cost to both the provincial and federal governments in terms of health care.”

In 2011 the first batch of Baby Boomers in Canada will hit 65, and as the Boomers continue to age their share of the total population is set to grow. According to Statistics Canada, between 1981 and 2005, the number of seniors in Canada jumped from 2.4 million to 4.2 million. By 2026 their share of the population is expected to rise to 21.2 per cent from 13.1 per cent.

In Ontario, by 2036 nearly one quarter of the population – more than four million people – will be over the age of 65.

There is a growing concern that as the population ages it will have a direct affect on health care coverage and the amount of money available for long-term care for the elderly and the rest of the population alike.

Slips and falls alone cost the healthcare system nearly $3-billion every year, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada, yet research suggests that one of the best ways seniors can avoid falls is by keeping active. Some research has shown a 50 per cent drop in the number of falls by seniors when they are involved in some form of exercise program, not to mention the positive effects exercise has in countering Alzheimer’s, diabetes, osteoporosis and obesity.

The dramatic rise in the number of senior citizens in the country expected in the coming decades – coupled with the expected costs of keeping them healthy – reinforces the importance of senior citizens understanding the physical and mental benefits of a healthy and active lifestyle.

“Certainly those are probably the two that are the highest priority,” said Vicky Rau, recreation manager and activity director at Chateau Gardens in Elmira, about why seniors need to exercise both their brains and their bodies.

“[But] you have to look at the population and see what level they are at,” she added. “They have a wide range of abilities, whether they are physical or mental.”

Frank Rejeski, 63, took home a gold medal in snooker at the senior games in Fergus, and says that although he has always tried to keep himself active either through his work or exercise, snooker has the unique ability to exercise both his body and his mind at the same time.

Not only does the game provide a good physical workout by walking around the table and stretching his body to make shots, but it also provides a mental workout by calculating bank shots and high or low percentage shots.

“The mental thing is huge. They say exercise should involve both the physical and the mental, and I try to do both and I find that if I’m really thinking at the game, it drains me, so I know it’s stimulating,” he laughed, adding that he makes use of the walking track above the hockey rink whenever he is at the seniors centre in the WMC to play snooker.

Ensuring seniors remain physically and mentally active is key to their long-term health, says Rau. At Chateau Gardens she not only offers a wide range of physical activities such as physiotherapy, walking programs and strength exercises but mentally stimulating activities like trivia, and she says that residents able to conquer new technology have been introduced to a myriad of new opportunities to stay connected with the rest of the world.

“I think it’s always about trying to get past that it’s something new, but certainly the internet and email have been huge for my seniors who have done it,” she said. “They can talk to their family in England, California, out west, everywhere. We had a mother duck here sitting on her nest, and the residents asked, ‘how long until they hatch?’ and I said ‘go Google it!’”

One of the primary benefits of remaining active is the independence that seniors can maintain if they have the strength and mental ability to perform even simple day-to-day tasks like getting in and out of a car on their own.

“You want to hang on to that independence, and by being involved and doing these things, it certainly helps,” said Rau.

That doesn’t mean the elderly need to go out and run a marathon, either. Something as simple as a walk around the block or a game of trivia or Scrabble is terrific exercise for the mind and the body and it’s something most seniors can do in and around their home said Rau, while Nordland stressed that seniors should just get out and do what they enjoy, and remain open to trying something new.

“If you find a person in your community and they’re on the go all the time and involved in everything, they might complain like hell that there aren’t enough hours in the day, but they’re also the happiest people in the community,” he said.

A chicken dish that’s easy to pull together

This is a dish that can be enjoyed year-round.  With some of the damper weather we’ve been having, this ‘quick-braised’ dish can be made indoors, on the stovetop or in the oven. Its summery flavours though, are fantastic on buns, in pasta or even as a nacho topping for a fun gathering.  Using inexpensive chicken leg quarters is a must for this dish, as chicken breasts would dry out and not ‘pull’ as this dish should.
Smoked paprika has an amazingly intense smoky (not spicy) flavour and aroma.  It can be found at specialty stores like Vincenzo’s, and adds a really fantastic barbecue flavour to the whole dish.

In a shallow dish mix together pepper, paprika and cayenne; season chicken with this mixture;

Heat a heavy, oven-proof Dutch oven pot over medium-high heat;

Add enough canola oil to cover bottom of the pan;

Carefully lay chicken into pan, skin-side down;

Fry until golden brown, flip and cook 2 minutes;

Remove chicken from pan, add shallots and garlic and fry for a few minutes, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan;

Add chicken stock, sherry wine vinegar, soy sauce, honey, and tomato paste; return chicken to pan and cover ;

Bake in a 350°F oven for 20-25 minutes;

Remove chicken from sauce and reduce sauce over high heat, skimming excess fat;

Meanwhile, using tongs, ‘pull’ meat off of bones;

When sauce has thickened, return meat to sauce.

Sticky, Pulled Chicken
Serves 4

• 4 (2lb) bone-IN, skin-ON chicken leg quarters
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• Canola oil, as needed
• 1 shallot, small dice
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 2 tbsp sherry wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 3 tbsp honey
• 2 tbsp tomato paste

Putting theory into practice

The future looks bright for Riley Doering. A Grade 12 student at EDSS, Doering will be graduating this year and heading to the University of British Columbia to study engineering physics. But he has to make it through the summer first, having been accepted to the Shad Valley program.  Selected from more than 1,000 applicants across Canada, Doering will be attending the four-week summer enrichment program that gives students a chance to spend a month living in a university residence as they learn and work alongside professors, as well as business and industry leaders.

“The program itself is a transformational experience designed to unleash the capabilities of exceptional youth,” said Mary Dever, national director of development at Shad Valley. “We focus on innovation, which means a core of science, engineering, math and technology but it is heavily fused with business so that our participants can see how things move from the mind to the market.”

The program teaches students the skills in engineering and science that can lead to the design and breakthrough innovation that can change the world, she explained.

Doering will be exposed to everything from high level academia to hands-on labs, lectures and workshops, topics that are not regularly feature in the high school curriculum.

“We teach them how to be leaders and create positive change from the immense talent they have,” said Dever.

To be considered for the program, Doering had to go through an intensive application process, writing an essay, receiving a reference from his guidance counsellor and building a creative page.

Creativity is important for Shad Valley because they need to know that the students can get from the left side of their brains over to their right and then back again as that is how they are challenged during the program.

“I had a photograph of myself playing hockey and I made it into a puzzle and all the pieces represented the different parts of my life,” said Doering. “It’s as creative as I could be, and they seemed to like it.”

Shad Valley looks for students who have demonstrated initiative, drive, outstanding creativity, and great inter personal skills.

“We are looking for someone who is a truly outstanding, well rounded achiever, someone who has what we consider all the hallmarks of an emerging change agent leader,” said Dever.” It is a very unique candidate profile that we are looking for and (Doering) is an outstanding young achiever who well earned his place at
Shad Valley in a very competitive field.”

Doering will be heading to Memorial University in Newfoundland to complete the program.

“It lets you branch out a little bit, takes you out of your comfort zone and allows you to see another part of the country,” said Doering. “I think it’s going to be awesome. I’ve never been out east, and it’s a great opportunity to go out there for a month.”

Doering is looking forward to the engineering aspect of the program to get a taste of what he should expect at university.

“I don’t have a ton of engineering experience so I am hoping to get a kind of sense of what I will be doing next year at school. I don’t want to just have theoretical knowledge, I want to be able to use it and apply it, which the program focuses on.”

After being in Newfoundland, Doering will be returning to attend a five-day quantum cryptography school for young students. The program is run through the Institute for Quantum Computing in conjunction with the University of Waterloo.

“It is very exciting for him, and we are very proud of him. He works so hard all the time so it is nice to have these chances to go to new places and experience all the things that they can show him,” said Maura McCarthy, Doering’s mother.

When he finishes his quantum cryptography course Doering will be heading west to help his family move into their new home in the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia. He will then head to Vancouver to begin his first semester at UBC.

Doering is looking forward to starting the next chapter in his education but can hardly wait to tie on a pair of skates and try out for the UBC Thunderbirds hockey team. Standing at an impressive 6’6,” he is also a physical force to be reckoned with.

Mustards are just the thing to spice it up

It’s time to break out the mustard! There are all kinds of fantastic and unique and new mustard-based products out on the market, and we may even be a little apprehensive to stray from the classic ‘yellow’ mustard, but we’ve been doing some experimenting lately, and with great results.  Mustard is a condiment consisting naturally of the mustard seed (whether it be yellow, black or brown) simply mixed with vinegar, water, or other liquids and then flavoured with an endless repertoire of herbs, spices and interesting blends.

Kozliks, a Canadian company, has come up with some interesting combinations in their product line. I found out from their website that Canada grows more than 90 per cent of the world’s mustard. There are all kinds of interesting mustard facts, too numerous to list here, so check out their website if mustard is your condiment of choice: ww.mustardmaker.com.

So while you’re on the go this summer, and need a quick, pre-game meal, or want to jazz up a Saturday night barbecued pork chop, experiment with a different type of mustard and break out the flavour. While doing just that, Jody’s husband created this fantastic quick Shrimp Sandwich, using Kozlik’s Creole flavoured mustard. You can find these and a ton of other flavoured mustards at any specialty or grocery store. You can find ‘garlic scapes,’ the curly top to new garlic, at the market now, usually sold in bags for just a few bucks.Heat your oven to 400 degrees;

Cut rolls in half, but not all the way through, open them up slightly, butter them and just toast lightly, about 5 minutes;

In a sauté pan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat and then add onion and garlic scapes; sauté about 4-5 minutes;

Add shrimp and cook only 2 minutes per side, until just opaque; stir in mustard and cook for 1 more minute;
turn off heat, squeeze lemon juice over the entire dish;

Place a little shredded cabbage in each roll, and then stuff 6 shrimp into each roll; serve immediately.

Creole Mustard Shrimp Sandwich

• 4 soft rolls
• A little soft butter
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 cup chopped garlic scapes
• 24 large shrimp, peeled, de-veined and tails removed
• Juice of half a lemon
• 2 tbsp Creole Mustard (or your favourite whole-grain mustard)
• 1 cup finely shredded cabbage

Driven to lend a hand

For those dealing with cancer, even the simple things like getting to a medical appointment can become an issue. That’s where the Canadian Cancer Society comes in, providing volunteers to help current patients. Right now, however, demand is outstripping the supply of volunteers, so the organization is looking for volunteer drivers to take cancer patients to their doctor and hospital appointments.

Elmira resident Ab Martin, a retired bank manager, has been part of the driving service program for 13 years and has volunteered with the organization for close to 40 years.

“I had a family member that had cancer and needed transportation for chemo and radiation treatment and I just thought that this was something I could do to help because I like driving to start with. I’m also community-minded, so I decided that would be a good thing to get involved with,” said Martin.

Community services coordinator Sheena Noel said the regional Cancer Society has about 52 active driving volunteers and can always use more.

“They pick our clients up at their homes and then they take them to all their cancer-related appointments, they drive them to the cancer centers, doctors offices or hospitals in the area and then they bring them back home after their treatment,” she explained. “They don’t do any kind of physical type of support, they don’t do any kind of lifting or patient transfers, they just drive them and keep them company while they are en route.”

Martin has seen hundreds of people over the years and has travelled from London to Toronto to take patients to different hospitals.

“I’ve seen a lot of people and I’ve been there to experience some beautiful recovery stories where people have gone in to see their doctor and come out and said, ‘Mr. Martin, I am cancer-free.’ That is a great day even though that may be the last time I see them,” said Martin.

Martin said he has seen the recovery rate for cancer patients increase over the years and believes early diagnosis is the key to beating cancer.

“I see people going to see their doctor with a type of cancer that 10 years ago they would not have made it. I feel good that I can be a small part of their recovery,” said Martin. “I’ve seen a number of people I drove some seven or 10 years ago walking down the street and they still thank me for taking them to their appointments.”

The job itself is all the reward Martin ever needs; many patients over the years have tried to give him gifts or cash as a way to repay him, but Martin insists they just make a donation to the cancer society. He does occasionally accept a loaf of home-baked bread or a basket of strawberries.

All the volunteer drivers at the Cancer Society are trained to know where each hospital is and how to navigate the patients to the cancer wards for a stress-free ride.

Martin is personally committed to driving one day a week but recently he has been getting requests for two or three days because of the shortage of drivers.

Karen Griffiths, manager at the Cancer Society, said a lot of factors have occurred to see the drop in volunteer drivers.

“A lot of our drivers have gotten older and they don’t want to drive anymore; some go away for the winter, some for the summer,” said Griffiths. “The price of gas has gone up and a lot of people don’t have the financial means to be able to drive anymore.”

Martin said the price of gas is always a concern when it comes to finding drivers.

“Our biggest problem is the cost of gas; it can cost thousands of dollars to transport patients through out the year.”

The Cancer Society does have a travel budget and provides it drivers with a mileage allowance.

At 75, Martin said he will drive for as long as he can.

“It is a worthwhile cause and the satisfaction that you get from knowing you are helping someone is fantastic. The best thing to do is keep your humour about you even though you are going through a trying time. It always helps to laugh.

Martin encourages anyone interested to volunteer.

For more information, call 519-886-8888 or visit www.cancer.ca.

Classic dessert ready to go

This summer, have a dessert on-hand, ready to bake, and ready to pair with just about any seasonal fruit that is beginning to pop up at the markets. This traditional all-butter shortcake is the traditional accompaniment to fresh strawberries and cream.  However, we’re pairing it with some rhubarb cooked with brown sugar, and then folded into some whipped cream (called a ‘fool’), as we bought an abundance of rhubarb from ‘Nauman’s Raspberries and More’ last Thursday at the St. Jacobs Farmers’ Market.

It’s better (and quicker!) than a boxed Bisquick, as it takes less than 10 minutes to put together.

When you are bringing the dough together, be sure to do it quickly, and not to over mix or work the dough too much.  By gently bringing it together you will get very tender, flaky dough. Cut the dough into circles or triangles and then freeze right away if you are not going to bake them straight away. Then bake from frozen, increasing the baking time by about 10 minutes.

In a large bowl whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt;

Grate in butter to flour mixture;

Stir together milk and cream;

Use a wooden spoon to mix in milk and cream until dough comes together;

Turn out dough onto a floured surface and form a rectangle; cut into 8 triangles, or use a cutter for circles;

Transfer to parchment lined baking sheet and chill for 20 minutes;

Pre-heat oven to 400°F;

Brush tops with cream and dust with icing sugar.  Bake for about 15 minutes or until golden brown.
In a small saucepot, cook rhubarb and sugar until rhubarb is broken down and thickened; cool completely;

Gently fold in rhubarb to whipped cream and serve with shortcakes that have been sliced in half.

Shortcake

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 4 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, chilled
• 1/2 cup cold milk
• 3/4 cup 35% cream plus a little extra for brushing cakes
• Icing sugar for dusting

Rhubarb Fool

• 2 cups chopped rhubarb
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup 35% cream, whipped to soft peaks

Kids will be kids

Diane Martin spends her days singing, dancing and chasing two-year-olds. Not exactly everyone’s dream job, but for Martin it is. She’s a teacher at the Elmira Community Nursery School, a non-profit nursery in Elmira operated by a board of directors made up of parents. Graduating in 1977 from the early childhood education program at Conestoga College, Martin has been “playing” with kids for the last 34 years. …Read more

Coming in handy for this asparagus soup

There are a couple handy things that you need in a kitchen in order to produce the best results possible. Our top three kitchen tools begin with a good, sharp and well-balanced chef’s knife. We use this for 90 per cent of our everyday jobs, from chopping garlic to dicing vegetables and herbs to de-boning a whole chicken. Second, we need a good pair of tongs to turn food in the pan, the oven and the barbecue, and to artistically arrange our food on plates. …Read more

Drawn back to animation

Just this past April, Jamie Metzger graduated from the animation program at Sheridan College, and on June 6 she starts her first day at Pixar Animation Studios in California. Not a bad first job for the 29-year-old St. Clements native who, as a student in Grade 6, wrote to Disney asking how she could get a job with them. “They wrote back and said ‘Go to Sheridan,’” laughed Metzger as she sat in the backyard of her parents’ Waterloo home. …Read more

Time to bring a salad, but not just any salad

Just bring a salad” is what we hear all summer long, isn’t it? Going to this barbecue or that, we’re constantly challenged to show up with something interesting to share with family and friends. This salad has some classic Southwest inspirations, but uses Orzo pasta, a Greek-style, rice-shaped pasta.  Ground turmeric is that bright yellow spice, often an ingredient in mustard. …Read more