For this episode I interview Joyce Kelterborn, a resident at The Village of Riverside Glen.  Joyce is another senior who moved into the residence during the pandemic - after a stretch of time in the hospital, she faced a health reality that didn't leave remaining at home an option.  Joyce shares how hard it is to move into one of these facilities when it isn’t your own choice.  Her attitude towards adjusting to retirement living is a philosophy that can be handy to consider during this time of a pandemic as well - "It’s not what you had, it’s not maybe what you want, but it’s what you have to put up with in order to survive."  She’s starting to integrate and feel more comfortable, and the supportive staff are a huge help.  She has found a couple of ladies who, like her, like to knit and crochet, and that's helping too.  She can't wait to see the beautiful surrounding neighbourhood when she allowed to go outside and explore.  Today she shares stories about her family, spread far and wide, and shows off her incredible memory.  Thank you Joyce for sharing your story!

This interview was originally recorded on July 28th 2020

For this episode I interview Emily O'Brien, the Founder and Creative Director of Comeback Snacks - a gourmet popcorn company Emily started in federal prison.

Comeback Snacks provides reintegration opportunities and second chances for people who have difficulty finding meaningful employment opportunities when they are released from prison. Today we talk about Emily's journey from her arrest and her time incarcerated, through her entrepreneurial journey and success in developing her business. Emily sought every opportunity to grow and learn during her time incarcerated, and understands the opportunities isolation, freedom from social media, and time with yourself can provide. Tune in for her insights on isolation, coping during uncertainty and the anatomy of a comeback! And visit https://comebacksnacks.com/ to track down her awesome popcorn!

This interview was originally recorded on August 5th 2020

For this episode my guest is Nancy Calverley, a resident at The Village of Riverside Glen - and Nancy has lots of stories! Born in Scotland, fostered during the war, and surviving several family hardships after moving to Canada as a young married woman, Nancy has strength and perspective - she marvels at how far the medical world has come since her youth, and while she doesn't love being quarantined during this pandemic, she does see it as an opportunity to use technology to learn about other countries and cultures. She can't wait to be able to get out and use her scooter again, and we hope that day is coming soon. Thank you Nancy for sharing your story!

This interview was originally recorded on July 28th 2020

For this episode I interview Pacifico “Puss” Valeriote, a 100 year old resident at The Village of Riverside Glen, born and raised here in Guelph. At 100 years, Pacifico remains a wonderful and charming storyteller - his memory weaves through time, with stories from Alice Street in the Ward, his family’s General Store, and his time in the war, right up to the present where he reflects on the pandemic, and narrates the watching of construction workers in the rain. Pacifico at one point says “I just go with the flow - and sometimes I can’t find flow” - and it’s kind of a perfect metaphor. Sometimes we’re moving forward, sometimes back, and we hope you’ll follow us. Thank you so much Puss for sharing your history.

This interview was originally recorded on July 22nd 2020

For this episode I interview Ajay Heble, founder of the Guelph Jazz Festival, Director of the International Institute for Critical Studies in Improvisation, and artistic director of "IF 2020"

IF 2020 was a 24-hour online improvisation festival that aired starting on Friday August 7th, featuring 100+ unique, original performances by over 150 international artists of all disciplines. Today we talk about this festival, and about the role of improvisation in creative practices, social practices, and during this global pandemic.

To find out more info about the festival you can visit https://improvfest.ca/  You can also listen to an audio stream of the full festival on CFRU 93.3 FM in our archives, starting at 20:00 on Friday August 7th.

This festival has passed, but this is still a very interesting conversation!

This interview was originally recorded on August 5th 2020

For this episode I interview Dustin Seabrook, also known for his work as "STILL Creates", who is coordinating "Project Isolation". Project Isolation is a video-series that acts as documentation of people’s personal accounts as they navigate their way through the COVID-19 pandemic. There are tons of parallels between my project and Dustin's project, and it makes for a super interesting conversation about the power of creating access, giving people the tools to tell their own story, and how we can use our mediums to capture and share the honest and candid histories of this unprecedented time. Project Isolation was born out of a desire to connect people, and it's a powerful project - to watch the releases so far, or to submit to the project, you can check it out on Vimeo at https://vimeo.com/user108319695

This interview was originally recorded on August 3rd 2020

For this episode I interview Yvonne Boyles, another new resident at The Village of Riverside Glen. Yvonne, like a lot of the show's recent guests, moved to the village during the pandemic, but not from too far away, just a condo across the road, and before that a whole lifetime spent in Guelph. In fact, Jenny and Yvonne were pretty much neighbours, venturing to a lot of the same places, about fifty years apart. Yvonne shares some moving stories from her past, sharing stories about family life, her cat, and transitioning to living at Riverside Glen. She has overcome so much and it's inspiring! Thank you Yvonne for allowing yourself to be vulnerable with us, and giving us a glimpse into past Guelph!

This interview was originally recorded on July 22nd, 2020

For this episode I interview Mary Haggarty and Katherine Finlay at The Village of Riverside Glen about the "Java Music Club" - one of Riverside Glen's signature programs.

About the Java Music Club: “JAVA Music Club is an evidence-based mutual support program that provides a safe environment for residents to discuss a wide range of topics.” The goal of the club is “To build a culture of mutual support in each neighbourhood, and to decrease loneliness and depression in [the] Villages” - which is an important goal, especially when according to the Canadian Institute for Health Information, rates of depression in Long Term Care homes are estimated at 44%

Mary is the program facilitator of this club at Riverside Glen, and Katherine is a participant, and today they talk about the value this program has, and the infrastructure of support it helps the participants of the club provide for each other as they navigate the very real emotional challenges of transitioning into a senior-care stage of their lives.

This was a powerful conversation. Thank you so much Mary and Katherine!

This interview was originally recorded on July 29th 2020

For this episode I interview Geoff Royston over at The Village of Riverside Glen. Today Geoff takes us on a trip through his life, his various adventures with airplanes, and his career that spans toolmaking, teaching, and even working on the Avro Arrow. He's a heck of a guy, and at 98 years old there's a lot of wonderful history to share. Tune in! Thanks Geoff!

This interview was originally recorded on July 15th 2020

For this episode I interview Justin Nace. For the past fifteen years Justin has been working in music, mainly as a front-of-house-audio engineer and tour manager, most recently for bands such as Andy Shauf and Alvvays. When the global pandemic hit, and tours everywhere were cancelled for the foreseeable future, that took Justin off the road along with the rest of the bands, and fresh off a tour, he went into a fourteen day quarantine. Weeks turned into months, and with no end in sight, Justin found new time for domestic pursuits, and found himself dusting off a lingering hobby, making fresh pasta for friends and family. And so Menalon Fresca was born! He's still in Toronto, he's still looking ahead to the future of music, but in the meantime he's feeding his community - check out @menalonfresca on Instagram

This interview was originally recorded on July 23rd 2020