Dr. Mary Ann McColl's recent book, The 10 Stories: What Aging Parents Want Us to Hear, explores the stories older adults tell their children and loved ones over and over again, and what those stories really mean. 

Dr. McColl's research shows that there are in fact only about 10 stories that crop up repeatedly, and those stories are told to communicate specific messages about what's important in life, what elements make up a good life, and what aging parents want us to remember when they're gone. 

Dr. McColl is a professor emerita in the School of Rehabilitation Therapy and senior scientist at the Health Services and Policy Research Institute at Queens University in Kingston. She has taught foundational courses in occupational therapy theory and disability studies for over 41 years. 

Learn more about Dr. McColl and the Ten Stories: https://tenstories.ca/

"If somebody is living in our community and wants to make a difference, they don't have to be chair of the board, they don't have to chair a committee, they just have to be part of an organization that they like and believe in. I think we can all carve out a few hours in a month to make a difference for our community. And that's, to me, that's what makes Kingston such a vibrant community."

Peter Kingston is a lifelong resident of Kingston and has received several awards for his incredible volunteer career and fundraising achievements. Along with heading up major campaigns and raising over 25 million for various projects, Peter has been actively involved in several organizations, including the Kingston Family YMCA, Big Brothers, Big Sisters, the Boys & Girls Club, and the Rotary Club. One of his most recent and significant achievements was raising over $16 million to support the building of our new hospice, to provide specialized end of life care and support for people and their families. 

The Older Adults Connecting and Belonging (OACB) Forum was founded by the Community Foundation for Kingston and Area as a community practice, united around the shared intent of reducing social isolation and fostering connection and belonging for older adults in our region. The Forum includes over 20 community organizations partnering to share knowledge and support each other's work.

We had a conversation with Elizabeth Nelson, the project manager for the OACB initiative.  Elizabeth is a geographer by training, specializing in communities of care, community engaged methods, and urban placemaking. She talked about the challenges that older adults face, and how the OACB is actively working to address barriers and help older adults make meaningful connections.

Learn more about OACB and the Community Foundation: https://cfka.org/

"We're built on four pillars as an organization and the key pillar is socialization. When retirement hits, often people will say, oh, I've got this great bucket list. And often people will plow through it in the first year, then sometimes the couch turns into your friend.  The TV turns into your friend, and then you become a little bit more sedentary, and that's when it becomes dangerous for your health. And so that's why the social component for us is so important."

-Don Amos, Executive Director, Seniors Association in Kingston

The Seniors Association in Kingston is a not-for-profit, charitable volunteer run organization dedicated to keeping seniors active, involved, connected, and supported. Members can choose from over 250 engaging and stimulating programs, both at the centre on Francis Street in Kingston, but also through online courses and a phone from home program. 

"How do we connect care and services and support to people? How do we consolidate care in one place? How do we remove those barriers for agencies to work together? 

I think that really is the beauty of the village. So a caregiver, for example, could be taking advantage of a program while their loved one is receiving services at a different space in the building. We're already seeing the collaboration between the partnerships. They're volunteering in each other's programs. They're doing outdoor gardening activities together."

Providence Village is a new community of partners providing care and services to support the health and wellness needs of people living in Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox, and Addington. Guided by the values of compassion, integrity, and inclusion, Providence Village is a safe and inclusive space where individuals and families can find hope, belonging, and wellbeing. 

We had a conversation with Laurie French, the President and CEO of Providence Village to talk about the initiative and the vision of the Sisters of Providence. Laurie began her career as a registered nurse before transitioning to roles in healthcare management. Today she leads strategic development, capital projects, and partner engagement for the Village. 

The 'third space' is often defined as that social environment separate from home (first space) and work (second space). Examples include libraries, gyms and cafes.

"We're a third space in the community, where everyone is welcome to come no matter who you are, no matter how old you are, no matter your life circumstances, you're welcome. You can stay as long as you want. It's like a community living room."

Liz Coates is the Manager of Programming and Outreach at the Kingston Frontenac Public Library. She is passionate about literacy, inclusion, and the role that public libraries play in helping people feel connected and supportive. 

"The Older Adults Hub is bringing in as many programs and providers as possible into one space, and truly creating a community space where people can come and access multiple services and attend multiple programs all at one time. It's bringing people together and giving them an opportunity to share their stories and get to know each other."

Spencer Lanthier is a Community Development Worker with the Kingston Community Health Centre. He, along with the Community Development Team at KCHC, work alongside the Rideau Heights community to develop accessible programs and events for people of all ages, including an Older Adults Hub.

"I think we're really trying to create and strengthen the nervous system of our community through programming and access and services, balancing bigger systems change work with more smaller scale pilot projects in neighbourhoods or with certain community groups. And ultimately those two things at the same time  will really help to make our community more connected and more resilient." 

Ruth Noordegraaf is the Director of Community Development Wellbeing and IIDEA with the City of Kingston. Her portfolio includes areas such as food security, aging, community safety, neighbourhood activation, equity, diversity, and Indigenous initiatives. 

Ruth's work focuses primarily on the system-wide social issues that communities in Canada are facing and the preventative actions municipalities can take in building and fostering the social infrastructure. She is passionate about building communities where everyone belongs and feels safe, healthy, and connected. 

"More people are staying home. They don't want to go into nursing homes or retirement homes. And the push is to keep people at home. But in doing so, you got the adverse effect of people being isolated. They can't get out anymore. They just lose those connections So we try to get to the people that are in their home, We're going in, we're connecting them with services and minding that gap a little bit."

Alicia Scott is an advanced care paramedic with over 20 years of experience in Kingston, Pembroke, Petawawa, Fort Saskatchewan, and Edmonton. Along with responding to emergencies within the community, she's also the co-chair of the peer support team. 

Veronica Trottier has been a primary care paramedic for 23 years, and a community paramedic for the last four years, a role that has her connecting with people and helping them in a whole new way. 

Learn more about Compassionate Communities Kingston: compassionatekingston.ca

"How can we work for toward an even more connected community neighbourhood by neighbourhood? Ultimately this would mean increased capacity for all of us to care for each other in a very supportive way so that we're not just relying on government and the healthcare system. Our goal is to have a much more knowledgeable community where together we can find support services when we need them." 

Florence Campbell has a long and outstanding history in community service, along with a career in senior roles at Queen's University, IBM and the Conference Board of Canada. 

Florence has served as the president of the Community Foundation and on the boards of the KFL&A Public Health, Kingston General Hospital, and the Southeast Local Health Integration Network. In 2017, she founded Compassionate Communities Kingston, Canada to bring this international movement to Kingston. Florence is the recipient of both the Queen Elizabeth Jubilee Medal and the Ontario Medical Association Community Service Award. 

Learn more about Compassionate Communities Kingston at:  compassionatekingston.ca