Seasons Retirement Communities celebrates Canadian seniors

6th annual Remarkable Residents Contest with finalists in Alberta and Ontario

OAKVILLE, ON, May 29, 2018 /CNW/ - The Seasons Celebrates Remarkable Residents program highlights and celebrates the outstanding achievements, contributions and talents of our residents. 2018 marks the 6^th year of the contest, and we received over 100 submissions. This year, two of the finalists are from Seasons Wetaskiwin and Seasons Drayton Valley in Alberta. One finalist is from Seasons Welland, representing Ontario.

"We hope that the Remarkable Residents program has a lasting, positive impact on our residents as they reflect on their past accomplishments and share important life lessons," says Mike Lavallée, CEO, Seasons Retirement Communities. "The program also positively affects our staff members because they learn something personal and amazing about the residents they serve each day. We continue to be inspired by the stories that our residents share with us. They remind us that we are privileged to work for them."

After losing his wife to cancer and experiencing discomfort in hospitals without designated palliative care units, Cecil Colwell, a resident living at Seasons Wetaskiwin, spearheaded the initiative to open three palliative care rooms at the Wetaskiwin hospital in 2007.

"I travelled to surrounding areas and discovered that almost every hospital had either very poor palliative care units or none at all," said Cecil Colwell. "There was only one thing to do, go and do something and that's what I did."

Dissatisfied with the lack of support, services and opportunities for her two sons and other children with special needs and disabilities, Norma Howatt, a resident living at Seasons Drayton Valley, worked for 20 years to open the "Beehive Support Services Association." The Beehive Support Services Association is an agency that is directed by the individuals in service and strives to make a difference for persons living with disabilities by respecting, honoring and celebrating the equality and abilities of all people.

"At the time, my oldest son Syd had been rejected from the local schools in Drayton Valley due to his special needs. They told us to send him to the Red Deer School for Mentally Retarded, now called the Michener Centre," said Norma Howatt. "We felt Red Deer was too far away, so with the help of other families in the community, we took matters into our own hands." 

Ann Gono from Seasons Welland broke barriers when in 1954, she was one of only four women to achieve her Assessors license in Ontario. In 1963, Ann gained approval of her mortgage application at a time when the Central Mortgage and Housing Corporation didn't grant approvals to single women. Soon after, Ann built a house, which she lived in for 39 years.

Throughout her life, Ann extended her leadership skills to organizations within her community. Her skills were showcased in her volunteerism with the Canadian Cancer Society, her Church Council, Civic Employees Credit Union, now Penn Financial, to name a few.

"In all my years of volunteerism, I felt honored to be able to help so many people. Helping others was my reward and I would do it all over again," said Ann Gono.

The finalists' life stories will be filmed and posted on the Seasons Facebook page from June 2 to June 12, 2018 for our followers to vote on. The resident with the most likes and shares wins the title of Remarkable Resident and one-month free rent. The winner of the contest will be officially announced on June 13, 2018.

"The hundreds of stories we receive will either make us laugh, smile or cry. But year after year, it always makes us proud that these incredible people have chosen to call Seasons home," says LeighAnne Voll, COO, Seasons Retirement Communities.  

This year, the stories of all three finalists represent persistence, community spirit and remind us to never give up in the face of adversity. The Seasons Celebrates Remarkable Residents contest, gives viewers the opportunity to show their support of Canadian seniors who have dedicated their lives to making a difference in their respective communities and in the lives of others.

About Seasons Retirement Communities: Established in 2009, Seasons is a Canadian company that operates 11 retirement residences in Ontario, nine retirement residences in Alberta, with more in various stages of development. Our management team has extensive experience in the senior housing sector and has developed a culture dedicated to providing residents with superior customer service. We want our residents to feel proud to call us home and know they are surrounded by people who genuinely care. Seasons: Connect. Care. Change. For additional information on Seasons Retirement Communities, please visit www.seasonsretirement.com or follow us @SeasonsRC on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

SOURCE Seasons Retirement Communities

Media Contact: Jessica Rabaey, Communications Coordinator, Seasons Retirement Communities, 289.291.5999 Ext. 1195, [email protected]