We remain committed to providing updates to our residents, families, and staff at AgeCare. As such, we are providing weekly updates to keep you all informed on what is happening in our communities and organization-wide.
At 97, James Rice, a resident at AgeCare Harmony Court in Burnaby can recite details of his days serving in the Royal Airforce as though it was yesterday.
James was just 17 and three-quarters when he joined the Royal Air Force in February of 1943. He attended initial training for six weeks in Scarborough on England’s North Sea coast, then moved on to Air Gunnery School where, on the first day of training the volunteers were asked to go overseas.
“We all thought we were being sent to Canada but in fact we were sent to Egypt and that’s where I spent 14 weeks training to be an air gunner.
After training, I was posted to an Operational Training Unit in Qastina (Palestine) where I formed a crew with a pilot, navigator, bomb aimer, wireless ops., air gunners, etc. When we graduated as a crew we were posted back to Egypt where we converted on to B-24 Liberators. I became a middle gunner on a B-24 Liberator (four-engine bombers used during World War II by the U.S. and British air forces.),” said James.
After nearly two years of training, in January of 1945, the crew flew to Karachi, Pakistan and then on to a base just north of Calcutta. “That’s when the powers that be decided we should be dropping rice supplies to the Burmese people who were starving after the Japanese occupation - food was scarce,” said James.
“We were all so young – there were eight of us in the crew and the average age of our crew was around 21. It was quite an experience. We never thought about the dangers – we could have been shot down – but it just thrilled us, the fact that we were flying as a crew.
I lost a lot of good friends in that war. Three of them were in the army on D-Day and two of them never came home. The foot soldiers won the war for us. Bombing had its place, but the foot soldiers – they saw the horrors of war. I was thankful that I was in the air not on the ground. I guess when I think about it now, I’m just so glad it’s all over.”
Trent Dawson, a resident at AgeCare Columbia in Lethbridge spent five years of his youth serving in the Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserves (RCNVR). The RCNVR has been called the backbone of the Canadian Navy, used to recruit and build the navy.
Trent says that although he did not see combat, he did patrol Northern Canada. He also shared that in their spare time the crews would go submarine hunting and he proudly reports that he found one.
When asked to reflect on this experience in his life, Trent responded that he enjoyed his time in service because he met a lot of good people and made some good friends. On the topic of war he shares, “I wish we didn’t have to go to war because everyone would lose.”
Gerald Fraser in Calgary was drafted to the Infantry in 1944 at the age 18. He was an American at the time and did his basic Infantry Training along with 160 other men in Texas. “I had two brothers who enlisted also; one was a pilot and two of us were Infantrymen. Somehow, we all came home in one piece but I can’t imagine how much our mom must have worried,” said Gerald.
Gerald says he saw plenty of combat and remembers spending his 19th birthday in a foxhole keeping his head down and listening to artillery firing overhead.
“I get sad when I think about all the good men we lost in that war – but that’s the way it is with war – good people die.”
When asked what Remembrance Day means to him, Gerald tears up. “You never really forget what you went through but I guess it helps a little to know people appreciate what we did. We gave up a lot … I try not to dwell on it.”
Stopping the Flu, Starts with You
Additionally, all seniors older than 65 can get a free enhanced influenza vaccine this year. Enhanced influenza vaccines (FLUZONE® High-Dose Quadrivalent) give seniors better protection against influenza than standard-dose vaccines. Enhanced influenza vaccines stimulate stronger immune responses, compensating for the natural weakening of the immune system that occurs with age.
You may call ahead to your pharmacy or physician's office to confirm if they will be offering the influenza vaccine this fall.
Albertans are encouraged to get vaccinated against COVID-19 and influenza for the most effective protection this fall. The COVID-19 booster program continues, and Alberta's annual influenza (flu) vaccine campaign will begin in mid-October.
With the start of the respiratory illness season, it is expected that COVID-19 cases will increase as more people gather indoors. In addition, we need to be prepared for the possibility of an influenza surge following two years of low influenza rates due to public health restrictions that reduced travel and socialization.
At AgeCare, we will be hosting immunization clinics for our residents and staff to help prevent the spread of influenza.
Our recreation team works hard to create engaging activities that enrich the mind, body and spirit. We are continuously looking for ways to reduce the risk of transmission while having the least impact on our residents' well-being.
Please note that communities with an exposure or outbreak may have different recreation restrictions. Contact your community or sign up for email updates to stay informed on the latest information.
For our AgeCare communities from Revera, your Activity Pro Family Portal is still available for you to access. You can log in with your usual username and password at online.activitypro.net/users/login/agecare.
If you are a current resident family member and don't yet have a username and password to access your loved one's Activity Pro page, please contactthe community directly and ask to speak to the recreation team. They walk you through the steps needed to access the family portal.
View the Recreation Calendars for your AgeCare Community:
Did you know AgeCare is hiring? Great opportunities for caring people. From health care aides to food services to recreation to administration and more, we are looking for dedicated and caring individuals.
If you or someone you know is looking for an exciting new opportunity, check out our careers page at www.agecare.ca/careers
AgeCare, 19655 Walden Blvd SE, Calgary, Alberta T2X 0N7, Canada, 403-873-3200
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