The phone call came as a bit of a shock.
鈥滺ow did? What?鈥 was the first reaction of Janice McTaggart upon learning she鈥檚 been chosen Senior of the Year.
鈥淵eah, I was kind of gobsmacked actually, because I know so many deserving people and, you know, I鈥檓 just freshly retired, full-time retired anyway,鈥 she said. 鈥淪o I was a bit surprised. It鈥檚 always such an honour, you know, like when there are so many that could be chosen.鈥
The 91原创 Senior Resource Society oversees the Seniors of the Year selection. In recent years, a man and a woman were chosen to represent the community at various events and functions but this year marks a bit of a revamp of the award with just one senior selected.
McTaggart has been a fixture in the community for years.
鈥滲orn in the Murray Hospital, the Cottage hospital,鈥 she said.
She spend about decade living in Vancouver but the rest of her life has been lived in 91原创.
After training as a registered nurse at BCIT, she worked in various health care settings.
鈥淚 have always worked where there鈥檚 relational relationship building skills required, so, psychiatry, geriatrics, youth, and I did some youth youth work with my church for about 10 or 12 years,鈥 McTaggart added.
She worked as a nurse until she had her two kids. It was while raising her family and picking up casual work that her husband鈥檚 job was downsized.
She ended up finding outreach work at the 91原创 Seniors Resource Centre, a facility that serves Township and City residents. It gave her the flexibility to still look after her family. Her kids are now grown, with her son living in Scotland and her daughter and two granddaughters living in New Brunswick.
Though the job title has changed over the years, her work was pretty much always related to the outreach programming which allowed her to try and help seniors in almost all aspects of their lives.
Her strong relationship with her grandparents is what encouraged her to want to work at the seniors centre.
鈥淚t just fit, you know,鈥 she said.
Technically she retired March 31, 2020, the start of the COVID pandemic, but it didn鈥檛 quite work out like that.
鈥淪o I finally retired in 2023 because I continued to work one day a week doing volunteer management,鈥 she explained.
Volunteer management was typically done off the corner of someone鈥檚 desk but she enjoyed playing matchmaker.
鈥淎nd that鈥檚 very rewarding because you see people using their gifts and finding their place and so many of them volunteer in order to get connected to the community,鈥 she said.
It was during her many years of working at the seniors centre that she, too, made many connections through the community which led to positions on boards, volunteer opportunities and more, mostly involving seniors or related causes. Currently she sits on the executive of the 91原创 Seniors in Action, and its transportation committee which is looking into a shuttle service for seniors.
She feels connected to the community through her church, the United Churches of 91原创.
鈥淚鈥檓 quite passionate about social justice, and our church actually has a team that works on social justice,鈥 she said.
She鈥檚 in the church choir and helps find volunteers for various jobs as well as being on the human resources team.
During her time as Senior of the Year, she hopes to connect with people interested in social justice issues, including reconciliation, the environment, 鈥淟GBTQ2S+, and more.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 mind going out for dinner and being in a parade鈥 So if I get invited somewhere, I鈥檓 happy to go,鈥 she said. 鈥淚 just don鈥檛 really want to have to make a lot of speeches.鈥
One of the most unique community programs she was involved with was You鈥檝e Gotta Have Friends, which she co-founded. It鈥檚 mandate 鈥 give people a casual atmosphere in which to meet other people and develop friendships. It was a small storefront where the coffee was always on and people could stop by when it was open. It also held random acts of kindness events, organized community picnics, hosted summertime dance concerts in Douglas Park, and gave out community awards in various categories.
鈥淚 would love to see that start again just because of the relationships that were built that are lasting still,鈥 she said. 鈥淲e still have a supper club that meets once a month.鈥
Unfortunately, the funding ran out and it couldn鈥檛 survive the pandemic. McTaggart said it would need two key elements to resume 鈥 funding and a storefront location, in addition to people committed to see it succeed long-term. She said people who would have never had a chance to meet in everyday life got to develop friendships at You鈥檝e Gotta Have Friends.
鈥淓verybody鈥檚 got a story and everybody鈥檚 different, and you can connect people and build relationships and that鈥檚 what makes community, you know,鈥 she noted.
So much of what she鈥檚 done in the community and what keeps her inspired has to do with people having a sense of community because they feel connected to one another.
鈥滻 love meeting people,鈥 she said. 鈥淚鈥檓 curious about people and seeing people succeed and find their place and make friendships that they weren鈥檛 expecting.鈥
That鈥檚 part of what keeps pulling her back to the seniors centre to help out there. She noted that over the years, she鈥檚 ended up seeing people from throughout her childhood and young adult life, be they teachers, nurses, parents of friends, and she felt honoured to be able to help they as they go through their senior years.
鈥淢y family is always saying they can鈥檛 take me anywhere because I know everybody, and you know, it鈥檚 true,鈥 McTaggart said with a chuckle. 鈥淚 go to Katie鈥檚 restaurant there and I鈥檓 talking to everybody. So that鈥檚 kind of cool. It just feels warm, and it feels inclusive, and it feels right.
Social isolation, particularly among seniors, was already a significant concern before the pandemic.
鈥淎nd COVID just made that 10 times worse,鈥 McTaggart noted.
For her, maintaining relationships with loved ones is key. In addition to several trips each year to see her grandkids, they Facetime daily. When she鈥檚 not volunteering, she also enjoys gardening, and reading. McTaggart grows what she can and takes extra to her church to distribute to others who don鈥檛 have the ability to get their 鈥渉ands dirty in the garden and feel the pulse of the earth.鈥
She鈥檚 no stranger to 91原创 Seniors of the Year, having been part of the organizing group at the seniors centre for many years.
鈥淚t just kind of blows your mind a little bit and, you know, I鈥檝e helped organize this in the past and so, you know, every time I鈥檝e told somebody [they were chosen] they have been so gobsmacked and honoured and humbled, and now I get it. Now I get it.鈥
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鈥 READ MORE: Seniors centre has a packed calendar for Seniors鈥 Week 2023
鈥 READ MORE: LETTER: 91原创 Seniors of the Year prevent another senior from being scammed
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