On a cool morning on the edge of the Rideau Canal in the historic town of Merrickville, Kaye Brown sat in her wheelchair with the newest addition to her extended family upon her lap. As a great-aunt, she had travelled hundreds of kilometres to be there, and she couldn’t have been happier.
Kaye had come from The Village at St. Clair in Windsor via two flights, overcoming worries that her mobility challenges might hinder the journey. She cherished the opportunity to be alongside family with whom she rarely has the chance to spend meaningful time.
She had been offered the chance to travel to Ottawa as part of the Schlegel Villages 10th Anniversary #ElderWisdom celebrations, and as she reflects a week after returning home, she says the trip was nothing short of life-changing.
“It was beautiful because I don’t see Marianne and Mark very often,” she says of her brother and sister-in-law. “And to see Rebecca and her baby, that was so good. The way the baby sat on my lap, I was quite happy with that.”
Her niece, Mariah, was also part of the reunion. The sweetness with which Mariah greeted her great-aunt, and the gratitude she showed when Kaye presented her with a knitted blanket, was enough to make the trip worthwhile. “Mariah now carries that blanket with her everywhere,” Kaye says.
The #ElderWisdom event in Ottawa’s Byward Market was held the next day. Kaye was thrilled to take part and to experience a tour of Parliament Hill and a cruise on the Ottawa River, but it was the time with family that meant the most.
To sit and enjoy a long lunch with Mark, Marianne and Mariah, as well as Kelly and Hannah from St. Clair who had come to support her, was a special gift. “That restaurant was absolutely beautiful,” she recalls, noting she would have been happy if the trip ended there. But the adventures continued: “That river cruise was nice, that Parliament tour was very, very interesting. I really did learn a lot about Canada from that.”
She also fondly remembers the personal touches, thanks to Claudette Martin of the Merrickville and District Historical Society, who volunteered to offer tours in both Ottawa and Merrickville. “Claudette taught us a lot I didn’t know. It was fascinating.”
Looking back, Kaye says it may have been the care and companionship that made the trip so special. “It was really magnificent. Such a fun time, and Hannah and Kelly just looked after me as if I was the queen.”
Her smile widens and her eyes glisten as she thinks back. “The trip was out of this world,” she says, “and I thank Schlegel Villages very much for giving me the opportunity.”
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