12 People
835 Years’ Wisdom & Experience
Athletes. Volunteers. Coaches. Community Builders.
This is just a snapshot of some of the inspirational older adults living in our community who prove that age is just a number. Read their stories captured by students and join us in celebrating them – and the many others like them – who make Penticton the fantastic place it is today.
Join us in celebrating International Day of Older Persons
Oct. 1, 2021
Inspirational Stories & Ways to Give Back
Here are some ideas to show your support and get involved in making Penticton even more age friendly and welcoming:
1. Volunteer for an organization that serves older adults.
2. Check in with a neighbour.
3. Correct comments involving stigma/discrimination that you may hear about older adults.
4. Invite older adults to community events and activities to prevent social isolation.
5. Help by clearing snow from their driveway.
6. Refer them to 211 if they are looking to access community services.
7. Prepare and/or invite them for a meal.
8. Participate in Seniors’ Week (first week of June each year).
9. Ask if you can pick up something for them from the supermarket.
10. Say thank you for all the positive things older adults do for our community.
11. Apply for a Neighbourhood Small Grant to plan an activity for older adults in your neighbourhood.
12. Get creative. What ideas do you, your family or neighbours have? Ask around to collect ideas. Also be inspired by our Age-Friendly Community page.
This project was made possible thanks to an ongoing partnership with University of B.C.’s Okanagan Campus. Practicum students from the School of Health and Exercise Sciences and School of Social Work contacted organizations throughout Penticton, identified participants and conducted the interviews, as outlined below.
The inter-generational component of this project was one of the recommendations outlined in the Penticton Age-Friendly Action Plan. Visit our Age-Friendly Community page for further details about the plan and Penticton’s goal to become recognized by the Province of B.C. as an age-friendly community. The goal is to ensure that people of all backgrounds, ages and abilities feel welcome and included in our community, living active, socially engaged and independent lives.
Our Partners
Thank you to the UBCO practicum students, all of the organizations who contributed data, and the organizations that connected the practicum students to older adults for interviews.
The UBC students contacted dozens of organizations throughout Penticton as part of this project. The following groups responded with some fascinating stats involving their 55+ membership.
Organization Name
Members aged 55-64
Members aged 65+
Penticton Pounders Running Club 68 29 Nickel Plate Nordic Centre 330 189 CrossFit Penticton 10 7 Penticton Curling Club ~150 ~150 Penticton Dragon Boat 80 160 Taneda Karate Dojo 5 Penticton Tennis Club 60 65 Penticton Seniors' Drop-In Centre 406 294
David Ellis – Penticton Pounders Running Club
Age: 75
How long have you lived in Penticton?
- Since 1984 (37 years)
Where else have you lived?
- Prince George
Do you still work or are you retired?
- Retired (15 years)
Do you have any hobbies? If so, what are they?
- Running, Triathlons, Penticton Lions Member
How long have you been a member of the Penticton Pounders?
- Since 1985
What events do you compete in?
- Marathons, 10Ks, Half Marathons, Half IRONMAN, Full IRONMAN (7 times), Sprint Triathlon, Ride Guide for the GranFondo (volunteer)
How long have you been running?
- 1980 (41 years)
What do you love most about living in Penticton?
- The friendly, nice community with the two lakes makes it a beautiful area. Can run on trails or streets. It’s a nice area to be active.
What is one thing you would change about the Penticton community?
- Nothing.
Have you faced any noticeable stigma about your age demographic?
- No, more the other way, it’s very supportive. Lions Club members are very encouraging.
Krista Sansom – CrossFit Penticton
Age: 60
How long have you lived in Penticton?
- 10 Years (Kaleden)
If you haven’t always lived in Penticton, where else have you lived?
- Yellowknife
Do you still work or are you retired?
- Retired
Do you have any hobbies? If so, what are they?
- Golf, gardening, CrossFit, Olympic weightlifting, tinkering in the garage, weightlifting judge
How long have you been a member of CrossFit Penticton?
- Since 2013 (8 years)
What events do you compete in?
Olympic weightlifting (Masters), Canadian National Masters Weightlifting Championship (gold medal), BC Masters Championship (Gold), Ogopogo Open (All ages - body weight), CrossFit Open (worldwide), NWT Ladies Golf Champion 2010.
How long have you been doing CrossFit?
- Since 2013 (8 years)
What do you love most about living in Penticton?
- The lakes, it’s a small town, has everything and every facility you need, a great swimming pool and a small community vibe.
What is one thing you would change about the Penticton community?
- The homeless and drug problem.
Have you faced any noticeable stigma about your age demographic?
- Can feel insecurities when starting a new activity for all age groups, as an older person. Your confidence decreases as you get older and it can be intimidating to start or try new things.
- Feels 100% supported at CrossFit Penticton, where everyone is meshed together socially. Strength and mobility attracts her to Olympic weightlifting.
Steve Buzikievich – Penticton Pounders Running Club
How old are you?
- 64
How long have you lived in Penticton?
- 40+ years
If you haven’t always lived in Penticton, where else have you lived?
- Born in Saskatchewan, raised on the Coast, spent 5 years in Kamloops.
Do you still work or are you retired?
- Working, self-employed
Do you have any hobbies? If so, what are they?
- Woodworking, sports
How long have you been a member of the Penticton Pounders?
- 5 years
What events do you compete in?
- Trail running, road running, cross country skiing events, World Masters 10 times in cross country skiing, competitive bike racing for 10 years, GranFondo.
How long have you been running/cross country skiing/cycling?
- Cycling: 40 years
- Cross country skiing: 40 years
- Running: 30+ years
What do you love most about living in Penticton?
- The accessibility to the outdoors. Also, the best road cycling, mountain biking and cross country ski trails.
What is one thing you would change about the Penticton community?
- Keep the climate, keep accessibility but have the ocean too (joke). No, nothing.
Have you faced any noticeable stigma about your age demographic? If yes, what happened?
- I’m surprised I can still do it.
Margaret Ashley – President of the Penticton Lions Club
How old are you?
- 77 (mother of 5 and a grandmother of 2)
How long have you lived in Penticton?
- 31 years
If you haven’t always lived in Penticton, where else have you lived?
- Lantz (Nova Scotia)
Do you still work or are you retired?
- Retired
Do you have any hobbies? If so, what are they?
- Knitting, reading, curling (not anymore)
How long have you been a member of the Lions Club?
- 13 years
How long have you been the president of the Penticton Lions Club?
- 5 years. Also, a D9 chair for the Lions, looking after 4 clubs in that district.
What kind of activities is the Lions Club involved with?
- They serve people in all areas of the community, including fundraising for the hospital, OSNS, Penticton and District Society for Community Living, Lions Park, Elvis Festival (she sits on the board), monthly breakfast for the tenants of the Skaha Sunrise, donate to Penticton Soupateria and Salvation Army, volunteering at the vaccination centre, school scholarships and bursaries, and more.
What do you love most about living in Penticton?
- Moved for her mom, impressed with the city lights when entering Penticton, felt at home, enjoys the climate.
What is one thing you would change about the Penticton community?
- Affordable housing for seniors.
- Spending money for other projects but not taking care of the seniors.
- Hard to find safe, affordable housing for seniors.
Have you faced any noticeable stigma about your age demographic?
- Maybe on the bus; people don’t get up to give an elderly person a seat.
- Not really. If they have, she just looks at them and says: “You haven’t walked a mile in my shoes.”
Jerome Jang – Nickel Plate Nordic Centre
How old are you?
- 67
How long have you lived in Penticton?
- 32 years (Summerland)
If you haven’t always lived in Penticton, where else have you lived?
- Prince George
Do you still work or are you retired?
- Retired (20 years)
Do you have any hobbies? If so, what are they?
- Cycling, mountain biking, kayaking, hiking, road cycling, skiing. Volunteer coach at the Nickel Plate Nordic Centre (25 years)
How long have you been a member of the Nickel Plate Cross Country Ski Club?
- 32 years
What events do you compete in or used to compete in?
- Running races and Nordic ski races (used to)
How long have you been cross country skiing?
- 40+ years
What do you love most about living in Penticton?
- A lot of things: the climate, year-round activities, lots of great people and good amenities.
What is one thing you would change about the Penticton community?
- Nothing.
Have you faced any noticeable stigma about your age demographic?
- Not really. When he meets people skiing or biking, they don’t believe he’s in his 60’s.
Des Snider – Nickel Plate Nordic Centre
How old are you?
- 76
How long have you lived in Penticton?
- 1969
If you haven’t always lived in Penticton, where else have you lived?
- Mackenzie River, Edmonton
Do you still work or are you retired?
- Retired (20 years)
Do you have any hobbies? If so, what are they?
- Car collecting (‘28 Ford and ‘56 Chev), cross country skiing, riding bikes. Has volunteered at the Nickel Plate Nordic Centre for 10 years.
How long have you been a member of the Nickel Plate Nordic Club?
- 19 Years
What events do you compete in or used to compete in?
- Never competed, raced bicycles.
How long have you been cross country skiing?
- 19 years
What do you love most about living in Penticton?
- The weather is great (never too hot or cold); it’s a small town, like everything about it.
What is one thing you would change about the Penticton community?
- It’s not good for young people trying to find a job. More employment and better jobs are needed.
Have you faced any noticeable stigma about your age demographic?
- No problems.
Kersten and Bob Grant – Penticton Tennis Club
How old are you?
- Kersten: 58
- Bob: 62
How long have you lived in Penticton?
- Kersten: 25 years
- Bob: 4 years
If you haven’t always lived in Penticton, where else have you lived?
- Oliver (both)
Do you still work or are you retired?
- Retired (both)
Do you have any hobbies? If so, what are they?
- Kersten: Tennis, running, pickleball and bike riding
- Bob: Tennis, weightlifting, pickleball, biking and travelling
How long have you been a member of the Penticton Tennis Club?
- 4 years
How long has Bob been the president of the Penticton Tennis Club and How long have you been a Board Member?
- 3 years
What kind of activities does the Penticton Tennis Club run?
- Youth program for 80 kids each day (ages 3-13) plus camps for kids (35 kids a week)
What do you love most about living in Penticton?
- The climate, amenities, love the fact that it has a big city feel but isn’t, activities, the outdoors and the people.
What is one thing you would change about the Penticton community?
- Hope people would be a little more open to do more listening to different groups; need more collaboration and for people to be more open to other people’s perspective.
Have you faced any noticeable stigma about your age demographic?
- No, people are appreciative and open-minded. People admire how active they are.
Dick Reimer – Nickel Plate Nordic Centre
How old are you?
- 83
How long have you lived in Penticton?
- Since 1974
If you haven’t always lived in Penticton, where else have you lived?
- Fort Nelson
Do you still work or are you retired?
- Retired
Do you have any hobbies? If so, what are they?
- Cross country skiing, mountain biking, gardening, snowshoeing, wood cutting, trail support at Nickel Plate, and delivering food hampers for St. Vincent De Paul Society.
How long have you been a member of the Nickel Plate Nordic Club?
- Since 1997
How long have you been cross country skiing?
- Since 1997
What do you love most about living in Penticton?
- The outdoors; rode his bike every day last year.
What is one thing you would change about the Penticton community?
- Nothing. Love it here, the people are very nice.
Have you faced any noticeable stigma about your age demographic?
- No, has never experienced any negativity as far as his age is concerned.
Anne Ross – Taneda Karate Dojo
How old are you?
- 63
How long have you lived in Penticton?
- Since 1982 (39 years)
If you haven’t always lived in Penticton, where else have you lived?
- Born and raised in Ontario, left after graduating with a degree in Hotel Management, worked in Calgary, Vancouver and Whistler before coming to Penticton full-time in 1984.
Do you still work or are you retired?
- Still working at Penticton Lakeside Resort.
Do you have any hobbies? If so, what are they?
- Karate and also kayaking with my husband.
How long have you been a member of the Taneda Dojo?
- I got into it when my son joined in 1997 but have been participating myself since 2000.
What events do you compete in?
- I’ve competed locally, nationally and internationally (Hong Kong 2013, Japan in 2010 and Australia in 2004 in both Kata (sequence performance) as well as Kumite (fighting).
Tell me more!
- I’m also a qualified referee and have officiated at tournaments in Penticton. I also teach kids Karate. It’s been a huge part of my life. (She is a second-degree black belt.)
What do you love most about living in Penticton?
- I like the small community, the green space, parks, beaches, etc.
What is one thing you would change about the Penticton community?
- I’d like to see more younger people here, but understand that it’s sometimes hard, especially as prices go up.
Have you faced any noticeable stigma about your age demographic?
- No, I do find that there are fewer women in Karate competitions. For example, I went all the way to Japan to compete and in my age category there were only 3 of us from Canada and none from Japan, so there is less competition and less participation, but I’ve been told that I’ve been an inspiration to others, other women who would like to participate in karate, which is gratifying.
- I don’t feel that there is stigma against aging in the community because older people are so active these days.
Kerrigan Baxter – Lions Club International, RCMP Veterans Association and Penticton Newcomers Group
How old are you?
- 78
How long have you lived in Penticton?
- 15 years
If you haven’t always lived in Penticton, where else have you lived?
Born in Weymouth Dorset England (1943). His father was a Canadian soldier (WW2) and his mother was English. They came to Canada in 1946 and they returned to his father's home in Cranbrook, but due to the lack of work, they moved to Vancouver and then North Vancouver, where he did his schooling and worked until he joined the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in 1963.
He trained in Ottawa, and then was posted to Saskatchewan, Manitoba and back to B.C. When he left the RCMP in 1984, he was seconded to the Canadian Security and Intelligence Service (CSIS) for 10 years before leaving the Federal Government Service in 1993. He then was a Private Investigator for 10 years in Vancouver before joining the Security Department of the B.C. Lottery Corporation for 5 years then completely retired in 2007.
Do you still work or are you retired?
- Retired
Do you have any hobbies? If so, what are they?
Dedicated Jogger – continues to run 5 miles a day 4-5 days a week. Long-time member of the Lions Club International (30 years). Also a member of the RCMP Veterans Association and Penticton Newcomers Group.
One of his hobbies is the arranging of travel trips for he and his wife. Since retirement they have visited all 7 continents including Antarctica. He also enjoyed travelling to their cabin in Birch Bay, Washington, where they walk and bicycle (sadly this has been curtailed by the "no travel” edicts.) He is also a member of the Penticton Library and Community Centre.
How long have you been a member of the Lions Club International, RCMP Veterans Association and Penticton Newcomers Group?
In the past 30 years, he has donated thousands of hours to community service with the Lions Club International. This includes Christmas hampers for the needy, backpacks for the homeless, assisting at IRONMAN competitions, bartending at the Elvis festivities at PeachFest and many more fundraising events. He has served as Director, Vice President, Treasurer and President in North Vancouver. He has been a member locally for 15 years.
He is also a member of the RCMP Veterans Association and has been for the past 37 years. He is currently a member of the South Okanagan Division, where he has served as a Director.
He has been a member of the Penticton Newcomers Group for 15 years, participating in walking, cycling Bocce and social activities.
What do you love most about living in Penticton?
He loves the Penticton area because of its "small town feeling," being away from the high volume traffic and hectic lifestyle of the large cities. Also, being within 5 minutes of quality beaches in the summertime and lovely jogging and walking areas year-round. The four complete seasons add much to his enjoyment. He appreciates the art scene in Penticton (and attends as many live theatre productions as possible) and the high-quality movie theatre is a bonus.
What is one thing you would change about the Penticton community?
- Nothing.
Have you faced any noticeable stigma about your age demographic?
- He feels that his age demographic is largely looked after in Penticton: the active Community Centre, the Seniors Centre, cultural venues and modern hospital take care of this.
Al Sismey – South Okanagan Similkameen Crime Stoppers
How old are you?
- 73
How long have you lived in Penticton?
- 43 years
If you haven’t always lived in Penticton, where else have you lived?
Alberta.
Do you still work or are you retired?
- Retired
Do you have any hobbies? If so, what are they?
Al enjoys golfing and volunteering with Crime Stoppers and other initiatives.
How long have you been with Crime Stoppers?
He helped found South Okanagan Similkameen Crime Stoppers in January 1992, 92 years ago. He is now the Past President.
What do you love most about living in Penticton?
The people and climate!
What is one thing you would change about the Penticton community?
- Nothing.
Have you faced any noticeable stigma about your age demographic?
- He has not faced any noticeable stigma because of his age.
Learn More
Thank you for your support! For more information, visit our Age-Friendly Community page.
Do you know someone that may wish to be profiled? Please have them contact us to be interviewed.
Contact Us
Social Development
Phone: 250-490-2512, Monday - Friday, 8:30 a.m to 4:30 p.m.
Email: socialdevelopment@penticton.ca