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Celebrating Senior’s Week: Drumheller’s senior’s coordinator talks candidly

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Drumheller’s  Senior’s Coordinator, Rose Poulson is ready for Senior’s Week, June 6-12. The Mail sat down with Rose to find out more about her job, Drumheller’s senior community and why she loves her job.

How did you come to be the senior’s coordinator for Drumheller?

I have been here for almost 5 years. I moved away but came back to this area and we have been here for 10 years since then. I really enjoy working with seniors. I have been very lucky to meet some wonderful people in that capacity. I am happy to serve the seniors of the community. 

What does a senior’s coordinator do? 

I help older adults apply for senior type benefits like Canada pension plan, old age security, and the Alberta seniors benefits. I help them access different kinds of subsidies, I can advocate for other issues they have. I organize programs for seniors. I am very busy. It is a very long list of things.

Is your job mandated by the town? 

I work for the Town of Drumheller through the Family Community Support Services. I don’t work right at Town Hall. I am really lucky to have an office here at the library. I find it is a convenient spot to organize things for our seniors. Although a lot of the programs I help seniors with are federal and provincial.  

Why do you think there is a need for a senior’s coordinator? 

There is a big need for senior’s coordinators because we have an aging population and a very large number of seniors in our community. I also find there are a lot of seniors who need assistance in programs and services for seniors, and in funding especially. There is an increasing need for financial assistance for seniors these days. 

What motivates you to come into work every day? What is your driving force? 

You know, it is very rewarding to be able to help seniors and to know that at the end of the day I have helped. So that’s probably what gets me up and going every day, being able to know that what I am doing is helping others. 

Is there anything you find difficult about your job? 

Some of the things that make me most sad and absolutely breaks my heart, is seeing seniors struggle. I often see them struggle financially. Unfortunately, I am not a funding agency, so I can only point them in the right direction. I do not have funds to help seniors even though I really wish I did. That is one of the hardest part of my job - having to see seniors struggle. I also see seniors who are lonely and really need socialization. It’s really hard to see and I wish I could reach out to all of them. But that is the toughest part. It is really hard for seniors to make it on a fixed income right now. It seems to be getting worse, things seem to be getting more expensive and tougher on seniors to make things work. 

What would you say is one of the biggest problems for seniors in Drumheller? 

I think a big thing in Drumheller is transportation or the cost there of, to get to other communities for things like doctors appointments. There are services available, but they are quite expensive, and there are services available from the province to help with that but it often isn’t enough. For a lot of seniors who have many health related issues, they have to go and see someone. A lot of the time it is not once or twice they have to see someone but many times and it is a huge financial burden for them. So that is one disadvantage for seniors in a smaller community. Transportation. 

Have you seen positive things happening for, or to, seniors since you started your position here? 

I’d like to think so. I am so lucky to work with some great people who are seniors. There are some wonderful things going on in our community for seniors. And not just myself but from other people and places in the community. It is great to see seniors come out and enjoy these activities. 

Are there are a lot of seniors who do come out to these activities, instead of just staying home? 

They do try and come out. It is sometimes hard to get them out but we have a very active seniors community. There are lots and lots of things going on. I plan things such as a free art class for seniors and a free computer class for seniors, but there are also tons of people in the community who also put on events for seniors. Between Sunshine Lodge, Hillview Lodge, Pioneer Trail, and continuing care, they do so much for the seniors in their care and they always have activities going on. How great is that? It’s awesome. We have a very active group of seniors in our community.

Do you have any favourite memories from working here or anything that has really stuck out for you since you started working here? 

Probably the thing I am most honoured to be a part of was being able to host the Grey Matters conference, which is for provincial seniors service providers, here at the Badlands Community Facility last fall. We had over 150 delegates come to participate in the conference. It was one of the most amazing experiences I’ve ever had in my whole life. To be a part of that was just outstanding. We had some amazing people who were part of a committee to make it all happen. I was very honoured to be a part of it. I have also made very good friends, my seniors are not only my clients they are more like my friends. We have done so many things in the past years, it’s amazing to look back on all of them.

Yarn-bombed dinosaurs help “unravel the mystery of life on earth”

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Drumheller’s dinosaurs have been wrapped up in a new art project that relates back to the Royal Tyrrell Museum. 

Valley dinosaurs have been donning new attire gradually over the last month. 

The attire has been knitted with love by “mystery knitters” all over town.

For weeks, locals have been puzzled about why the dinosaurs are being clothed and where it is all coming from. The secret is finally out. 

Recently, the Royal Tyrrell Museum opened their newest  exhibit, “Foundations.” 

The yarn bombing also  tied into the “unraveling the mystery of life on earth” marketing theme of the exhibit. 

The graphics advertising this campaign used is a yarn design. A partnership between the Royal Tyrrell Museum and the community of Drumheller then conglomerated with the idea of “yarn bombing.” 

The partnership was used to engage the community, the Drumheller DinoArts Association and The Royal Tyrrell Museum together. 

Carrie-Ann Lunde, head of Marking and Public Relations says it was a calculated promotional  move. 

“Yarn bombing is a really popular social art movement and so it was a unique way for the museum, which is a cultural institution, but is also a scientific institution to join the two together. It is often hard to participate in the arts side of a cultural institution. So this was a really neat way to blend art and science.” 

The anonymous, mystery knitters were locals from all over town. 

“There  was so many different people. It was all volunteer, anyone who had the skills was put to work,” says Lunde.  

There has been some locals in town who have opposed to the knit clothes that the dinosaurs are donning. 

The Mail reached out to a number of people who had expressed opposition to  the project on social media, but declined to go public. 

“People are going to have their opinions. Art is always going to be controversial and up for different interpretation. At the end of the day it was a collaborative artistic project that we had a lot of fun at and it was a great thing to be able to do.” 

All of the knitted clothes for the dinosaurs will be “de-bombed” later this week. The knit fabric will also be washed and given to someone in need. 

Morrin Fire Department receives new fire truck

morrin new fire truck

“It’s a hell of a truck,” says Morrin fire chief Darcy Davidson as he looks at the department’s newly arrived fire truck.

The Morrin Fire Department’s 2016 edition Freightliner fire truck was delivered from Winnipeg on April 1 and with it came enhanced capabilities and protection for fighting fires in Starland County.

An enclosed pump control crown provides covered seating for six and protection for operators from the hazards of fire scenes and protects against the elements, while also providing a warm place to rest for accident and fire victims.

Increased seating to six from just three in the previous truck “eliminates the need to take your own car to the fire,” said Davidson.

The truck’s front mounted turret allows crews to pump and roll instead of only spraying while stationary, and the built in lighting mostly stops the need for flashlights. Equipment storage space has also doubled in size. 

“It adds a whole new degree of safety,” said Davidson. 

“The county’s fire program has been a big incentive for holding on to volunteers. Not a lot of guys want to go out at 3 a.m. to fight a fire in a 1970s Dodge,” Davidson jokes.

On the contrary, Starland County has been aggressive in keeping a modernized fleet for fire departments as a part of its emergency management plan.

“We try to upgrade all the time and keep things current,” said Reeve Barry Hoover.

The truck cost around $390,000 and replaces a 2004 Freightliner model, paid for by both Starland County and the Village of Morrin. The county will take possession of the previous fire truck.

Everything except the chassis and frame were built by the Fort Garry company in Winnipeg in just under a year. 

“It hasn’t seen its first call yet. As much as you want to stretch its legs you hope you don’t have to,” said Davidson.

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