Remarks by
The Honourable Anita Neville, P.C., O.M.
Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba
16th ANNUAL ALL SENIORS CARE SENIOR GAMES – CLOSING CEREMONY
Shaftsbury Park Retirement Residence
Friday, February 7, 2025
(please check against delivery)
Fellow Manitobans, participants and supporters in this annual celebration of social activity and fun competition – I hope you’ve had a wonderful time at the 16th Annual All Seniors Care Senior Games.
As Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba, I am pleased to acknowledge first that we are gathered on Treaty 1 and that our province is located on the treaty territories and ancestral lands of the Anishinaabe, Anishininew (ANISH-IN-INEW), Cree, Dakota, Dene, Nehetho (NE-HET-HO) Nation and the homeland of the Red River Métis. As well, Manitoba includes northern lands that were and are the ancestral lands of the Inuit.
As Manitobans, we all aim for a healthy society that gives everybody the chance to experience the joys of community and belonging. And community and belonging are what this week at Shaftsbury Park Residence has been all about.
I know that the theme for this year’s All Seniors Care games was that famous line from the movie Forrest Gump – “Life is like a box of chocolates.”
Just as a box of chocolates is filled with different flavours, so too is life, and so too have these games been for 16 years.
But there’s one difference. If you sample all of the flavours in a box of chocolates in a couple of days, you might end up with an upset stomach.
But this week offered all the fun, fitness and social benefits of:
- walking,
- bocce,
- beanbag,
- cards,
- shuffleboard,
- bingo and more and it has only left participants more healthy, happy and energized.
Putting on a week of activities like this is a major undertaking. And doing so at all of the All Seniors Care Residences in Manitoba shows a real commitment to the health and quality of life of older Manitobans.
All of us, as we get older, find it a little bit harder to do things we used to take for granted. So having the extra incentive of fun community events helps to keep us active and keep our bodies, minds and spirits running smoothly.
To all who helped organize and support the All Seniors Care Games, here at Shaftsbury Park or elsewhere — thank you for your commitment to the health and happiness of Manitobans. May you all continue to enjoy the many benefits of physical and social activity in the years ahead.
Thank you. Merci. Meegwich. Shalom
