Remarks by
The Honourable Anita Neville, P.C., O.M.
Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba
GWEN SECTER CREATIVE LIVING CENTRE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
1588 Main Street, Winnipeg
Wednesday, August 21, 2024, 12:00 noon
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Friends and fellow Manitobans, it’s a pleasure to join you today at a place that has brought joy and friendship to generations of Winnipeg seniors.
As Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba, I would like to begin by acknowledging that we are gathered on Treaty 1 territory and that Manitoba is located on the treaty territories and ancestral lands of the Anishinaabe Anishininew (ANISH-IN-INEW), Cree, Dakota, Dene and Nehetho (NE-HET-HO) Nation; that Manitoba is located on the homeland of the Red River Métis; and that northern Manitoba includes lands that were and are the ancestral lands of the Inuit.
As Manitobans, we respect the spirit and intent of treaties and treaty making and remain committed to working in partnership with First Nations, Metis and Inuit people in the spirit of truth, reconciliation and collaboration.
The great story of our city, province and country for more than a century has been a story of welcoming of the circle of newcomers.
Gradually, barriers based on race, religion, gender and language have been dismantled and Canadians have come to see opportunity, equality and inclusion as core values.
And for 75 years the Gwen Secter Creative Living Centre has worked to ensure that age doesn’t stand in the way of opportunities for learning, socializing, health and joy.
In 1949, when the National Council of Jewish Women of Canada established the first drop-in centre for seniors in Canada, a new idea took root – here and across our country. The senior years didn’t have to be a time of withdrawal from the world.
And as new medications and preventative treatments allowed us to live longer– and everything from joint replacement to yoga helped extend our active lifespans – Canadians came to see the senior years as a time to embrace life to the fullest.
And certainly that’s what the Gwen Secter Centre does with its wonderful array of programming for all interests and abilities.
At our age, we may not be able to do things exactly the way we once did. Our days of doing the twist may be behind us – but we can still move in time with the music we love.
Many of us have a few more dietary restrictions than we once did – but the kitchen at the Gwen Secter is sure to have something delicious that we can enjoy.
Medical science is confirming for us something that we’ve long understood intuitively – that social health is key to physical health, that happiness isn’t a nice add-on to life, but in fact is essential to life.
Everything the Gwen Secter centre offers – from card games to exercise classes, from music and dance to quiet conversation, from days out on the town to a mobile library – reinforces the truth that the joy of life continues throughout our senior years.
To all of the staff, volunteers and supporters who make that possible, thank you for your dedication to the people of our city and to life itself.
Thank you. Merci. Meegwich. Shalom
