April 19th

Building Day Five

Things are coming together.

Today was a busy day. The panels are all getting filled up and soon we will finished this stage of the project. Many worked on the more challenging detail work of the neighbourhood panels. This is much harder and slower mosaicking then the sunshine panels.

Since much of the work left to do on the panels is very hard, we started working on our documentation of the project today too. In an effort to gain more personal perspectives and insights to the participants both youth and elder, we decided to team the youth with elders to interview them about the project, their life and their personal history.

Pearl Hall:
Born 1926 in Saskatoon. She worked in pork packing for five years before moving to Duncan, then on to Victoria. Pearl is the last of her immediate family - out of eleven children only four are now living. Pearl has been in the Glengarry since Christmas. She was invited to participate on the project by other on her floor. "It's a pretty good project and something to do," she said.

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Roger Kerkham: Interviewed by Caitlyn Dennis -

"Roger has helped on the mosaic for the past three sessions. He thinks the mosaic is very good idea and he is having fun. Roger is now 100 years told me a little bit about his life. Since Roger was a little boy he has been very interested in motion pictures. Roger was an assistant manager at the department of education, and then he became a still photographer in New York for ten years. After that he went to the air force at the age of 40 for four years. Then went back to motion pictures. Roger has had an amazing life and I was very glad to interview him. This was an amazing short experience, interviewing Roger. I think he is a very kind and brave man."

MtC volunteers also took time to sit with the seniors and document their stories.
Jill spoke with Carl Shenkenfelder who told him all about himself.

"Carl was born in 1922 in Switzerland. He moved to Canada where he lived for more then 30 years in Edmonton and moved to Victoria as a motor mechanic. A career he enjoyed for 62 years. He is a father of four children.

He has only been in the Glengarry for two weeks as he broke his leg.

He came by the project to participate for his first time because" imagination is needed".

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While the interviews were going on around the room others continued to work on the details of the neighbourhood pieces. Again this take much more concentrated time and focus.

Jill also interviewed Eric Jenson. Eric was born in 1926 in Jamaica. In 1975 he moved to Mill Bay, Victoria as a ship repairer working for DND Esquimalt. He was the harbormaster there for 27 years.

He has been a resident of the Glengarry for a year and was brought to the project by a nurse.

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Along with tea and cookies, Jennifer interviewed Connie Paminter:
Connie is 91 years old and has been part of the project since the start. She is very much in favor of the project. She believes its handy to have the students here and is glad they are part of the project. She was a teacher for 25yrs and taught grades K- to university. She had a happy childhood with her siblings. Her husband was a professor at UBC for 20 years. She has a son who is 53 yrs old. She is very fond of this project and likes ideas it teaches. "

Today John Azar, of MtC and the Embrace Aging Committee brought by two guests to see the project Vera McIver, who designed the Glengarry building and co-Embrace Aging Committee member Jeanette Funke-Ferber. So Joanne explained the project's design and details to our guests.

Both Vera and Jeanette took time to place a piece or two each into the mosaic.

It's always great when these projects reconnect people to places that have meaning to them. We spoke of doing a similar project at Vera's residence. So.. Who knows?

We really see all the work we have done when the mosaic panels are placed back together. Only some detail work left to do. Next week Desiree and I are planning to meet here to work on those details. Hopefully we can finish up.

Just another reminder of where the mosaic will be going. Exciting for sure.