Keep the wheels rolling

CHAD Transit has been offering great service during the years it has existed and is about to embark on a new outing to add to that track record. The service is planning a feature to provide seniors some recreational time.

Pictou County’s only current transit means has been a stalwart in the community, providing transportation services for disabled people and seniors. The non-profit organization is in a prime position to recognize an opportunity to enhance the lives of a group of people – and that’s the aim here.

The idea is ‘Sunday Drives,’ for seniors in the area without family and the means to get out to do things. They can sometimes be trapped in their homes, CHAD executive director Danny MacGillivray told The News this week.

A typical Sunday drive would be three or four hours, to a park in the area or day trip to a nearby town. CHAD would also provide each senior $5 for a treat, since sometimes even that can be a strain on a person’s budget.

The idea garnered some significant attention. MacGillivray pitched the plan recently to the Pictou County chapter of 100 Women Who care and was awarded $10,000 from the group to put it in place. He said the money should cover the cost of about 30 drives.

Any local seniors interested in the drives can call the CHAD office at 902-928-1234 for more information.

What the project is trying to tackle is a problem some seniors inevitably face – social isolation. This is especially a risk among those living alone, perhaps without a vehicle, with limited financial means, or facing other more physically related reasons that make it difficult to get out and about.

We have a sizable senior population in Pictou County, and any endeavour to make communities more inviting, inclusive and engaging is welcome.

With an aging demographic, we often hear and read advice from health professionals about how vital it is for seniors to maintain activities – physical, mental, emotional, spiritual. Fortunately, Pictou County also has a number of clubs that serve this need.

Continuing social contact as people age, and perhaps are in situations of living or spending much of their time alone, is particularly crucial.

This project from CHAD Transit could fill a void for some area residents, and help some of them make new acquaintances. It merits wide publicity to ensure folks know about it. It’s also worth considering that some of those who could benefit from the outings might need a bit of encouragement, particularly if they have been living a somewhat solitary existence.

If it proves a success, it would be great to see the project receive continuing funding, perhaps through various levels of government or programs for enhancing health and connectivity in communities.

A nice Sunday drive would have been a tradition for folks in decades past. In all likelihood it will strike the fancy of a lot of people.