Seniors expo Sept. 29
Expo to include workshops on various topics, along with ‘days gone by’ fashion show
Organizers of the Yarmouth Seniors 50+ Expo like to offer different things from time to time and, with this in mind, for this year’s event they have added a vintage fashion show.
The annual expo will be held Saturday, Sept. 29, at École secondaire de Par-en-Bas in Tusket, and, once again, the expo will feature workshops covering various topics.
This year’s topic list includes financial wellness for seniors (including a look at financial abuse), home safety (how to reduce the likelihood of falls) and waste management (how to get more out of recycling, for instance).
But to change things up a little, event organizers have invited Patsy Surette and her team to present a Days Gone By fashion show.
Sandra Hubbard-LeBlanc, coordinator of community support and volunteer services with VON Tri-County – one of the organizations involved in the seniors expo – expects participants will enjoy the show.
Adding to the expo, she said, is a good example of trying to offer participants something different.
“We do want to keep it fresh and new as much as possible,” she said, “and so that’s why this year we’ve brought in Patsy Surette and her show ... that will be a lot of fun in the afternoon.”
Surette, a Yarmouth County resident and the show’s co-ordinator, describes it as a fashion show but with a little extra, including skits and music and elements of local history. Watching the show is like taking “a trip back in time,” she said.
“It’s more than just a fashion show,” said Surette, who was involved in similar shows before, notably in 2014 and again last year on Surette’s Island. Asked about the response to those shows, she said, “it was awesome; beyond our expectations.”
(Participants in the seniors expo will get to see the show in the afternoon as part of their event. The show will be presented for the general public that evening in the Père Maurice LeBlanc theatre in Tusket.)
Hubbard-LeBlanc says the expo is well attended from year to year.
“It’s a great place for seniors to network and to find out information on different things,” she said. “That’s why we provide the workshops.”
The deadline to register for the expo was Sept. 21, but that’s mostly to ensure organizers had a good idea how much food to prepare. Beyond that date, anyone interested in attending can contact organizers to see if there’s still room. They can do so by phoning Karen Morton at 902-742-3542, ext. 1925 or sending an email to Karen.Morton@nshealth.ca
The expo is hosted by a number of organizations, including the Nova Scotia Health Authority South West area, VON Tri-County, Western Regional Housing Authority, Argyle Recreation Department, Senior Safety Program and Senior Consultants.
“We have a lot of support from the public too and businesses, several sponsors who donate items, so it’s really good,” Hubbard-LeBlanc said, “and we have a lot of exhibitors who participate, so it’s a great learning experience for the seniors and a fun day.”