Where did this idea come from?

RR: There were 100 birthday celebrations on the units where someone from hospital leadership would often present a certificate to the birthday celebrant, but we were thinking of something a little more tangible to give them as a gift to identify these special folks, as part of a club.

How did you come up with the idea for a vest?

RR: We didn’t want to do a framed certificate, but rather something that would be very visible, practical and that our Veterans would be proud of.  Someone came up with the idea of a vest with the Sunnybrook logo and embroidered 100 Club on it with a poppy. Thankfully, we also received funding support from the Fort York Legion.

What does the vest look like?

RR: In addition to the logos I just mentioned, it’s zippered up the front and unisex. It’s a warm fleece fabric in an off-white colour.

What do you think it will mean to the Veterans to receive it?

RR: We hope they are dancing up and down when they get it! I think they are all going to be very touched that their fellow Veterans here are taking the trouble to put this whole thing together and give them an individual present of reaching that goal of reaching 100.

A special ceremony was held in October to give out the first vests, and Frances you were the first to receive it. Tell me more!

FM: I’m 105 years old, and the oldest centenarian at Sunnybrook. It was an honour to receive the vest. I think I’ll wear it fairly frequently!

RR: It was a very special ceremony with many Sunnybrook senior leaders in attendance to mark the occasion. We were able to induct dozens of Veterans into the 100 Club and it was a really happy day. As more Veterans reach 100, we intend to present them with a vest wrapped up beautifully, much like a Christmas present.

Richard, you’re very close to receiving a vest yourself!

RR: I’m 94 years old and I can taste it. That is one of my goals in life to reach 100 years old!

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“It was really, really, really great,” says Richard with lit up eyes, thinking about his first “close-contact” visit with Stephanie, which took place following her vaccination. This meant that Richard was finally able to hug his daughter after months of less frequent, distanced visits. Of that first hug, he says, “It was really magnificent. It was awesome.”

Preventing the spread of COVID-19 in Sunnybrook’s Veterans Centre

These changes to visitation were much anticipated for Richard and the rest of the Veterans Centre residents, as throughout the pandemic, provincial visitation guidelines have been changing regularly and were even put on pause to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

“It’s a little tiresome,” says Richard of the restrictions. But he adds, “We’re military. We’re used to working with changing orders on the fly. But it’s to our benefit. They’re only trying to stop the spread.”

“Understandably, restrictions are a big disruption to the Veterans,” says Lisa Cheung, the infection prevention and control coordinator for the Veterans Centre. “But I think everyone’s on the same page, understanding the high community prevalence and that these evidence-based measures will prevent the transmission.”

Lisa adds that despite many residents being fully vaccinated, with variants emerging in the community, easing the restrictions has had to be done very cautiously.

Using technology to stay connected

During those times when Richard wasn’t able to visit his family in person, the 92-year-old went virtual.

“I learned to use an iPad right here in Sunnybrook,” he says. On top of learning to use an iPad, Richard also learned how to use Zoom.

“We Zoom, my family. Right across Canada every Sunday for two hours,” he says. “It’s not quite the same; you can’t touch or anything like that. But we do all kinds of crazy things.”

Online, Richard and family from Nova Scotia to British Columbia have celebrated birthdays together, danced to music on New Year’s Eve and even played bingo.

“My son in Halifax won the $150,” he says of his family’s latest Zoom bingo session. Laughing, he adds, “I won a single line, $15.”

Richard recommends the other Veterans learn Zoom if they can, as it’s really allowed him to stay connected with family throughout this difficult time.

And while that technology’s been great, Richard is so happy that in-person visits are continuing to ramp up, with daily room visits and day/night passes now being permitted. He calls these changes an “enormous morale booster,” which enhance his already positive experience of being a Sunnybrook resident.

“We are grateful to the Canadian people who have provided us with a wonderful home and a lifestyle second to none,” he says. “We’re over 300 of the most privileged people in Canada. We’re looked after every way, every day. Can’t be any better than that.”

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Johnny Bower’s name and number hang from the rafters at the home of the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Scotiabank Arena. But now there’s a place at the Sunnybrook Veterans Centre that bears his name with equal honour: The Johnny Bower Arms Pub.

The Toronto Maple Leafs legend may have been impenetrable as a goalie, but he had quite the opposite reputation around Sunnybrook’s Veterans Program. Residents there say he was always quick to let you into his heart with a friendly smile and handshake on one of his many visits.

A military man himself before his storied hockey career, Bower was a frequent guest at the Sunnybrook Veterans Centre. His compassionate, gentle character and desire to give back meant he was often the last person to leave, happy to spend time with the people who so courageously fought for Canada.

With Bower’s status as a mainstay at the Veterans Centre, it was little surprise that the move to rename the pub in his honour was put into motion not long after his passing in 2017. A gathering place exclusively for veteran residents and their invited guests, the pub was originally known as the Boar’s Head Pub and later called the Blythwood Social Club, as additional support by the Fort York Branch of the Royal Canadian Legion was introduced.

It’s a fitting tribute for the man who holds a special place in the hearts of Sunnybrook’s beloved veterans community.

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(Photography by Kevin Van Paassen)

Mary Buchan Jarvis learned to drive virtually any kind of car, bus or off-road vehicle when she served as a driver in the Canadian Women’s Army Corps in the Second World War. But when her children gave her a mobile phone to help her stay in touch, Mary resisted. 

“It’s just one of those things I can’t seem to get used to,” says Mary, who has been living at Sunnybrook’s Veterans Centre for about four years. 

But when staff at the Centre announced a pilot program seeking volunteers to use an iPad-based communication app, Mary decided to give it a test drive. At the time, she didn’t even know what an iPad was.  

“The way it was described to [me] sounded like a great idea, so I said, ‘Alright, I’m up to the challenge,’” recalls Mary, who turned 95 this year. 

The mobile app, called Connections, was developed by the University of Toronto’s Technologies for Aging Gracefully Lab (TAGlab) and software company Famli.net Communications. It allows users to send text, voice, picture and video messages – all from a single interface – simply by tapping on the photos of the people they’ve added to the app. Recipients get all messages by email, regardless of whether they’re sending a text, voice memo or photo.

“We know from studies and from our work at Sunnybrook that seniors’ health, function and mood are better when they’re engaged,” says Dr. Jocelyn Charles, medical director of the Veterans Centre at Sunnybrook. “Veterans using the app are definitely more engaged, connected and enjoying a better life experience.” 

The pilot program, which started three years ago with 10 participants, was expanded last year to include 40 veterans.

Sunnybrook volunteers, most of them retirees or university students, provide one-on-one and group training sessions for the veterans on a weekly basis. The majority of participants have so far reported feeling more connected since they started using the app, Dr. Charles says. 

The Connections app is a step towards universally accessible communication for older people, says Robert Arn, chief technology officer at Toronto-based Famli.net, the mobile communications software company that worked with Sunnybrook and U of T on the pilot project. Robert points to TAGlab research that looked into the many communication challenges faced by older people. 

“The problems are multifaceted and include issues such as accessibility – for seniors with hearing and eyesight problems, for example – and in some cases also cognitive challenges and language barriers,” Robert says.  

App developers worked to create a way for people to communicate that is independent of any disabilities the users might have and that doesn’t require anyone to be particularly tech-savvy, he says. “For example, if you have poor eyesight and are sending a voice message to someone who’s hard of hearing, your message would be automatically converted to text.” 

Mary’s daughter, Karen Evans, says her mother’s ability to communicate through a device she’s comfortable with has made all the difference for the entire family. Mary is even taking photos of flowers and vegetables in the Veterans Centre garden and sending them to the youngest members of the family.  

“It used to be so hard to get in touch with her because she doesn’t like using her phone, but it’s been amazing the way she’s adopted the iPad,” Karen says. “It’s been a lifeline for me and for my brothers, but the absolute benefit has been for her grandchildren and great-grandchildren because now she’s maintaining email correspondence with them.”  

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