Many Bowen islanders knew our father as Dr. MacKinnon, or at least, the friendly old man on his red scooter.
Our parents had been married for more than 70 years, and after our mother died, dad was of course both grief-stricken and lonely. We had wonderful home companions come and stay with him, but what he missed was people of his own generation, who could chat about the old days, who could identify with past events and current affairs, and who shared some of his interests and values.
Dad would have been a perfect resident of Snug Cove House, which is part of why my sister and I continue to work with other committed volunteers to build a home for Bowen Island seniors who can no longer, or choose no longer, to live in their own homes.
Our vision is to create a residence of 19 suites, mostly one bedrooms with three two bedrooms, where Bowen seniors can have their own furniture and effects, come to the communal dining room for healthy and nutritious lunch and dinner, but prepare breakfast for themselves.
There would be social stimulation to counteract the loneliness that is often a key determinant in seniors’ health, through both volunteer interaction and community involvement. We hope that various Bowen organizations will find ways to be a part of the life of Snug Cove House.
Some people might be concerned about how they can scale down from their own home to living in a 575-square-foot suite.
The layout of the rooms are still being designed but here is description of what a one-bedroom suite might look like. The bathroom is designed to be walker or wheelchair accessible, and the kitchens will be outfitted to be easy for seniors to use.
We can imagine how happy our dad would have been, living in Snug Cove House, and riding his scooter into Crippen Park right next door.
Please help us make this dream a reality for other Bowen seniors. We hope to be welcoming our first residents to Snug Cove House in the spring of 2018.
For more information, contact Graham Ritchie at [email protected], or go to our website,
snugcovehouse.com.
