Bridging the Social Distance

Ep 278 - Carol Kerklaan (The Village of Riverside Glen)

For this episode I interview Carol Kerklaan, a resident at The Village of Riverside Glen. It wasn’t Carol’s idea to move into a care facility, but she’s accepting this new chapter with grace - she shares stories from growing up, working at GM where her grandfather was the president, meeting her husband (an Engineer) and his career designing many award-winning patents. Carol was quite the athlete, and we bond over a shared love of basketball. Lots has changed for Carol in recent years, navigating changing health, but her advice is to “go with the flow”. Thanks Carol for your positive attitude and for sharing your story with me!This episode was originally recorded on Sept 11th 2025 This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bridgingthesocialdistance.substack.com

Ep 277 - Suzanne Ashton (The Village of Riverside Glen)

For this episode I interview Suzanne Ashton, a resident at The Village of Riverside Glen. Suzanne is one of the younger residents I've met at Riverside Glen, having moved into the village to be safe and supported while navigating her health journey living with Myotonic Dystrophy, a form of Muscular Dystrophy. Suzanne has to move at a careful pace, picking and choosing her activities, but has jumped right into village life, recently becoming co-chair of the "Residents Committee" and recently participating in a CN Tower Edgewalk! She's an inspiration for those who share the experience of trying to balance living with chronic illness and subsequent limitations, while still trying new things and taking risks to gain new experiences. Thank you Suzanne for connecting with me!This episode was originally recorded Sept 4th 2025 This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bridgingthesocialdistance.substack.com

Ep 276 - Bernadette McKay (Long-Term Care, The Village of Riverside Glen)

For this episode I interview Bernadette McKay, a resident in Long-Term-Care at The Village of Riverside Glen. Bernadette shares the many places she's lived throughout southern Ontario, her history of her family in Slovenia and Austria, and her current days at Riverside Glen. She's a happy woman with endearingly specific memories, and definitely a sense of humour. It was a pleasure to meet her!This interview was originally recorded on July 17, 2025 This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bridgingthesocialdistance.substack.com

Ep 275 - Adriaan Sizoo (Director of Landscaping and Exterior Maintenance for Schlegel Villages)

For this episode I interview Adriaan Sizoo, director of Landscaping and Exterior Maintenance for Schlegel Villages. Adriaan has been helping design and implement and maintain the gardens and outdoor spaces at all of the 18 Schlegel Villages retirement and long-term care facilities for about seven years now, and we met up at The Village of Riverside Glen, where Adriaan took me on a tour through the flower, vegetable, and pollinator gardens, the bee boxes, and the Koi pond. Adriaan speaks passionately of the value of gardens and outdoor spaces and the myriads of benefits they bring for everyone, and especially in the case of these villages, for supporting people navigating changing health, aging bodies, and memory care. The gardens are designed to involve the residents as much as they like, even if it's just to feel a connection to the outside world, or the homes they left when they moved into care. Adriaan carries so much wisdom, and every single plant we crossed was chosen and placed with care and intention, in raised boxes allowing residents ease of access to help with tending the gardens. I can't say enough positive things about the magic of Adriaan and his gardens - I learned so much, and will never look at these spaces the same way again! Thank you Adriaan for this conversation and tour of the space!This interview was originally recorded on July 10, 2025 This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bridgingthesocialdistance.substack.com

Ep 274 - Jeanne "Jean" Newcombe (The Village of Riverside Glen)

For this episode I interview Jeanne (Jean) Newcombe, a new resident at The Village of Riverside Glen. Jean shares about her Dutch heritage, her recent move from Chatham, and tells us all about her children and grandchildren, which are a beloved part of her life. Thank you Jean for sharing today!This interview was originally recorded on July 3, 2025 This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bridgingthesocialdistance.substack.com