Connecting Elders through song and dance

By Rick Garrick

THUNDER BAY — A group of Elders enjoyed the fiddle music of Darren Lavallee at the Anishinabek Employment and Training Services (AETS) Elders Dinner and Square Dance on Dec. 1 at Delta Hotels Thunder Bay. Lavallee and the Country Junction band, who are from Winnipeg, performed for the Elders during the gathering.

“I really enjoy dancing to that music, they’re awesome,” says Biigtigong Nishnaabeg’s Beatrice Twance-Hynes. “It just makes me think back to our younger days — we’re really having a good time, it’s just awesome.”

Gerald Hynes says there was a lot of excitement when they were dancing.

“I haven’t done it for a while, but it never goes away,” Hynes says. “It gets the energy out into an artistic form, I would say.”

Biinjitiwaabik Zaaging Anishinaabek’s Jocelyn Nobis says the music was “pretty good.”

“It revives you,” Nobis says, noting that it was good to dance again on the dance floor. “It’s a form of exercise, so I’m glad I came out tonight.”

Biinjitiwaabik Zaaging Anishinaabek’s Roseanna Hudson says the music was awesome.

“It was great, it’s finally nice to be able to go somewhere and hear a live band,” Hudson says. “It was nice to see everybody up there having a good time.”

Netmizaaggamig Nishnaabeg’s Carrie Shaganash says she enjoyed the dancing.

“I liked the music, too, it was nice and loud,” Shaganash says. “I used to like dancing years ago when I was young, that’s why I’m getting up when I enjoy that music.”

Netmizaaggamig Nishnaabeg’s Marie McWatch says the dancing was beautiful.

“It’s nice that we get that good spirit going,” McWatch says. “The band is very awesome, it’s beautiful. I’ve never heard such a good band in a long time like that, it’s sweet.”

Lavallee says they had a great time performing for the Elders.

“It’s always a great time to be celebrating something with the Elders and seeing all the smiles on their faces and [seeing them] enjoying the music and having fun and dancing,” Lavallee says.

John DeGiacomo, executive director at AETS, says the Elders Dinner and Square Dance was held through their Age Well at Home program for citizens from the nine communities they serve, including Biigtigong Nishnaabeg, Biinjitiwaabik Zaaging Anishinaabek, Michipicoten, Netmizaaggamig Nishnaabeg, Pays Plat, and Red Rock Indian Band.

“We see a lot of value with the impact that the programming has had on the Elders and we are continually talking to funders about how we might be able to continue this moving forward, but right now, it sunsets in March of 2026. So, we’re looking forward to see what might happen after that,” DeGiacomo says. “I think the staff at AETS has demonstrated that there is a need out there for programming; it could be programming to prevent any types of scams that are out there that are targeting those that are seniors, so we’re happy the programming has helped.”

Lorraine Keough, former coordinator of the Age Well at Home program at AETS, says this was their last gathering through the Age Well at Home program.

“We did quite a few in-community visits, so we did diabetes foot care, age, and oral health, financial safety, online safety,” Keough says. “Within the city, I hosted a weekly exercise class, I provided transportation, friendly visits, so it is going to be really sad to not have this program for our Elders.”

Keough says the Elders loved the social aspect of the Age Well at Home program.

“They truly loved it,” Keough says. “Some people haven’t seen each other in decades, so it’s truly a nice get-together.”