Jan 14, 2015


Dave Linton, a long time volunteer with Southern Frontenac Community Services (SFCS), not only talks the talk but also walks the walk - and in this case, skis the lopp.

At 75 years of age Linton knows first hand the benefits to seniors of regular daily exercise, its positive impact on mental and physical health and its ability to help them live in their homes independently and with dignity for as long as possible. It is with those ideas in mind that Linton will be skiing the Gatineau Loppett, a 51 km international cross-country ski marathon, the largest of its kind in Canada, which will take place on February 14 in the Gatineau Hills of Quebec.

Linton will be participating this year, not as he has done in the past, to raise funds for the SFCSC (he also has another idea about fundraising that I will mention later), but to raise awareness of the importance of daily exercise while also promoting the seniors programming offered at SFCSC.

Linton began volunteering with SFCSC 36 years ago when he and his wife Jennifer, who is the coordinator of the SFCSC food bank, first moved to the area. He currently volunteers as a fundraiser and driver and highly recommends the organization as “a place to hang your volunteer hat.” For Linton volunteering has become a way of life and fulfills an important need. “It gives me an intrinsic satisfaction and makes me feel connected to the community.”

SFCSC runs a number of Adult Day programs at the Grace Centre in Sydenham that are geared to seniors, many of whom are physically frail and socially isolated. Some may have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, and may also be survivors of other illnesses. The programs offer participants a plethora of physical, social and cognitive activities under the direction of trained personnel and staff members, which help to stimulate brain and body function while offering clients a chance to socialize and interact with their peers.

The programming at SFCSC has expanded in recent years from three days a week to five and from a capacity of eight clients per day to 12. Participants in the program are provided with snacks and lunch, and trained PSWs also provide any assistance they might require while in attendance. Referrals to the program are typically made by the Community Care Access Centre (CCAC) or by self-referral and are followed up with an in-office visit, after which clients receive a free one trial visit to the program. The cost is $20 per day and transportation can also be provided at an additional cost.

Dave Linton understands that skiing a 51 km marathon is definitely not for everyone, and stressed that it is the daily training leading up to the event that is most important. “It is the daily exercise required to prepare for a marathon and not the marathon itself that is most beneficial. My training equipment is not sophisticated: a chainsaw, an axe, a wood pile plus regular walking with a set of weighted poles…no running, jogging or any other high impact exercises is how I prepare for the race.”

Linton is an incredibly fit 75-year-old and is perhaps not a standard that other seniors can aspire to. He knows this but still he says regular daily exercise is key to overall health. “Daily physical activity changed my life (maybe even saved it on occasions). It is a life-enhancing tool for me and I strongly believe that it can be for others … If we seniors can stay out of nursing homes and long term care facilities, we will not only save tax payer dollars, but will enable ourselves to live healthier, happier, more independent lives in the long term”.

Now back to Linton’s idea about fundraising. He suggests that, given the fact that most seniors usually have everything they need in life, when families are celebrating a milestone event like a birthday or anniversary, they could invite guests to make a donation to the SFCSC in lieu of gifts.

For more information about seniors’ programming at the SFCSC and/or to make a donation call 613-376-6477 or visit www.sfcsc.ca

Support local
independant journalism by becoming a patron of the Frontenac News.