Bryan G, Author at Verve Senior Living Blog

Fresh, frozen, as jam, in pie, red, white or purple we Canadians love cherries. Cherries are a delicious source of vitamins A, B, and C, folic acid, iron and calcium as well as a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent.

Farming Fun:

Cherry trees are part of the rose family and are directly related to pears, apricots, nectarines, peaches and almonds. Trees within the rose family typically produce beautiful flowers that turn into fruit containing a large seed. We often refer to this kind of fruit as stone fruit.

Cherry blossoms are comprised of many little flowers that grow in a bunch. This allows each flower cluster to grow 2-3 cherries, and hence a cherry tree can produce approximately 7000 cherries per season.

Cherries come in 2 different categories:

Sweet Cherries are eaten fresh as they are quite juicy and flavourful. The most commonly known sweet cherry is the Bing cherry, recognizable by it dark red/black skin and firm texture.
Sour Cherries are grown for processing. The most commonly known sour cherry is the Montmorency cherry. Montmorency’s are smaller, paler and have much lower sugar content than the sweet variety. Cooking is what truly brings out a sour cherry’s flavour making them popular for pie fillings and preserves.

Canada’s Contribution to Cherry Varietals:

In 1940 Dr. Kerr, from the University of Saskatchewan (U of S) began researching a Canadian cold climate cherry. He created The Mongolian cherry: a hardy, tiny, very sour cherry that could tolerate cold temperatures.
Between 1970-1980 U of S starting crossing hybrids from Siberia and the U.S. with the Mongolian cherry. In 1999 the first hybrid dwarf cherry bush the “SK Carmine Jewel” was released. It was a hardy, short stature plant, that produced high quality fruit, stronger and sweeter than traditional sour cherries.
In 2004 more varieties followed with Juliet, Romeo, Crimson Passion, Valentine and Cupid varieties.

Canadian Statistics:

Most Canadian sweet cherry production is from British Columbia which has devoted 75% of its planted area to sweet cherries.
Ontario has traditionally been Canada’s sour cherry producing region.
Prairie Provinces are coming up fast in sour cherry production mainly because of the hybrid dwarf bushes that have been created by the University of Saskatchewan.

Fun Facts:

Cherry tree branches are so thick they have to be shaken by machine it can’t be done by hand.
Cherry trees can survive and produce fruit for 100 years.
Cherries are used for natural food colouring.
Sweet cherry trees require cross pollination whereas sour cherry trees are self-fruiting.
In the late 1800’s Auguste Escoffier, a famous French chef prepared a very special dessert in honour of Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee celebration called Cherries Jubilee and it is still enjoyed today.

Living Loving Local Recipes

Here is just one of the many delicious recipes we are celebrating cherries with this month:

Cherry Goat Cheese and Arugula Flat

Verve Senior Living has found another way to fundraise for the Alzheimer Society.

All managers across Canada who had a company iPhone were asked to turn them into head office to upgrade to the new iPhone 7. Once this was complete, the phones were inspected to ensure they were in good shape and working order.

In turn, the phones were offered back to the managers for a $100 donation to the Alzheimer Society. This will raise another $10,500 for the Alzheimer Society.

On Thursday June 14^th2018, 12 staff members and 8 residents from Richmond Hill Retirement Residence participated in the 2018 Heart and Stroke Big Bike.

The youngest rider was 24, and the oldest was 88!

We surpassed our goal, and collected $2601.

A great, big shout out to all who participated and our generous staff, residents and families.

Resident & Veteran, Herb Manweiler

On December 18th, 2017, Hawthorn Park Resident and Veteran, Herb Manweiler received the Legion of Honour by the French government for his part in the country’s liberation in WWII. He was awarded the Chevalier (Knight) which is the highest honour awarded by France. It was started by Napoleon in 1802 and retained by all the divergent governments and regimes later holding power in France, up to the present.

Herb served in the war from 1942-1946 and belonged to the 86 Bridge Coy RCASC. While stationed in France, he drove the trucks in order to transport floating bridge pieces used for the canals and rivers.

On June 18, 2018, Beatrice Wong, a resident of celebrated a milestone by making it to triple digits; the big 100!

Beatrice was born and raised in Quesnel, B.C. She & her husband raised 3 children, and now have 2 grand & 2 great grand-children! Beatrice moved into Courtyard Gardens Retirement Residence in January of 2016 and has enjoyed our exercise programs, various musical entertainment and her favourite: a weekly Bingo game! Beatrice has many amazing stories to tell, so much so that in 2017 one of her daughter-in-laws researched, wrote and published a book telling the story of a pioneer Chinese family in North Cariboo – all about Beatrice’s family heritage.

When asked how she felt about turning 100 she had these words of wisdom: “Be happy, enjoy life and don’t take things for granted. Let bygones be bygones.”

Happy Birthday Beatrice, from your friends at Verve!

Help us find 600+ pairs of used eyeglasses for the University of Waterloo Volunteer Optometric Services to Humanity who provide eye exams and eyecare services to small villages around the world.

Who is up for a challenge??? Show your Verve Spirit. We have the Verve to Serve!

During a recent visit to The Lodge at Valley Ridge Retirement Residence, Denise Kato came across a resident carrying a box of glasses. As it turns out, the gentleman, Richard Wilcox, a resident of The Lodge at Valley Ridge, was collecting them for his granddaughter who is currently attending the University of Waterloo for optometry. Each year she takes these glasses around the world (Peru, Haiti, Nicaragua, etc.) to provide free eye examinations and provides the donated glasses to those in need. Denise was inspired by this project and spoke to Richard about how Verve could assist. Richard set a goal of 300 pairs of glasses but we know we can do better based on our track history of challenges. Therefore, the goal has been moved to 600! Please join in on the “Verve” Spirit and collect as many pairs of gently used glasses as possible for a very worthy cause. Think of the story the granddaughter can tell when she tells everyone her 87 year old grandfather piloted the project for her and collected over 600 pairs of glasses!

Pease forward your collection to the representatives below listed by province before Friday, August 24, 2018.

Peter Cline or Denise Kato (Ontario Head Office), 2121 Argentia Rd, Mississauga, ON L5N 2X4
Krystal Laframboise (Lodge at Valley Ridge, AB), 11479 Valley Ridge Dr NW, Calgary, AB T3B 5V5
Charlene Van Dyk (Courtyard Gardens, BC), 7051 Moffatt Rd, Richmond, BC V6Y 3W2

We want YOU to bring your passion of excellence to those in need and help us round up as many pairs of glasses as possible!

Eye Glass donations poster

Gilmore Gardens has placed first as the Top Senior's Community in Richmond BC!

The results are in and Gilmore Gardens Retirement Residence has been voted as the Top Senior’s Community in Richmond BC! Nestled between the Fraser River and the Strait of Georgia waterways, Gilmore Gardens enjoys beautiful views of coastal mountain ranges, plenty of park space, plus shopping and restaurants close by. Many thanks to those who voted for us! Call 604-271-7222 or arrange a visit with us. We’d love to see you and show you around!

Pretty much everyone loves strawberries. This versatile “fruit” can be used in sweet and savoury cooking and of course is delicious eaten raw and in large quantities! It is one of the first fruits to ripen and signifies that summer is around the corner and provides a launch to the preserving/canning season.

History:

Seeds found in Europe indicate strawberries existed in prehistoric times.
In France, strawberries were cultivated in the 13th century for use as a medicinal herb.
Jacques Cartier saw “vast patches” of wild strawberries along the St. Lawrence River in 1534.
Commercial cultivation began in 17th century England and by the 1800’s in North America.

Farming Fun:

Strawberries are not really berries or fruit but are instead the enlarged ends of the plant’s stamen. The small tan spots are the fruit. Strawberries are a member of the Rose family.
Strawberries are grown in all the provinces of Canada with the largest areas of production in Quebec (36%), Ontario (32%), British Columbia (15%) and Nova Scotia (8%). Most strawberries in Canada are June-bearing varieties picked in June and July, but there is an increase in production of day-neutral varieties, which are harvested into the late fall.
In recent years, Ontario greenhouse growers have experimented with winter strawberries and this year we were able to find Ontario Greenhouse Grown Strawberries on our shelves in March and April….strawberries that unbelievably taste like strawberries should. They look and taste delicious.
If you are lucky enough to stumble across a patch of wild strawberries, be sure to pick and savour. Keep your eyes peeled as they are quite small – most are no bigger than your pinky fingernail and their season is just 2 to 3 weeks long. Blink and you might miss them.

Fun Facts:

The size of the berries is not important to taste. All strawberries large and small are equally sweet and juicy.
Did you know strawberries can help whiten your teeth? The acids in the fruit help to remove stains.
There are about 200 seeds in every strawberry.

Living Loving Local Recipes:

This month our Verve properties throughout Canada will feature the following strawberry recipes:

Resources:

The Star

https://www.thestar.com/life/food_wine/2017/11/22/enjoy-strawberry-recipes-year-round-thanks-to-ontarios-high-tech-greenhouses.html

Asparagus is like the tulip of spring vegetables. It is one of the first green edibles to be commercially harvested in our northern climate. For locavores it evokes the promise of the delicious harvest season to come.

History:

For centuries, asparagus was considered a luxury and praised for its distinctive flavour by such famous figures as Julius Caesar, Louis XIV, and Thomas Jefferson. The ancient Greeks loved wild asparagus, but it was the Romans who first cultivated it nearly 2,500 years ago!

Despite this, no one is quite sure where asparagus originated. Some believe it derived from a wild plant native to the eastern Mediterranean and Asia Minor areas.

Health Benefits:

Green, white or purple, asparagus contains folacin, thiamin, vitamins C, A and B6 and is a leading source of the antioxidant glutathione.

Farming Fun:

A member of the edible lily family, perennial asparagus plants grow for 8 to 15 years, but don’t produce a harvest for the first 3 years.
Thicker stalks are harvested from more mature plants.
GREEN asparagus has color because of a process called ‘photosynthesis.’
WHITE asparagus is actually green asparagus that the farmer mounds soil on top of so that it cannot preform photosynthesis and hence won’t turn green.
PURPLE asparagus is sweeter than green asparagus.

Fun Facts:

Purple asparagus reverts to green when cooked.
White asparagus turns pink when exposed to sunlight.
Everyone makes “asparagus pee” but not everyone can smell it. A portion of the population has a genetic inability to detect the sulfurous compounds that asparagus produces in urine.

Living Loving Local Recipes:

Here are a few of the delicious local recipes our chefs are featuring this month.

Resources:

Foodland Ontario

Asparagus Farmers of Ontario