Submitted by: Swan River & District Community Resource Council Inc. – Service to Seniors

Hello to all, 62 people attended the three days of Coffee and a Chat this November 2025. It was great to see you all again and meet the new people who came.

Dave Forbes, the Birch River Fire Chief, gave us some reminders about fire safety especially during the winter months with extension cords, space heaters etc. The new smoke detectors can be good for up to 10 years(no batteries to change). There should be one for every 900 square feet of space and one on each floor, including your crawl space. If you use a wood stove or propane or natural gas appliances, you should invest in a carbon monoxide detector. It is a silent killer but can be prevented. Do you have a household safety plan for a fire in your home? If you have upper level bedrooms, how will you get out? Remember to dial 911 immediately and leave the house, do not go back for your treasures. Your life is worth more than your treasures! Have a fire blanket near your kitchen stove for kitchen fires, a fire extinguisher near your exit, never put your phone in your bed or under your pillow. Be aware of the battery charging ports for all your cordless devices, they can combust on their own while charging.

At all venues, we chatted about our favorite traditional food recipes and family traditions. It was noted that currently there is little evidence of the Christ in Christmas, new holiday traditions are more about presents than the real reason for the season “the birth of Jesus”. Some of us have mentioned that our family traditions are changing, with our children living further away from our homes and having their own families, we sometimes enjoy the holidays with close friends or volunteering our time to help others over the holidays.

In Benito we welcomed Rosalie, Bev and Rita who led us in some Christmas Caroling with the antique song book from the Benito Drop In Center.

In Swan River we welcomed workers from the North West Regional Immigration Services here in Swan River, Tanya, Zhanna, Evelina and Josie. They brought with them some clients from the Ukraine, Alina, Marina and Mykola. We were very fortunate to have Louella Lausman play piano and Merle Dvorak lead us in singing Christmas Carols from the well loved song books borrowed from Mid Town Estates Condo Units, (McKay Building).

These potluck days were very informal giving everyone a chance to share. Josie shared her family traditions from her Irish/Nigeria home. Tanya shared her home traditions from the Ukraine and we compared how different these two stories are different than our Swan River Valley traditions. Many offered to share their stories of past traditions and new ones. The variety of dishes was great and we had a chance to test Ukrainian buns and horseradish sauce (Adjika), delectable desserts, Nigerian rice dishes and a Ukrainian cold vegetable salad (Vinegret).

Thank you to those that gave a recipe for the dish you brought for the potluck, we will compile all the recipes and possibly have them available in January. Ferland Abrahamson, Chris Byblow, and Lorna Rivett talked about the reason for the season and the importance of family, friends & community, all thanked the Lord for the meal and the hands that provided the food.

On behalf of Services to Seniors, I want to say a big thank you for your participation and support throughout 2025. You’ve shown that senior centers aren’t just about bingo and coffee — they’re about friendship, laughter, and proving that we can still communicate with others with out the use of social media and technology.

As we head into the holiday season, I wish you all a very Merry Christmas. May your days be filled with joy, your nights be cozy, and may your snow shovels stay in the garage as long as possible. If winter does get rough, remember: hot chocolate and good company are the best survival tools. Stay in touch with your neighbors during snow storms and power outages.

Thank you again for being here today and for making this community so special. Enjoy the festivities—and don’t forget, calories don’t count during Christmas!