By Sarah Rolles

New book captures stories of Pineview residents

Nov 29, 2015 | 10:58 AM

A collection of stories and photos from the residents at Pineview Terrace Lodge in Prince Albert has recently been turned into a book.

In Open Hands features the stories of 16 residents at Pineview Terrace Lodge who all have an item that they hold dear to their heart that represents them, their life and their family. Each story is illustrated with a picture of the resident’s hands holding their item.

Shannon Hurl, recreation coordinator at Pineview Terrace Lodge, said she noticed residents almost always had that one special thing that they cherished. She thought it might perhaps make a good idea for a book or another project someday.

Hurl, who also illustrated the book, began taking the photos of the residents hands holding their items before the plan to turn it something more even came to light.

She said it was sort of by chance that she met up with the writer of the book, Lynda Monahan, in the halls at Pineview Terrace Lodge. Monahan was fortunately searching for a project she could do on the care home. 

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“She got a grant to come and work with patients,” Hurl explained. “So I showed her the pictures that I had taken already and she said ‘I’m in.’ So she came in every Wednesday and would sit down with each resident for about an hour at a time.”

The book took a little bit over a year to make, and is now available for sale for $12 at Pineview Terrace Lodge gift store. 

“A lot of the time there is some forgotten stories, and a lot of the time people don’t really take the time to really hear what the residents have to say. But what they say is all part of them and it is all part of us and it is all encompassing,” she said. 

“We got to remember that it’s the little things that matter, sometimes it’s not the great big things like a big screen TV and all that stuff. It’s the little things that seem to be what get you through it.”

Doris Town, 93, was one of the first residents to agree to be featured in the book. Her special item is her late husband’s mother’s engagement and wedding rings.

She said she has continued to wear the rings now for just over seven years, and that they represent family.

Other past and present residents mentioned in the book include: Frank Hall, Ron Thorpe, Edith Grimm, Miriam Scrivener, Ruby Gale, Jack Vandergragt, Jean Grela, Evelyn McDonald, James Souter, Marion Hazelwood, Donald Barkhouse, Cc Gale, Rema Anderson, Lima and Cec Dorwood and Glendis Porter.

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