We meet monthly 10 times a year (every month except July and August). Our meetings are sometimes at the Courtenay Library (third Tuesday of the month, from 1:00 pm to 2:30). Usually, three of our meetings are luncheon meetings, at a local restaurant (always for the December meeting, and then a couple in the spring).
So, what is an ETA meeting like? There are usually from 6-12 of us present. We have a brief check-in time – ‘what is happening in your life’. This sharing helps us to be sensitive to others’ situation during the meeting and it also helps inform our discussion. New members are always welcome, and we also are happy to have people come to a meeting to “check us out” and see if we are a fit for them. At the end of the meeting we have a brief “check out” time. It is important that we listen to each other and take feed-back seriously.
What do we discuss at an ETA meeting? The focus over our last couple of years has been what we want to present for our “June event”. We rent the Florence Filberg Conference Hall (upstairs), for an afternoon in June. Two years ago we had several speakers talk about seniors and isolation. Last year we had the BC Seniors Advocate come and speak about the Family Caregiver.
In 2026 we had a panel looking at the issue of “connectedness” (the opposite of isolation). How can we build resilient communities in the Comox Valley? How can we help elders stay engaged, connected, and as a natural result, healthier?
We also discuss issues which impinge on the lives of seniors in our communities. For example, we are working on a “Hello Neighbour” project (early planning stage), to see if we can encourage the development of local connections. Our elders should not feel alone and isolated in their own neighbourhood (kind of like Neighbourhood Watch for kiddies when we were young parents). In the past we have looked at local public transportation, services for seniors, a directory of services for seniors, etc. etc. Come and join us!