News about Our Members
Hi, Let’s keep up-to-date on how our CR PROBUS members are faring during this crisis. Add any news you have in the Reply box below or send a note to crprobus@gmail.com
Activities
Even though our General Meetings have been cancelled since March, many of our Activity Groups continue to meet.Here is an update.
OOPS! In our E-Meeting email we wished Alex Breuer Happy Birthday. It’s Axel’s birthday on September 9!
Here is an update from the Andersons in Capetown.
Sending positive thoughts and Get Well Soon wishes to Denys Reades who will be having surgery in July.
Speedy recovery to Bill McIntosh who had to miss golf with a sore back. LESSON LEARNED: four hours in one position building a firepit is not a good idea.
Happy 50th Wedding Anniversary to Judy and Rick Scott. They shared “Then and Now” photos with us.
SENDING BIRTHDAY GREETINGS TO OUR OUTREACH DIRECTOR, BEV WEST! SHE CELEBRATED HER 90TH ON JUNE 23.
Axel Breuer’s tree took a hit during the storm on June 2 and Cecile Kennedy’s yard makes the news.
Cecile wrote:
At 11:30 last night. 2 fifty feet tall blue spruce trees came down during the horrible storm last night. My husband planted them 49 years ago when we moved here from Montreal. It is very sad and upsetting.
Good to hear that Janet Plens is feeling better. She is spending time at their cottage with new grass, flowers and the inevitable spring bugs!!
A good number of CRP golfers got thoroughly soaked at their first game and will start again the first week of June. Isn’t that a replay of 2019?
Speedy recovery to Joan Nixon who is sporting a new boot thanks to a broken bone in her foot!
John Anderson writes from Cape Town where he and Margaret are well with their family and grandchildren just ten minutes away. He shares some news about life in South Africa during Covid restrictions:
The whole country is in isolation as all ports/points of entry were closed in March. The government has said they may allow international flights again in September. People are allowed out to exercise between the hours of 6 to 9am but everyone must wear a face mask when outside their home, including driving in a car! Failure is a $200 fine. No alcohol sales are allowed under the current lock-down restrictions, but John says he discovered a friend is a secret bootlegger for a local wine estate and John managed to restock his dwindling reserves.
More Sad News
Bob Brown, former CRP member and husband of Bernadette Brown, died Tuesday, May 5 of pneumonia. He was a member of Mississauga South and a Credit River PROBUS member for a year and often participated in events. The funeral home obituary is below.
Here are Travel Tales from our members.
April 30
Dorothy Davies was taking photos for our Nature Photography page and met Alan and Jeanette Gray on the trail.
The Ramblers were Zooming at coffee time
News from The Convivial Luncheon Group
Judy Scott submitted this photo and report:
Since we can’t get together in person for our monthly lunches, many of the Convivial Diners did the next best thing. We had lunch via Zoom. It was great to catch up while enjoying our midday meal and a glass of 
wine. We’re not letting this coronavirus spoil our fun!
UPDATE March 26
Your Management Committee had a virtual meeting today to conduct club business. Here they are! Thanks to Bev West.
Sad News
Flo and Sid Williams share this sad news: On April 14, our beloved son Jeff, age 47, died unexpectedly at his home as the result of a stroke. He was the beloved son of Sid and Flo Williams. Loved by his brother Tim, sister-in-law April, and nephews Justin and Owen. He was predeceased by his brother Scott.
Our thoughts and prayers are with Flo and Sid.
Vera Laing is working as a hospital volunteer. She writes: Since I cannot travel in the foreseeable future or do anything useful and our PROBUS meetings/activities have been cancelled for awhile, I decided to make myself useful at the hospital. I will be there for six to twelve weeks screening patients. The time element, of course, is still uncertain. The most rewarding part of this work is meeting people. Although all the rules do apply and we are fully protected by booths and shields, it is good to know that we are helping to make a difference.
It is with sadness that we learned of the deaths of two more: former member, Oli MacTaggart, on Sunday, April 5, and member, Ann Ottemiller, on Wednesday, April 8. We keep their loved ones and friends in prayer as they mourn their losses.
Sad news of the passing of founding member, Ron Rumble.
MARCH NEWS ABOUT MEMBERS
Jean and Bart Wassmansdorf are well and arrived home from Portugal 13 days earlier then planned, midnight Mar 22nd. Air Transat couldn’t fly the 13 of them home but Tap, Portugal Airlines came through. It took 25 hours door to door because of a 10 hour layover in Lisbon.
Flo and Sid Williams arrived home from Florida Saturday and were so exhausted they slept for 13 hours that night! They ran into David and Liz Gorman at Best Western Saturday morning in Georgia. Flo writes: Actually being under quarantine is a blessing…..forced inactivity! And we had two angels deliver a monstrous grocery order to our doorstep Sunday.
Leslie and Paul Fagan are well, going for a long walk every day that the weather has been cooperating and helping some neighbours who need groceries and supplies. They had 2 grandkids at the beginning of March break for 4 days and spent time on walks, watching movies, playing board games, and in the parks with hardly anyone around. Leslie and Paul are on call if needed.
I am trying not to add photos to this lengthy page but here is GOOD NEWS to brighten your day. Corinne Smith writes: Lorne and I became first time grandparents on 6 March 2020. Arabella Victoria born in Abu Dhabi, UAE. We can’t wait to meet Arabella in person.
See news about our Vice President John Anderson in the Reply boxes below.
Lorne and Corinne Smith are well and have sent photos from a shopping trip. Lorne writes: We were at our local Walmart this morning and found very light foot traffic and a better selection on the shelves. Shopper’s were respecting the re branded physical distancing, especially at checkout as the attached photo illustrates. Kudos to all the courageous staff restocking and working the self checkout and tills. Not to forget the masked greeter!
Jackie Campbell is in self isolation as well. She is fine and getting some household chores done that I have been putting off. (♥see what I meant in my note above )
Craig and Sharon Wickett moved about 2 months ago into a seniors retirement condo residence and their building was made off-limits except for emergency personnel over 3 weeks ago. Craig says he is blessed with good health so goes out and buys milk etc, for other residents. Sharon and he try to walk outside every day in beautiful downtown Milton. When this crisis goes away, they’re going to be visiting the shops they’ve discovered.
Jan Naylor was supposed to be in Florida but we are glad she is safe at home. She has offered to shop for anyone who needs help! Thanks, Jan.
Brian and Ada Dixon are self-isolating and well.
Janet and Joe Plens are back from Mexico, under a 14-day self quarantine and disinfecting everything they brought home! Janet writes: Air Canada sent an empty plane to Puerto Vallarta to collect us. It was a direct flight to TO. We wore masks and were washing every surface, .although the staff said the plane had been cleaned for our use. The air port only let one plane disembark at a time to allow us more space to go through security at a safe distance. The airport was almost empty. With all that has been said about the virus, and airports bringing people in from all over, I was surprised to meet families who had gone away for March Break. Our daughter bought food and supplies and stocked our house before we got home, so we won’t starve.
John and Dorothy Davies have just finished one week of isolation. Dorothy says: We enjoyed our 5 weeks in Florida- which seems so long ago! Sunrises, shelling, birdwatching, just lazing around in the sun. We have our son and daughter-in-law living with us, as their home has been under a full renovation. So we’re a full house. Keep Calm and Carry on!
Earl and Mary Cochrane are at home. Earl says if any men are getting bored, Mary has a long list of chores you could help with!
Rick Palmer and Deane Ponech are at home, social distancing like most others. They had to cancel a Caribbean Cruise for March, never did leave T.O. Rick will be back to us with news about PROBUS travel.
Dorothy Brown is well and has her three children living very close by who are picking up groceries for her. Dorothy reminds us to get on top of those little jobs♥ that we put of for a rainy day!
Tommy and Duane McIlwraith are well and becoming jigsaw puzzle experts.
Melanie Evans was supposed to be going back to Barbados but cancelled, so is keeping busy at home with a tricky jigsaw and lots to read on her iPad.
Bernadette Brown is well at home. Husband Bob has been in hospital for non-virus-related problems and Bernadette is no longer able to visit, relying on nurse updates. Update: Bob is now home from hospital.
A note from Carol and Wayne Robinson: We are just fine, our children and grandchildren are looking after us. After a ‘ding-dong’ we found freshly baked brownies left on our door step made by our 14 year-old grand-daughter. On March 17th an ice cream birthday cake for Wayne was left at our front door. There was lots of face timing and singing phone calls that night while the lit candles drowned in the melting ice cream cake.
Marguerite and Gary Jackson were out of the country so are self-isolating at home.
John and Heather McGillis shared their ingenious ideas: All is well here thanks to many creative exercises and experiences we’re participating in, including virtual wine/beer Group parties via Whatsapp and online interactive games including chess & checkers with our grandkids. Using take-out food deliveries to have a virtual group gourmet dinner party is next on the activity list.
Carolyn Sherk has survived her 14 days in isolation without too much difficulty.
Elma Smiley and friends are taking social distancing very seriously, hard as that is. Her daughter and family are in quarantine since they were travelling and so far all is well. Elma’s son lives only 10 minutes away and some neighbours have offered to pick up anything she needs.
Jeanne Rumble has family looking out for her and is going to try out our club web pages!
Janet and Kerry English are doing fine. Their son and his family were in Los Angeles for a week and got home two weeks ago. Janet and Kerry were dog-sitting their 95-pound rescue dog and report it was a lot of fun to have for the week. They miss going to Sunday mass but Kerry is looking at the benefits of TV mass from Lazy Boy chairs with no collection.
Nancy and Ken Hori report that their church is starting a new Facebook page and web pages for their members.
Mike and Dana Giguere are well and keeping busy with their volunteer organizations.
Brian McGrath and Lydia Koop are well. Lydia is doing the shopping for her daughter and son in law who got back from Mexico on Thursday. She says it’s easier than looking after her daughter’s kitties while they were away.
Bill & Thérèse Evans are keeping busy, walking daily and cleaning up cupboards and drawers ♥filled with so many unnecessary items. (That reminds me…)
Claude King is fine. He had a trip to Columbus, Ohio cancelled where he was to compete in the North American Bridge Open Pairs “B” category. He also will miss an expedition voyage with Lindblad//National Geographic to Norway and northern Scottish isles, and another to Northern Ireland to play golf. But wait…since he has time, Claude is learning a new bidding system called Polish Club and he is learning Polish so he can read the original text. I think that effort takes first place!
Judi and Peter Marshall have returned from Florida and are self-isolating but well. Anna Marie Green is also in self-isolation and Marilyn & Harvey Shepherd are following the rules to try to stay healthy.
Mary Bayne is a visitor for their church so has spent more time talking to the elderly on the phone. Mary also finds crochet is keeping her busy but leaves time to clean a few cabinets♥!!!
Phil Baldwin and Glenda just returned from Naples, FL. and are starting the 14-day hiatus from being around other people. To make the journey home more interesting they started checking out the license plates of the cars around them, and a number of times saw 4 or 5 Ontario cars running in tandem on the US interstate roads.
Gillian Dennis and John Moore returned from Mexico last week. It took 24 hours, but they made it! They are starting their two weeks in solitary.
Silvana Daniels is doing well
Tony and Mary Ellen Freeman were about to drive to Hilton Head on March 13 but cancelled just as everything took a turn for the worse. Thank Goodness!
Karla and David Findlay are in isolation having just finished week one. Their family is keeping them supplied, plus neighbours & friends are checking.