Redefining aging : Chateauguay’s 55 Plus Centre

At age 54, Garth Phillipowsky found himself in a state of growing boredom. As an introvert, he started to experience less and less social interactions, so his wife set him an obligation: he had to join Chateauguay’s 55 Plus Centre with her.

Kira Minall - special collaboration

Hesitant, he conceded, and he joined the centre to play curling once a week, every Saturday. As time went by, he found his involvement growing, taking on more roles and responsibilities each year.

Now age 70, Phillipowsky is the club president, and as years passed, his perception of aging changed. After firmly believing he would no longer learn new skills after reaching middle age, he eventually came around to the thought of getting older.

“When I turned 40, I thought my life was over. When I joined the centre, it gave me a completely different view of aging,” Garth Phillipowsky

Although age is a social construct, becoming “old” represents a real fear for some. Coping with this unease can be difficult, especially when ageism is still the most socially accepted prejudice. Ageist stereotypes are often self-directed, which can sometimes prevent older adults from having the confidence to engage in new experiences.

Ways of challenging self-directed ageism include building social connections, as well as staying physically and mentally active, and this is just what the 55 Plus Centre strives to help its members achieve.

The club services the senior English community of Chateauguay and its surrounding areas, and many of its 657 members consider it to be a lifeline thanks to the tight-knit community it houses.

The club was founded in 1985 when the English community saw a need for a centre to serve them, as nothing with that purpose existed at the time. It began by offering a few activities in the basement of Saint-Georges Anglican Church. In 1991, the demand was so large that a new building had to be found. After expanding that building in 2001, the centre is currently the envy of many thanks to the 31 activities and various resources it offers to its members.

How did the club become so popular? According to Jennifer Moore, director of social events and a club member, the answer is simple: most members first heard about the club through word of mouth. 

The sheer size of the centre is its strength, as it is what allows it to offer high quality facilities to its members. In this sense, it has what other clubs lack: a big community.

What allows such a big community to flourish so efficiently? A progressive executive committee and a lot of volunteer work. 

Open to change

The executive committee is known to be open to change. They do all they can to keep up with what is new, whether it be content-wise or about integrating new technologies into the club. However, they are also known to be respectful to members’ values: the status quo can be maintained for those who are not ready for such changes. 

Phillipowsky said he is always open to bringing in new information sessions and other activities that would be beneficial to club members.

Luigi Lalla, who has been a member of the 55 Plus Centre for over 11 years, said the committee always has an open-minded approach. There is a suggestion box that is looked through every month, in which members can suggest new activities or event ideas. The resources offered are always pertinent and useful, according to Lalla.

A Christmas activity at the 55 Plus Centre. (Photo : courtesy)

“One time, we had a police officer come in to advise the seniors on how to not get scammed,” he said. “It was great, because it’s important for us to be aware of what’s going on in the world.”

There is a board of 12 members that run the club to keep things updated, as well as 35 to 45 volunteers that help with other things. Some work in the kitchen, and others form the Dream Team, which helps clean up the centre on Wednesday mornings. There are also other volunteers to help set up activities by placing tables and decorations.

“It blows my mind how one minute, everything is set up for pickle ball, and the next, it’s decorated like a winter wonderland,” said Moore.

Bettina Bourgeois, club member and volunteer, said helping at the club has had its own effect on her.

“It makes me feel good,” she said. “I’ve met many inspiring people. People have their own stories, and they are very resilient. It’s fun, it makes me feel good, and it gives me a good routine.”

Sometimes, it is not about the games, the workshops or the events, but rather about the relationships that are inevitably formed in the 55 Plus Centre.

“When there is a card game, I know exactly who is playing just based on their laughs,” said Lalla. “That is what is so enjoyable about the centre. You come in as one person, and before you know it, you walk out with 20 friends.”

Unlikely friendships are bound to form in this tight-knit community, where the wide age differences, ranging from 55 to 100 years-old, bother no one. All members are ready to lend a helping hand to each other in times of need.

“You can ask anyone just about anything and they’ve probably experienced it in their life,” said Moore.

Phillipowsky added that a lot of members have useful skills that contribute to the wellbeing of the club.

“When maintenance has to be done on the building or when something has to be fixed, we sometimes turn to our members, because so many of them are handymen or handywomen,” he said. “Often, we don’t need to contact a professional, because they are ready to help and are able to do it.”

Moore says that what keeps her coming back to the centre are the new activities the club has exposed her to over the years.

“When I was younger, there were certain things that I didn’t have time to do while working and raising children,” she said. “I had never played darts, pool, curling, ping-pong, golf… There are so many fun activities that I wish I had started when I was younger.”

For Phillipowsky, the effect the centre has had on his personality is what keeps him coming back.

“I’m generally an introvert and a shy, quiet person. Becoming a member of the centre and gaining more responsibilities has really brought me out.”

And for others, like Lalla, attending the club is about meeting new people and supporting one another.

“Although there are over 600 members, as soon as someone is feeling under the weather, everyone has a genuine concern for the health of that member,” he said. “We seem to have that connection, and it’s what really binds us.”

In short, Chateauguay’s 55 Plus Centre provides a strong and supportive community for its members, and many credit it for their acceptance of aging.  

“You’re only as old as you allow yourself to feel. I lost the view that once you hit 60, you have no value. It was an incredible change for me,” Phillipowsky said.