Creative Connections

Over the past year, Prince Albert poet Beth Gobeil has facilitated the poetry-based, multisensorial writing project, Creative Connection, with support from Program Coordinator Jesse Campbell. During the project, Beth develops weekly themed activities, which she presents for the participants and facility staff, bringing the activities to both live-in residents of the lovely Pineview Terrace Long Term Care Home and visitors through the Home Care Adult Day Program. With guidance of the inspired Recreation Coordinator, Shirley Ursu, the facility staff support and enhance the delivery of the programming for the residents, following up on the activity themes throughout the week, allowing participants an expanded experience that is centred around their own specific interests and capacities. The themes and activities are designed to stimulate the participants’ imaginations and memories, tying them to the seasons and rhythms of life outside the facility. 

Prince Albert’s renown fiddler, Donny Parenteau, also comes into the facility regularly to perform for residents, contributing his own form of storytelling with the rhythms and cadence of songwriting, expanding the access of creative possibilities to the poetry-based programming, touching the nostalgia and memories of the residents and accommodating, in a new way, the varied capacities of the participants. Donny even developed a collaboratively written song with the project participants. This song debuted on Sunday, February 23, 2025, during the launch of the publication This is Us, a publication created with the Creative Connections project participants. With support from Program Coordinator, Jesse Campbell, Beth had assembled writings of the Adult Day Home participants into a limited edition publication, featuring stunning photos by All My Relations Photography. The book launch and song debut was a warm, vibrant affair with 120 guests who enjoyed poetry readings by participants and staff, along with a jovial performance of the collaboratively written song by Donny Parenteau. 

When asked to share some of the program’s successes, Beth wrote: “There are some things in life which can’t be quantified with numbers or charts, can’t be accounted for through surveys and statistics. There’s the indisputable spark that ignites in one’s eye when a memory is triggered; the way this Christmas card she creates takes her back as she glues glitters, and she remembers the shine of a satin skirt, the scratch of lace on the dress she wore to the pageant, the line from an old verse is suddenly there, a line she can recite to this day with a small measure of pride. There are things that can’t be quantified, but are truly immeasurable.”

In May 2025, poet Beth Gobeil had collaborated with the residents in writing a poem on the theme of Positive P.A., which was installed in a public “poetry box” in downtown Prince Albert. In June, the residents were brought to see their poem by the river and enjoyed lunch at the Historical Museum’s café. The residents were thrilled to know that their writing was displayed out in the community.