We remember our Grandparents through family photographs and stories handed down, generation to generation. Sometimes we have kept heirlooms such as your Grandfathers’s favourite woodworking tools and if you are lucky, you may be in possession of some knitting, crocheting or quilting lovingly made by your Grandmother.

All too soon, we forget what their voices sounded like or the cute little gestures they used to made. The precious memories fade so quickly, even when we get together with other family members and try to piece together what it was that made our elders so special. Our children and grandchildren may have missed the opportunity to meet these wonderful people.

What I miss the most is my Mother’s voice and the twinkle in her eyes when she was making her special cookies or her famous ravioli. Our Mother wasn’t of Italian heritage, but she was so adventurous in her experimentation when it came to her cooking. She would gladly try most cultural recipes and she encouraged us to do the same.
This brings me to the current project that has been sitting on the back burners of my to-do list for some time. Kaslo and Area D were the perfect setting, as we have so many interesting seniors living here, often without their families living close by.

The “Let us Hear and See – Our Living Legacy” project is now underway. The goal is to capture on video the stores of some of our elders who have lived for several years in our area. We want to hear about what drew them to the Kootenays and what it was like when they first arrived compared to what it is like today.

Neil Johnson and I have worked on a number of interviews so far and have planned more for the future. It is truly a delightful and educational experience, which we could not have begun without the support and enthusiasm of our Area D director, Aimee Watson and Columbia Basin Trust.

Louise De Pape, President

This article was originally published as an article in True Blue magazine, Issue 2.