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Ed Kry takes learning into his own hands

North Shore ElderCollege celebrates first anniversary
Ed Kry takes learning into his own hands

Ed Kry had a big dream and he made it come true.

Thanks to Ed and a group of dedicated volunteers, the North Shore still has an ElderCollege. The story of how this came about began a couple of years ago. Like many stories, however, its origins reach much farther into the past.

Not too far back. Ed’s West Vancouver boyhood and his Ukrainian roots will go unexplored for now. We begin 20 years ago with Ed’s first open heart surgery.

Sometimes, when we prevail over life’s challenges, we want to express appreciation for our life. Ed did so by volunteering with the Heart and Stroke Foundation.

A blessing came next. At West Vancouver secondary’s 30th grad reunion, Ed was reunited with Gayle Watson. Gayle recognized her high school sweetheart right away, though he might have expanded slightly and the hair that remained was pony-tailed. Married since 2000, Ed and Gayle appear to be enjoying a permanent honeymoon.

In 2002, they said goodbye, to work, that is, and embarked on life’s next adventure. For them, that means travelling the world and dividing their time in B.C. between a condo in North Vancouver and another at Tofino.

Even so, Ed had room in his life for more. He found it at ElderCollege. “I enrolled in three programs that first year. Now, I’m one of the presenters of our Incredible Journeys travel course. I always say it is difficult to describe ElderCollege. Once you’ve come to one of the courses, it all becomes clear.”

Ed chaired the ElderCollege board during Capilano College’s transition to university status. He was there when ElderCollege was among the community outreach courses cancelled as the university struggled to meet funding deficits.

The loss of such a significant contributor to the community did not sit right with Ed. He retired to his coastal retreat and thought about it. The vision of a North Shore ElderCollege arrived quickly. Ed set about evaluating the possibilities and scoping out the logistics. “In every aspect of the planning, I couldn’t find failure. Everything was green light and go. I needed to take the next step but I didn’t know what that step would be.”

Picture a burly, pony-tailed silhouette contemplating the booming surf at Tofino, then cut to Bed Bath & Beyond in North Vancouver and a chance encounter with Kate Weiss, friend and former colleague at Capilano College.

Weiss: “What are you up to?”

Kry: “I’m thinking of resurrecting ElderCollege.”  

Weiss: “I can help you.”

Kry: “I can’t pay you.”

Repeat the preceding two lines.

Weiss: “Let’s get busy.”

It turned out the next step for Ed was to invite others to help make his dream a reality. In Kate, Ed found the essential partner. Together, they recruited directors for the society and restored the partnership with PARC Retirement Living established with the former ElderCollege.

“We spent a year on planning. The focus was to make ElderCollege volunteer-driven and North Shore-centric. Courses are designed with the community in mind and are available right across the North Shore. With all revenues returning directly to the non-profit society we created, and course costs balanced with course revenue, North Shore ElderCollege is affordable to fixed-income adults even with the lower pricing we are able to offer.”  

When North Shore ElderCollege opened its doors in January, registration for the modest number of courses offered was at 84 per cent capacity. For this semester, beginning Sept. 15, the course offerings will have doubled.

What’s in it for Ed and Kate, and the team of volunteers that make North Shore ElderCollege run? The same rewards every participant at ElderCollege receives. “I truly believe that along with nutrition and exercise, we need mental and social stimulation. At ElderCollege, we’re exercising our brains and our hearts. How many people have I met through ElderCollege who have become friends? We share similar interests, after all.”

Learn more about learning, and celebrate North Shore ElderCollege’s first birthday, at an open house, Thursday, Sept. 8 at PARC Education Centre at the Westerleigh, 2225 Marine Dr., West Vancouver, from 10 a.m. to noon. Registration for North Shore ElderCollege’s fall semester begins Sept. 6 at 778-245-6737 or nseldercollege.org.

Laura Anderson works with and for seniors on the North Shore. seniorsconnect@shaw.ca