A recent chance meeting in the parking lot south of Walmart here in Cochrane brought me sharply to the realities of life here in Alberta. There stood an elderly woman with a homemade cardboard sign stating “Husband passed - Left Without home or money Please help.” We spoke briefly. I asked if she had a place to stay and she answered, “A friend is putting me up”. The measly $20, which is all I had in my purse, would hardly buy her a hearty meal in Cochrane I suggested she visit the FCSS (Family & Community Support Services), the large grey building in the downtown core. She replied that she had already been there. She was told that there are 600 people on the waiting list. Six hundred people in our lovely town of Cochrane, all without resources or support of any kind! In a country which generously assists new refugees, surely we can support our low income seniors who have dedicated their lives to make our communities what they are today. As far as I know, most of the retirement centres in and around Cochrane are very expensive. The Grande Avenue Village Retirement Living Centre will not take anyone under 80 years of age and would be out of the price range for many seniors, myself included. I surmise they are expecting a quick turnover from seniors in this age group. Do we want a community where it is “everyone for themselves” or one in which no “woman or man” is left behind? In a time when public pensions are being cut back (I know several local people in this situation), the only answer is that we as a community must come together to solve it. Paige Harrison
