2024 - meet the board
Sharry Booker - President
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Shaun Murphy - Vice President
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Don Pickrell - Treasurer
Carl MacKeigan
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Kitty Grant - Secretary
Jack McMaster
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Henry Ellsworth
Flo Hanlon
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Gayle Brown
Debbie MacDonald
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Fred Sampson
Valerie VanIderstine
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Valerie Bissonnette
Paula Hodson
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About Us
Sackville Seniors' Advisory Council was formed in 1987 and has their own Constitution and By-Laws, and has 13 Board of Directors. The council oversees the operation of the Silver and Gold Drop in Center which has a membership of over 400 and is representative of seniors living in the area .
Members of the council attend conferences and workshops on a regular basis and compile information which is passed on to seniors. One of the ways this information is shared is through the Silver and Gold Seniors' Drop-in Centre. The council has initiated many new programs, such as educational video tapes, income tax assistance, filling out of government forms, and assisting seniors in contacting the right government people when necessary. This group welcomes the opportunity to serve their fellow seniors in any way possible.
we are located at 45 Connolly Road in Lower Sackville Nova Scotia. This is an ideal location for seniors as bus routes are close by, and it is wheelchair accessible . Click here to see a map of how to find Silver & Gold.
The Drop-In Centre is open to seniors Monday to Friday from 9:00am to 4:00pm. OUR OFFICE IS CURRENTLY OPEN MONDAY TO FRIDAY FROM 9AM TO 12 PM. Tea or coffee and lots of friendly conversation along with card games, crafts, and more are available to all that drop-in
A Brief History
Sackville Seniors Advisory Council was started in 1986 by a group of Seniors with Mabel MacEachern in charge. The group Silver & Gold opened in 1988-the main focus of Silver & Gold was to provide a Drop in Centre for seniors. Being located in Downsview Mall it became a popular place to stop for tea/coffee and a card game once the shopping was done.
The planning for First Lake Village on First Lake Drive was well underway by 1994. The mandate for this community was to provide affordable, social and educational programs and to advocate for affordable housing and home care within the Lower Sackville Community. This was a project the S.S.A.C. had undertaken with Jack Brill overseeing the planning.
General membership to the Sackville Seniors Advisory Council did not begin until 1996, when membership to the Silver & Gold Society was disbanded.
In 1996, our hot lunch program started. Eric Kelly was the cook and volunteers helped with the preparation and serving of the meal. We started with soup and sandwiches for $2.50 with dessert at $.50. We served approximately 40 people weekly.
1999 was declared the International Year of the Older Person in Canada. we continued to expand our programs and increase our membership. We held our very first Golf Tournament this year to raise money.
In 2000 we were really finding our space very cramped with everything taking place in 800 square feet. when you look at our space and see cooking, eating, playing cars, Tia Chi, quilting, doing crafts, income tax, our special events and many more programs going on, yes we were cramped!
In 2001 we began our CAP site and some computer classes in the back alcove of our Centre. This added to our cramped space, but was a much needed program for our seniors, as it allowed us to learn one on one the task of computers and the internet. We held our third Golf Tournament.
In 2002 we moved around the corner(still in the mall) to a larger space of approx. 1700 sq. ft. our computer classes had their own room and our kitchen increased. We began our Book-a- Ride Program to transport seniors and those with disabilities to and from medical appointments.
In 2003 we heard that the mall would be torn down and that we needed to find a new home. Luckily we were included in the new Sackville Heights Community Centre. In the fall of 2003 we moved into an unfinished building and had to store our belongings there until we were allowed to move in and set up again. In December the official opening of the Community Centre was held with our group Catering to approx 300 people. We also held our first Penny Auction in the spring, which was fun and saw a profit for the Council.
