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Oakville Jiu-Jiu `vital to seniors' community' By Nathan Howes SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER A new seniors group in Oakville plans to make life easier for those new to the community. The Oakville Jiu-Jiu Senior Association (OJJSA) officially held its inaugural meeting in October 2012 to formally introduce the group and its members. OJJSA is a non-profit, non-partisan and nonreligious civic organization for seniors aged 50 and older. "It's vital to the community (to) get these people actively involved more quickly. Some of them have been here 10 or 12 years, but really haven't gotten out into the community," said Mike Lansdown, who acts as a volunteer consultant on behalf of the association. Jiu-Jiu is Mandarin for 99, which is also a way of wishing a person long-life. He said the number is derived from Sept. 9 -- the day in the Chinese calendar reserved for their national observance of Seniors Day. The group came to fruition through the Halton Multicultural Council's English Conversation Circle and its members who wanted to do more for newcomers, particularly seniors, Lansdown said. Between 25 and 35 people attend the conversation circles and community activities every week. "The English Conversation Circle was an excellent opportunity for them to get out and meet each other," said Lansdown. "(They) arranged to use the seniors' centre on Saturdays for cultural activities such as playing bridge and chatting about computers." Once the group establishes their by-laws and regulations, it will approach organizations for funding, he said. "They have a whole list of things they want to take on. They will have to bounce those (ideas) off the membership and see where the interests lie within their group," said Lansdown. Some of the goals of the association are to promote cultural heritage and multi-cultural activities, organize entertainment, travel and fitness, help seniors participate in community activities and settle down in Canada, among others. "Oakville is a great place to live, work, and play ­ an area of natural beauty (with) numerous good schools. (The) Chinese population is growing rapidly, especially in this community," said vice-president Tang Yuhua. Since the majority of members are from China, it's been difficult for some of them to get involved in the community because of the language barrier, president Sun Wenhe said. "We will strive to provide a haven for the elderly to enjoy their lives in peacefulness ­ a place where people of different cultural backgrounds can share their experiences, (providing) a bridge for new immigrants to join the mainstream local community," said Wenhe. "We will become a reliable channel that provides the community services that are needed by the elderly to promote their health and happiness." Earlier this year some of the members attended the open house on the Town's planned revision of its Parks, Recreation and Library Facilities Master Plan as part of Vision 2057. The group wants shelter and seating to be addressed because members will meet at the parks during the summer, Lansdown said. "When those meetings came, they spoke up. By forming an association like this, we will see a lot more involvement of these new Canadians," said Lansdown. Transportation is another concern, as members took advantage of Oakville Transit's three-month trial for seniors to ride free on Mondays. Transportation is a difficult challenge for many because they don't have vehicles, Lansdown said. "Most of the people will walk a kilometre or two just to get here for our meetings," said Lansdown. "They really used that (threemonth trial). It allowed them to see Oakville, which they hadn't seen before. "What we do in the Town is going to have to start to reflect the needs of this new population. We have to make sure the community wants them involved. It's got to be a two-way street," he added. Oakville Chamber of Commerce president John Sawyer and Oakville Community Foundation CEO Rusty Baillie attended last week's meeting at Lansdown's request. Moving forward, if the association approaches the OCF or the Oakville Chamber for possible grants, they're now aware of OJJSA and its significance to the community, he said. "At the end of the day, Oakville is a community. Everyone has to try and work together to maximize resources." For more information, visit http://99.xnyx.org/. 19 · Thursday, January 31, 2013 OAKVILLE BEAVER · www.insideHALTON.com Round of Applause: Gordon Chen receives applause after giving a speech in English during the inaugural meeting of the Oakville JiuJiu Senior Association at the Iroquois Ridge Community Centre. The association was born from a Halton Multicultural Council English Circle class that was taught by former Town councillor Mike Lansdown. NIKKI WESLEY / OAKVILLE BEAVER / @halton_photog