Bonnyville residents are going to learn the different ways they can age vibrantly.
The Vibrant Aging Conference will be making its debut at the Bonnyville Senior's Drop-in Centre on Saturday, Oct. 5.
Bonnyville and District FCSS is hosting the event in partnership with Alberta Health Services (AHS) and the senior's centre.
Diahann Polege-Aulotte, FCSS community programmer, said the day is aimed at those 50-years-old and above.
"It's a demographic that doesn't have a lot of conferences for that age group, so we thought, 'why not?'"
One of the topics being covered will be relationships, and how they can transform overtime.
"As they change over whatever period of your life you're in, how to deal with those, how to work with them, and how to survive them. It could be a new spouse, how to deal with the death of a spouse, it could be leaving the home with children, or coming back to the home," explained Polege-Aulotte.
Another subject matter will be cannabis, which will have presenters from AHS and RCMP discussing what's happening within the province. It's a aspect of the day Sonja Stryski, president of the senior's centre, is particularly looking forward to.
"It should be interesting, because it's a hot topic right now because it's (legal). I think a lot of seniors could be taking advantage of some of that for aches and pains. We've been told for years that it's good for that and it's been promoted that way. It will be very interesting to see what (the speakers) have to say," she noted.
Other sessions will include information on travelling, ageism, and keynote speaker Patricia Morgan, who will discuss having a sense of humour when it comes to getting older.
When FCSS was considering different points for the conference, it was important to ensure they would be applicable to all ages.
"We tried to pick topics that would be appealing to a 50-year-old and a 90-year-old. We picked a few things that would be as relevant and as interesting as possible," detailed Polege-Aulotte.
Polege-Autlotte and Stryski agreed it's a conference unique to Bonnyville.
"You can never have too much information, and we're always learning," Stryski expressed. "Just because we're getting old doesn't mean we're not learning anymore. They say you should always learn something new everyday."
Along with everyone enjoying themselves, Polege-Aulotte hopes people walk away better informed.
Anyone is welcome to attend, however, the focus for the conference is on the 50-plus age group.
Tickets are available at the Bonnyville and District FCSS and senior's centre, along with the Cold Lake and District FCSS and the Cold Lake Seniors' Society. The event kicks off at 9:30 a.m. on Oct. 5.
