Kenora Association for Community Living - 49 going on 50 in 2011
The Chinese recognizing that the new born baby has been growing for some time before they enter the world give the infants birth at birth as 1 year. The Kenora Association for Community Living was born in April 1961 as the Kenora Keewatin Association for Mentally Retarded Children and received a certificate of affiliation from the Provincial Organization bearing a similar name in April 1961. The idea of an Association had been growing at least a year.
I have been employed by this Association for 25 of the 50 years and so divide the history of the Association into two periods of 25 years. I look back over my past 25 years with a bit of nostalgia. According to Gebauer and Sedikes,
”Nostalgia, it appears, is a specific form of autobiographical memory: most people give themselves the starring role in nostalgic flashbacks. These glances back often focus on relationships: a third of nostalgic thoughts involve other people.”
This is certainly true of me. In my moments of nostalgia I have recalled many events with people some still alive and some are no longer around to share moments with: Charlie Strachan, John Baker, Frank Litt, Marjorie Kraske, Matt Cererwall, Jean Young, Ned Martin, Dorothy Shields, Carol Blight, Bill Grant to mention a few names. There have been so many who have contributed to the work of the Association over the years that I could not possibly mention every one. And that is only in the second 25 years.
I invite all who have been involved in the work and support of the Association to send me an email at central@kacl.caand share your moments. It is my hope that we can collect such messages and stories and make them available in some format in out celebrations over the coming year
James Retson, Executive Director