SMALL TOWN VIBE - Part 1
October 6th, 2026
đź“ž Call a Senior Friendship Circle
This idea comes from my late mother.
My mother was the secretary/receptionist in a seniors' apartment building. She came up with a wonderfully simple system to help make sure residents were safe and connected.
Apartment 1 on each floor would telephone Apartment 2, beginning at 8:00 a.m., and simply ask: “Good morning. Are you okay?”
Apartment 2 would call Apartment 3, and so on down the hallway.
By 9:00 a.m., my mother had a list of the apartments where nobody had answered.
She and the building superintendent would then check on those residents to find out what had happened.
Simple.
Organized.
And caring.
Why couldn't we do something similar here in Wasaga Beach?
Our seniors can face some very lonely and difficult days, particularly during the long winter months when getting around becomes harder and social isolation can increase.
I'd like to explore creating a “Phone a Friend” list for seniors who want to participate.
And I'd like to make participation incredibly simple.
If you're a senior and you'd like to receive a regular phone call, you put your name on the list.
If you're a senior who would like to make a regular call to someone else, you put your name on the list.
If you're a volunteer who would like to help organize the program, you put your name on the list.
From there, a small community committee could help make appropriate matches and establish a simple, comfortable calling schedule.
Keeping it simple—and safe
Because this involves people's personal information and well-being, there should be some basic safeguards from the beginning.
Participation would always be voluntary. Nobody would be added to the program without agreeing to participate.
Privacy would matter. The program would collect only the information needed to make the calls work, and access to the participant list would be limited to the people responsible for coordinating the program.
The program would not be an emergency service. A phone call is a friendly check-in—not a medical assessment or a substitute for 911, police, fire, paramedics or other professional services.
There would be a clear “no answer” procedure. Participants would know in advance what happens if someone doesn't answer. Depending on the circumstances, that might mean trying again, contacting the designated program coordinator, or following an agreed-upon escalation procedure.
No volunteer would be expected to put themselves at risk. Volunteers would not be asked to enter someone's home or conduct a physical wellness check themselves.
And before the program gets underway, I'd like us to invite a local police officer, firefighter or other appropriate professional to help us develop those procedures.
That way, we're not reinventing the wheel.
We're building something caring and responsible.
The municipality's role
I see a useful municipal role here—not to run the program and not to become responsible for individual wellness checks, but to help bring the right people together and provide the support and framework to make a community-led program work.
For example, the municipality could help us:
đź“ž Connect with existing senior-serving organizations, community groups and volunteers.
🏛️ Provide appropriate municipal space for meetings or training.
🤝 Help convene a small community committee.
đź‘® Facilitate connections with police, fire and emergency services.
đź“‹ Help the group develop appropriate privacy, consent and safety protocols.
📢 Help get the word out to seniors who might want to participate.
The actual calls would remain community-led and voluntary.
This isn't about creating another municipal bureaucracy.
It's about using the municipality's ability to connect people, organizations and resources to help residents create something valuable for themselves.
Getting started could be as simple as three steps:
1. SIGN UP.Seniors, volunteers and community organizations tell us they want to participate.
2. GET CONNECTED.A small coordinating group makes appropriate matches and establishes a comfortable calling schedule.
3. MAKE THE CALL.“Good morning. How are you today?”
That's it.
No complicated technology.
No expensive program.
Just people connecting with people.
Because sometimes creating a stronger community doesn't require a million-dollar project.
Sometimes it starts with a telephone.
“Good morning. Are you okay?”
That's the small-town vibe.
And that's the kind of Wasaga Beach I want us to build together.
Thanks for listening!
Aldona Barysas-Oleinikas, Candidate for Council
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