“A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old dimensions.”

– Oliver Wendell Holmes

When you move into a seniors’ community like Tapestry, your life can become richer and fuller by participating in the many programs, activities and excursions that our communities offer.

Recently, a group of nine residents from Tapestry at Arbutus Walk took an overnight bus trip to beautiful Victoria, thanks to the planning, coordination and excellent driving of Jocelyne Weatherly.

A member of Tapestry’s Wellness team, Jocelyne is a part-time driver with a history of working in the service industry. She previously worked for a tour company taking seniors on short trips, and when she saw the chance to be an in-house driver at Tapestry, she jumped at the opportunity.

“The reason this work appeals to me is I like helping people get out to see more of their community,” Jocelyne says. She also likes having the flexibility to just take someone out for a short drive, spur of the moment, which is something Jocelyne says sets Tapestry apart from other retirement communities.

Jocelyne’s Saturday day trips – which are so popular she takes two groups out each week – have included locations such as historical Vancouver neighbourhoods like Strathcona, a tour of streets with murals by local artists, the Port of Vancouver and the lookout at Cypress Mountain in West Vancouver.

The two-night trip to Victoria took a lot of planning and coordination, which Jocelyne enjoys, plus she likes surprising residents with something they haven’t experienced before.

The trip included bus and ferry transportation to and from Arbutus Walk, individual hotel accommodations, planned outings including the BC Museum, a sculpture walk, and a tour of Tapestry at Victoria Harbour with lunch. Some meals were also arranged in advance, including brunch at the BC Legislature restaurant, a unique venue which Jocelyne booked in advance. Residents also had time on their own to shop, and to visit the hotel’s pool and hot tub.

The reviews are in and the Tapestry residents who made the trip to Victoria are raving about the entire experience, including the ease of just stepping on and off the bus at their front door, with everything else in between taken care of!

Roberta, who has lived at Tapestry for just over a year, says, “Jocelyne is a very good driver, and I’m fussy about that as I come from a family of bus drivers!” Roberta has a lot of experience with bus trips – both as a participant and with organizing senior tours herself – and says that Jocelyne’s efforts definitely met her high standards. “The best part was that the planning made it seamless,” Roberta adds.

Barbara, a four-year resident at Tapestry, also says she appreciated the amount of work that Jocelyne put into the trip. “She’s so well organized, and she researches the areas that we visit. Our hotel was in a good location, right near the water, and we could walk to most locations,” she says. Barbara is already looking forward to the next overnight trip!

Regular planned bus outings are offered to Tapestry residents at all locations, with some recent examples in Vancouver including: Chilliwack Tulip Festival, Nikkei National Museum and Cultural Centre, “Adventurous Eaters” trip to Banana Leaf Malaysian restaurant, Westminster Abbey in Mission with brunch, The Bunny Café, and BC Place for a practice walk of the Sun Run Route.

These types of adventures support Tapestry’s focus on the 7 Dimensions of Wellness, by providing opportunities for intellectual and social stimulation, physical activity and even spiritual experiences.

Jocelyn gets to see those benefits first hand. “I think it taps into social well-being,” she says. “When residents go on these outings they come alive a little bit more. And I think it pushes them out of their comfort zone. It’s also a great way to meet other people,” she adds. At Tapestry, we believe that staying active includes enjoying new experiences and socializing with others, something that recent research has shown may actually extend the lifespan of older people.

If you are looking for a seniors’ community where you can live life to the fullest, please contact us. We would be pleased to host you for lunch and a tour. And, we are offering a Spring move-in incentive valued at up to $5,000 when you sign a lease prior to May 31, 2023.

If Jocelyne’s story has inspired you to explore joining the Tapestry team, please visit our Careers page for a complete list of job postings.