March 8, 2024 is International Women’s Day and that makes March a good month to celebrate some of the amazing and inspiring women who live in our Tapestry communities.

One of the many wonderful things about living at Tapestry is the diversity of our communities, filled with people who have lived fascinating lives including all manner of backgrounds, careers and achievements. When you live at Tapestry, it’s easy to make friends and acquaintances who share similar interests or who can perhaps introduce you to something new!

Let’s meet some of the incredibly interesting women of Tapestry.

When she was hired by Ford Motor Company, Mimi (Tapestry at Victoria Harbour) became one of the first female automotive designers to work at the company and also one of the first to work in such a male-dominated field. Although there were some challenges, Mimi found her design team to be incredibly supportive and she was able to work collaboratively on exciting projects such as the introduction of the airbag feature in the Lincoln Continental, the design of the Ford Probe (which took her to Japan), and the Ford Taurus – a three-billion dollar program that saw that best-selling vehicle named Car of the Year by Motor Trend magazine in 1986.

Kathy (Tapestry at Wesbrook Village) became “social media famous” in 2023 after a cooking demonstration the retired dietician had filmed in the 1950s as a pilot for CBC Television went viral. It was Kathy’s idea to showcase a recipe for homemade pizza, which was quite an innovative choice at the time since pizza wasn’t as popular then as it is today. Canada’s first pizzeria opened in 1948 in Montreal, but pizza didn’t rise to popularity in Canada until the late 1950s. It then became more common in the 1960s as many pizza restaurants opened across the country.

Retirement didn’t stop Mary Jane (Tapestry at Arbutus Walk) from continuing to contribute to her community. A former medical laboratory technologist in the biochemistry department at Vancouver General Hospital, her search for post-retirement volunteer opportunities led her to the origami workshops offered at the Vancouver International Children’s Festival. She eventually became the activity coordinator for the festival, training 80 teenagers and Early Childhood Education students to help with the origami activity. She now teaches origami to her fellow Tapestry residents.

Teresa (Tapestry at Wesbrook Village) has painted all her life, but it wasn’t her first vocation. Following her retirement from a career in social work, she went back to her roots and her degree in Visual Arts by opening an art gallery in Northern Ontario. After moving into Tapestry in the Vancouver area to be closer to family, she started teaching several art classes each week to fellow residents, and her students have put on two exhibits a year where residents and visitors can view and even purchase their work. Teresa is also a member of the Participant Advisory Committee to the University of British Columbia’s Brain Wellness Program, where she helps to advise on online teaching programs.

 A passion for First Nations art inspired Christiane (Tapestry at Victoria Harbour) and her husband George to establish Salish Weave, a foundation encompassing one of the most extensive collections of Coast Salish art in Canada. The couple’s move to Tapestry provided the perfect opportunity to downsize and reorganize their work, without compromising their vision for the future of their foundation.

Christiane has curated more than 450 pieces of artwork – making sizeable donations to Simon Fraser University and the University of Victoria and to the couple’s teaching collection, benefitting hundreds of schools in BC. The couple has also provided grants to charitable organizations and have made substantial donations to the National Gallery and Museum of Anthropology.

An avid reader, Di (Wesbrook Village) worked in a celebrated Montreal bookstore called The Double Hook Book Shop, which only carried books authored by Canadians and whose founders received the Order of Canada in 1996. Di is part of a small group of women who decided to share their love of reading with their fellow Tapestry residents by starting an on-site lending library.

At Tapestry there is no shortage of interesting people, pursuits and conversations to keep you engaged socially, emotionally and intellectually. If you are considering a move and looking for a vibrant and active retirement living community, we would be pleased to answer your questions about the many benefits of living at Tapestry.

It would also be our pleasure to introduce you to the many amazing people who live and work at Tapestry! Contact us today to schedule a personal tour and complimentary lunch.