Scoop October 2025

We would like to start this month with recognizing that October 1st was National Seniors Day. The South Shuswap is home to many seniors and they are an important part of our community. Some of the benefits they bring to our community include:

  • Volunteer work: Many senior citizens volunteer their time and skills to help their communities.
  • Supporting community businesses, local charities and non-profit organizations.
  • Helping to provide security for the community by being present and aware.
  • Mentoring and tutoring members of the community.
  • Caregiving: Senior citizens often provide care for family members, neighbours and loved ones, both young and more senior members.
  • Adding to the social needs of the community providing companionship.

Exciting Announcement!

Shuswap Clinical Counselling Centre and the South Shuswap Health Services Society (SSHSS) are partnering up to provide Counselling Services at the Copper Island Health & Wellness Centre!

Starting September 29th, counselling services will be available by appointment or walk-in (if space permits) for clients residing in the South Shuswap area. Services will be located at #10-2417 Golf Course Dr, Blind Bay every Monday, from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM.

There are two options to sign up for appointments:

  • Option 1:** Clients may arrive at the center at 9:45 AM to book a same-day appointment, if available.
  • Option 2:** Create an account and book online using this link: https://shuswapclinicalcounsellingcenter.janeapp.com/locations/copper-island-clinical-counselling-services/book#/staff_member/6

Alternatively, new clients can contact Shuswap Clinical Counselling by phone at 778-489-5630 or email info@shuswapcounselling.ca to discuss their options.

You can learn more about SSHSS at https://sshss.ca/

One on One Computer Training

A reminder South Shuswap Health Services Society is once again able to offer One-on-One Computer Lessons. Through our New Horizons Grant (Federal Government of Canada), we are able to fund these lessons designed to assist beginner and novice users of technology.

This service is provided free of charge as it is paid for by the grant, and instruction takes place locally. Please email sshssprograms@gmail.com to find out more or register and Eric will be in contact with you. Include in your email what you would like assistance with and your phone number.

Seniors Lunch Program

We would like to thank a few local businesses for their support of our Seniors Lunch Program. We have truly enjoyed meeting at the Sorrento Centre. They prepare excellent meals for our groups that are appreciated by our participants and they have facilities to host a wide variety of group sizes for dining and conference needs. Zandunga Restaurant in Sorrento frequently serve us a traditional Mexican meal after our activity programs. Their food is fresh and the staff go out of their way to provide an excellent experience. We have also used Sorrento Chicken and Sushi for our lunches. Their food is always a great hit; it is not greasy like many fried chicken experiences and the sushi is fresh. It is definitely a meal that our participants look forward too. White Lake Hall is another community resources that really goes out of their way to assist us. They have a great hall that can be used for a variety of events at a very reasonable rate. There is plenty of parking and great views.

We will continue to do monthly lunches, one with a focus on activity and one based on an educational topic. Recent sessions have included: Planning for End-of-Life Arrangements, FireSmart and Activity Walks. If you would like to be placed on our mailing list to receive information about the various lunch programs, email us with your request and email address sshssprograms@gmail.com

Take time to look at the marvelous fall colours as our seasons change.

 

Scoop September 2025

As the summer comes to a close and we settle into our fall and eventual winter routines, South Shuswap Health Services Society and Copper Island Health and Wellness Centre offer a number of services to assist you with your personal wellness. Please visit our web page sshss.ca/additional-services to see the wide variety of services available for you to access.

Copper Island Health and Wellness Centre, located in the Blind Bay Market Place Mall by the library, is a physical location that is used by a number of wellness providers. The purpose of the Centre is to provide local access to residents of the South Shuswap to a variety of services. It is open to all members of our community, not just seniors. An important part of the operation of the Centre is feedback from the public on what services you would find helpful if they were available locally. As we design our programming, we can then use your feedback to give us direction. A few services that are completely funded by grants that will be available up to the end of March are:

• Senior Lunches (twice a month – one centred around an educational component and the other involving a physical activity). These are funded by the United Way and start with the program component for 1 hour, followed by a lunch and time for socializing. Topics explored are wellness related for seniors such as services available or general interest presentations. The activity sessions are presented by certified instructors and are meant to encourage movement and activity. They are easily adapted to different skill and ability levels. Please email sshssprograms@gmail.com if you would like more information. You are able to choose which sessions you would like to register for each month.

• One on One Computer Assistance is funded by a grant from the New Horizons for Seniors Program, which is a Federal Government Program. The One-on-One Computer Assistance program provides seniors with support and instruction in using technology. This could involve setting up new equipment, using on-line services, file management or just about anything assisting seniors with technology. You arrange with our instructor a time to meet and he will tailor the time spent together to your unique needs. This is a free service to help seniors in our community. We encourage you to drop in on weekday afternoons and say “hello” to Alysha. She will let you know how you can best utilize our services and help direct you to a number of different services. We are very interested in hearing what other services you would find useful to have local access to. We are fortunate to have a community-based location to use and it is our goal to meet a wide variety of needs for local residents.

Enjoy the fall and we hope you drop by to see us!

 

 

Scoop August 2025

Receiving Assistance at Copper Island Health and Wellness Centre
We are extremely excited to inform you that we now have a staff member available every afternoon at the Copper Island Health and Wellness Centre. We welcome Alysha to our team. Alysha is there to assist you in finding wellness services you may require. She is also able to assist you in completing on-line forms and paper forms that other organizations request. Alysha will provide a great resource to our community.
Born and raised in BC, Alysha moved to Blind Bay one year ago and is excited to be joining the Copper Island Health and Wellness Centre as Administrator and Program Coordinator. She is also a passionate Massage Provider and Yoga Teacher with a deep interest in community health and wellbeing.

Alysha brings a calm, nurturing, and bright presence to her work and loves helping people feel more at ease in their mind and body. She believes that connection and movement are powerful tools for healing and wellness.

When she’s not at the Centre, you’ll likely find her hiking the local trails with her two rescue dogs or playing high up in the mountains.

You can find Alysha at the Centre Monday through Friday from 12–4 pm — feel free to stop by and say hello!

One on One Computer Training
South Shuswap Health Services Society is once again able to offer One-on-One Computer Lessons. Through our New Horizons Grant (Federal Government of Canada), we are able to fund these lessons designed to assist beginner and novice users of technology. This can involve assisting with using Smart Phones, iPads or tablets and computers. Skills like email use, surfing the web, completing online documents, security concerns, file management, setting up a home network and similar skills can all be a focus. This service is provided free of charge as it is paid for by the grant, and takes place locally. Please email sshssprograms@gmail.com to find out more or register and Eric will be in contact with you. Include in your email what you would like assistance with and your phone number.

Seniors Lunch Program
We had two Senior Lunch activities in July. The first one was an educational session on Increased Levels of Care provided by Angela from Interior Health. The focus was on what housing options are available for us once we can no longer deal with managing in our own residence. The information was extremely useful as we all look to what we may require in future years. Sorrento Chicken and Sushi provided the lunch. Feedback from the group was extremely positive on the menu of Fried Chicken, Mojos and Sushi. Many commented on how tasty it was and they will be visiting Sorrento Chicken and Sushi more often.
We also held an activity lunch at the end of the month. We went for a walk at the Sorrento / Blind Bay Park. It started with a stretching activity followed by an outdoor walk. Participants altered the intensity and distance of the walk depending on their comfort level. It was a beautiful day and not only did we get some exercise but it also provided an excellent social activity. The walk was followed up with a lunch at Zandunga Restaurant in Sorrento. We enjoyed Quesidillas and chips. It was a fantastic lunch and many of our group did not realize we have the opportunity to enjoy Mexican Food locally. The restaurant offers fresh food with a great atmosphere. Be sure to check them out.
This is all made possible through a grant from the United Way covering all the costs involved. We are planning two events for August.
If you would like to be placed on our mailing list to receive information about the various lunch programs, email us with your request and email address sshssprograms@gmail.com

Keep active over the summer and welcome Alysha!