A Holiday Message from the President
Decorating our Christmas tree and our house with bright Christmas lights is one of my most enjoyable to-do tasks at home. It is a tradition and a reflection of my family’s culture during this time of the year. Family, friends, fun are synonymous with the holiday season. It is also at this time of year that I receive a Christmas card asking for a donation from our community food bank, a reminder that this joyous season is not so joyous for a significant number of our fellow Canadians.
It is also a time to reflect about what we have done during the year and what we want to do in the new year. To the many volunteers of this Association, you have given freely of your time in helping the Association in the protection of our benefits. To you all, my best wishes of the Season. You are all “giving back” to society.
To all of us that celebrate Christmas, may this be the best Christmas yet. All of us, regardless of our different cultures and backgrounds, all share in the wish for peace and happiness. Let’s all contribute to making 2017 a better year!
Jean-Guy
A Holiday Message from the CEO
There's snow on the ground in Ottawa--in fact we've already had four snow falls and I'm sure there are parts of the country with even more snow on the ground than here--and one of our radio stations has started playing non-stop "seasonal" music.
So it is that time of year when we wonder what to say to people: Merry Christmas? Season's Greetings? Happy Holidays?
For some, this time of year is important for religious reasons; for others it is important for more cultural reasons; and for some, all the fuss is simply a mystery.
I grew up in a culture and family where Christmas was important. For me, Christmas will always be special because of its religious connotations. There will always be something special about going to Midnight Mass (even if I prefer the ones at 10:00 pm) and hearing traditional Christmas carols--not Christmas songs, please.
But Christmas is also something more than that to me. It is a time of year that is at the same time peaceful and hectic. Hectic because of all the shopping, the cooking and the visiting that goes on, but peaceful because once the food has been eaten and the presents opened, there is the peace and joy of spending time with family and friends. So for me the real joy of Christmas is the special time that I spend with my family and friends.
As someone who celebrates Christmas, I believe in a message that angels gave to shepherds some 2000 years ago: Peace and Good Will to All. So, regardless of what you celebrate at this time of year, or whether you just put on a heavy coat and wait until the weather gets warm again, I wish you and the members of your families peace and joy, and a happy 2017.
Simon Coakeley