Board Meeting Summary
Two highlights from the ERTA Board of Directors meeting, held at Barnett House on May 8th, were as follows:
- ERTA’s new Values were approved. The values include:
Community
Respect
Engagement
Lifelong Learning and Growth
Wellness
- The Board is in the process of making significant changes to the website. This is work that will be ongoing for the next little while. Please be patient as we make every effort to improve the site and bring our many activities and learning and volunteer opportunities to you.
- The Travel Committee has an opportunity for you to travel to South America in March 2026. Check out the brochure on the website.
Wine and Beer Tasting Events
Registration for New Wine Tastings Now Open, With a Special Beer and Cider Tasting Event Summer 2025!
ERTA is pleased to continue its partnership with Wine and Beyond (Mactaggart Ridge location) throughout 2025-2026. ERTA members and non-members can begin to register for these fun and information-filled events! The 2025-2026 dates are as follows:
- July 17 (and 22) – New Beers and Ciders
- 9 (and 15) – Wines of Argentina
- 6 (and 12) – Wines of Tuscany, Italy
- 15 (and 20) – Wines of Spain
- March 12 (and 16) – Wines of Germany
- May 14 (and 20) – Wines of Canada
- July 16 (and 21) – New Beers and Ciders
Follow this link or contact Lyndi Karbonik at edmontonretiredteachers@gmail.com for further information and to register for any or all events.
ARTA Wellness Walk 2025
The ARTA Heart and Sole Wellness Walk will be held on Thursday, June 5. Participants are to meet in the parking lot at the Edmonton Ski Club, 9613 – 96 Avenue at 1 pm. There is a shorter 1km walk and a longer 6km walk. All participants are encouraged to bring a donation for the Food Bank.
Mayfield Dinner Theatre
Shirley Valentine is a completely hilarious and relatable comedy about Shirley, a bored, middle-aged housewife trapped in a stale and loveless marriage. She is invited by her best friend, Jane, to go to Greece with her for an impromptu holiday, Shirley jumps at the chance to holiday without her husband for two weeks, but when Jane abandons Shirley for a fling with a man she met on the plane, Shirley ventures out on her own. Shirley rediscovers herself and the happiness she has been missing.
To get more information about this event on June 25, and if you would like to attend, please contact Vi Oko at 780-459-8013. Once you are registered you will need to send a cheque, made payable to the Edmonton Retired Teachers Association, to 20 Glenhaven Crescent, St, Albert, Alberta T8N 1A5.
Summer Luncheon
Join us for our summer luncheon at the Chateau Louis, 11727 Kingsway Avenue
Date: June 11, 2025
Lunch: 11:45 a.m.
Menu: Roast Beef Buffet
Cost: $35.00 (includes GST and gratuity)
Speaker: Steve Hogle is the General Manager of the Edmonton Riverhawks.
Topic: Double Header: “Party in the Park! How the Riverhawks Made People Flock to the Nest.”
Door Prize: Everyone is eligible for a door prize.
Luncheon Registration Deadline: June 4, 2025
Please mark the deadline for luncheon registration on your calendar. If you have not received a telephone call or received a registration email by 6:00 p.m. that evening and would like to attend the luncheon, contact Pam Roy at 780-473-5598 immediately.
Donations to the Food Bank are appreciated.
Nominees to Board of Directors
The 2025 ERTA annual general meeting (AGM) will be held on Wednesday, June 11 in conjunction with the summer luncheon at the Chateau Louis Conference Centre. If you are interested in serving on the ERTA Board of Directors, consider letting your name stand for election or nominate another consenting member. Nominations can be made up until 6:00 p.m. on June 9 by contacting Joan Harrison at 780-467-3885 or emailing her at joanh1@telusplanet.net. A slate of nominees will be presented at the meeting, but additional nominations may also be made from the floor.
New board members help to guide and enhance an organization by contributing their time and expertise, adding a fresh perspective, renewing enthusiasm, adding creativity and fostering innovation. This can be a fulfilling and enjoyable way to give back to fellow retirees, gain valuable leadership experience, and develop new skills.
Members who are not on the board can also contribute to the association by offering to coordinate the telephone volunteers or by helping to organize events.
The ERTA Board of Directors would like to extend a sincere thank you to Cliff Otto and Mary Dunningan who, after 16 and 6 years of service respectively, are moving on to other endeavours. They have made a valuable contribution to the association and will be greatly missed.
Second Wind Conference
Treat yourself to a fabulous day at the twelfth Second Wind Wellness Conference by navigating your way to the Chateau Louis Conference Centre on September 11, 2025. Visit with former colleagues, friends and fellow retirees over a beverage and a muffin (along with fruit and yogurt dip), before enjoying a fascinating keynote presentation by
Dr. Lili Liu, Dean of Health Waterloo University, Ontario.
Her presentation will address how Artificial Intelligence will contribute to maintaining seniors’ health and wellness.
The day continues with eighteen break-out sessions on a wide variety of topics, delivered by engaging speakers, and includes refreshment breaks, a delicious buffet lunch, plus an opportunity to visit senior-focused businesses and local artisans who host displays throughout the day. A ‘wine down’, along with dozens of door prizes, caps a delightful day.
All of these features are included for the same low early bird conference fee of $95.00 if registration is received prior to July 31.
For a detailed list of session topics and speakers, visit secondwindconference.ca.
Mark the date, bring a friend and see you at Second Wind!
Chinatown Walking Tour and (Optional) Dim Sum Luncheon
Chinatown Walking Tour on June 19
– only a few spots left!
Do you know when the first Chinese person arrived in Edmonton and what business he operated? Did you know there is a heritage Chinatown and a north Chinatown in Edmonton? Have you heard what happened to the Harbin Gate that once stood on Harbin Road? Join us for a guided walking tour of Edmonton Chinatown’s vibrant contemporary and historical places, learn about key moments in our Chinatown history and have fun exploring fascinating cultural elements. Wai-Ling Lennon, retired Chinese Bilingual Program teacher leader and current Intercultural Consultant with Edmonton Public Schools, will lead our group on a fascinating walk-through Edmonton’s Chinatown. After the walk, participants who have pre-registered for the (optional) Dim Sum lunch will continue the experience in the Dynasty Century Palace Restaurant. For more information and to register, follow this link or contact Janice Aubry at edmontonretiredteachers@gmail.com.