Heather Wright/The Independent

Inwood’s Bertha Rose Park is one of Sarnia-Lambton’s Women of Excellence.

But you might be hard pressed to find the senior to talk her recent accolade.

The 92-year-old isn’t waiting by the phone for people to call.

“I have three or four things on it every day. Today, I would have gone for line dancing in Strathroy, starting at 10 o’clock, but I can’t do everything,” she said while taking time to talk to The Independent.

The Sarnia Community Foundation chose Park as one of five recipients of the honour, hailing her has a life-long learner and educator.

“Retiring after 24 years of teaching, Bertha then learned and taught clogging, line dancing and exercise for seniors in the community. Bertha attributes her longevity to her interest in physical fitness. In fact, Bertha won a gold medal in swimming at the Senior Games and completed a triathlon,” says the foundation.

Park was also behind the first Red Hat Society in rural Lambton in Inwood and Petrolia. It is a group for women which promotes social activities.

“We’ve spent our lives doing things for others, and once a month we go out and have lunch, and that’s just something we do for ourselves. It’s not a fundraiser. We are involved in other fundraisers, other places, and we just dress up and have music and dancing and socializing and a wonderful time together,” she said.

Recently, Park has joined a new, similar group, The Crown Jewels. Like the Red Hat Society, it promotes socializing, but it is a Canadian organization.

And once again, she’s formed a local chapter of the organization – this one called the Eureka Jewels; a nod to the area’s oil history.

Right now, the group is small, but they’re still travelling to London to visit and entertain at a retirement home.

Many of the women from the social clubs join her at the community programs she goes to, whether it is a stretching class in Alvinston or a line dancing class in Forest.

Park, who has been retired for 36 years, does more than socialize with friends. She’s active in her community.

In 2023, when her hometown celebrated its 150th Anniversary, Park was there to help out.

And she has an interest in protecting the environment. Also in 2023, her family was honoured with the Southwest Woodlot Management Award for the property that she owns in the township of Dawn-Euphemia.

So what is the key to remaining so active?

Park says you have to find a way to help the community with “whatever might be of special interest.

“They should get involved socially, yeah, even knitting clubs. I go to a knitting group in Alvinston on Monday afternoons, just meet up with the ladies. And we don’t have to knit or crochet or quilt, but we can have a social time and visit. …that’s the main thing – that’s what I would say – have good friends,” Park says.

The Inwood woman was honoured at a luncheon June 5 at the Dante Club.

The Sarnia Community Foundation will also honour Brenda Dunn, a Scouts Canada leader for two decades who helped make Attawandaron Camp’s cabins accessible, Jaylene Henry, the executive director of BGC (the former Boys & Girls Club) of Sarnia-Lambton, Kristy Kilner-Holmes a leader in the arts community working with both the Judith and Norman Alix Art Gallery and Gallery in the Grove as well as Habitat for Humanity and Sarnia Police Constable Jocelyne Paquette. After a decade on general patrol, she’s working with the IMPACT Team. She’s also the co-founder of Noelle’s Gift to Children.
For more information about the Women of Excellence luncheon call 519-332-2588 or visit the foundation’s website.