MOOSE JAW — A local retirement home continues to host an exciting social program to keep its residents engaged, active, and learning, though many Moose Javians may still be unaware of the rotating monthly program that they’re also invited to attend.
Atria Mulberry Estates’ latest Social Series event, “Journey to the Blue Zones,” took place on Jan. 9, and will be followed by the next upcoming event called “Spas and Sips” on Thursday, Feb. 13.
“These programs are just something a little bit extra that we do for the residents every month,” explained Tricia Oblander, the marketing manager at Mulberry Estates.
“It’s also something that we like to invite people from all over Moose Jaw and (the surrounding) area to experience,” she said. “Every month we do something a little bit different… Sometimes it’s a learning thing, and sometimes it’s a cultural thing. It really just varies.”
Oblander said guests are always welcome to attend and these events usually include refreshments and food prepared by the home’s onsite chef, Andii.
“Then, we cater the food and drinks to each specific event as well,” she added. These culinary themes have ranged from tropical destinations to Mexican cuisine to superfoods.
The program has been running for at least three years and Oblander is now hoping to see it grow. For example, the latest intake saw around 25 to 30 senior residents participate but only three outside guests were in attendance.
To look at what the Social Series program entails, the recent “Journey to The Blue Zone” event is a great place to start.
“So, there’s a Netflix series called ‘(),’ and it’s about how to live longer and what people do from different areas of the world that actually helps them live longer,” Oblander said. “It was good and it was informational. I actually encourage people to check (it out) because it gives you some good ideas.”
Although the culinary inspiration for the event wasn’t directly borrowed from the docuseries, a theme of herbal, natural, and superfoods was chosen. This included a freshly made Mediterranean dish, as well as ginger lemonade and an herbal iced tea with peaches that Oblander said came with subtle hints of peppermint.
“We watched a little bit of that and we also had a speed friending (event),” she added.
During the home’s speed friending segment, guests and residents were invited to sit at the table and ask one another brief questions and got to know each other a bit better.
Three questions that stood out were, “What is a gift you will never forget,” “If you had to eat only one vegetable for the rest of our life, what vegetable would you choose,” and “What was the worst fashion trend that you ever participated in?”
Social Series events are always open to the public and participation is a great way to connect with Moose Jaw’s older residents.
“We’re looking for more people all the time,” Oblander confirmed. “We just encourage people, if they do want to attend, to give me a call and make sure we have space available for them because space is limited.”
If you would like to participate in upcoming events, simply call 306-694-5020 and ask to speak with Tricia Oblander. The program is free to attend and is open to guests of all ages.
Mulberry Estates is also inviting the public to attend its upcoming standalone culinary event, “A Taste of Atria,” that’s set to take place on Thursday, Jan. 16 at the home.
Atria Mulberry Estates is located at 220 Mulberry Lane and prides itself on providing exceptional care for adults over the age of 55. For more information visit or '' on Facebook.
