Welcome to the June 2026 UWRA Monthly Bulletin!
As June unfolds in colour and light, we pause to honour the remarkable paths our retirees are walking—and the exciting horizons ahead. Enjoy this bulletin and all the season has to offer.
UWRA events: Hike on the Laurel/Forwell Trail, Walking your way to better health
UWRA news: UWRA phone disconnected
Travels: Travelling with the Joneses to Marseilles
Community news: Study seeking older couples, McMaster offers free webinars, CURAC newsletter, REEP has lots of spring programs
Featured discount partner: belairdirect scholarship program
Worth sharing: “The shy caterpillar says hi!”
Upcoming UWRA events:
UWRA Laurel / Forwell Creek Trail Hike
Wednesday, June 3, 2026
Arrive at 9:50 a.m. | Hike starts at 10:00 a.m.
Zehr’s / A&W parking lot (University Ave E & Lincoln Rd, Waterloo)
This relaxed walk through interconnected, well-maintained trails is suitable for all levels. Expect a walk of about 1½ hours.
Hike leader: Howard Armitage
Did you know?
Walking is a simple yet powerful way to support healthy aging. In this engaging recording, Dr. Marla Beauchamp highlights how walking improves mobility, reduces chronic disease risk, and helps older adults maintain independence and quality of life—reminding us that every step counts.
Watch it here: Walking your way to better health after age 65
UWRA news:
Looks like the UWRA office phone extension 32015 has officially retired—embracing the modern communication strategy of “please email, text, Zoom, or send a carrier pigeon.”
Travelling with the Joneses: Marseille
Marseille is very much a commercial city. Often referred to as France’s “Secret Capital”, Marseille has an expanding population of approximately 1.7 million. Reaching the old city/ port is relatively easy via an efficient bus/subway system. The old port area is a fascinating mix of modern and medieval that is extremely easy to navigate on foot. One of the first things you will notice in Marseille is that most walls are “Tagged”, painted by spray paint artists of varying degrees of talent. However, there is a reason for this…
Did You Know...
- Marseille has been a strong advocate for street art and has encouraged its existence, making the city an artist and fan favourite destination.
- Marseille, as a trading/fishing port, was established by the Greeks in 600 BC, making it the oldest city in France. However, there is some archaeological evidence that the Phoenicians (a seafaring culture) settled in the protected port much earlier.
- Napoleon Bonaparte once lived in and was educated in Marseille.
- At the entrance to the harbour lies the historic Fort St. Jean. During the 12th-century crusades, it was the commandry of the Hospitaler Knights before they set off to Jerusalem.
- Visit the many markets in Marseille. The Vieux-Port has fresh fish markets along the harbour that sell the fishermen's overnight catches. Be aware that the market is very crowded in the morning.
- The famous novel The Count of Monte Cristo is set in Marseille.
- The church Notre-Dame de la Garde is the most visited spot in Marseille, sitting 489 feet above sea level. Built atop the ruins of an old fort, it provides a commanding view of Marseille.
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Marseille is famous for its high-quality soap industry. Soap production began in the Middle Ages because of an overabundance of olive oil and soda. Today, Marseille still manufactures all-natural soap, considered among the best in the world.
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You might hear of a myth that in 1780, a giant sardine blocked the harbour mouth. In fact, the harbour was blocked by a ship called the Sartine, not by a fish of unusual size. 😊
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Bouillabaisse, a traditional fish stew, was invented and is a regional dish of Marseille.
Submitted by extensive travellers Colin Jones, a UW retiree and member and his wife, Maureen.
Community news:
Seeking older adult couples: Claudia Abdelnour, a psychology student and research assistant at Concordia University’s Stress and Interpersonal Relationships Health Lab in Montreal, has reached out to inquire about sharing information on a current research study with alumni associations. The lab is conducting the PATH Study (Partners’ Actions Towards Health), which examines how couples influence one another’s health behaviours and overall well-being. The study is recruiting older adult couples interested in making positive lifestyle changes to improve their health. She can be contacted by telephone at 514-712-1516 for any follow-up questions.
For anyone interested in learning more about this lab and the study, here is an additional information page: https://concordiau.wixsite.com/sirhlab/pathstudy
McMaster University Alumni Association is sharing their upcoming free webinars focused on professional development, career growth and lifelong learning. Visit our Upcoming Webinars page to see all events, register and explore recordings of past events.
Issue 4 of the relaunched CURAC News
Enjoy missives from your fellow retirees, selected by newsletter editors at each retiree association. We encourage you to browse all the newsletters to enjoy the range of topics, events and pursuits at each retiree association. The newsletter’s goal is to connect Canadian college and university retirees with each other, as we have many shared experiences, needs, and goals, as evidenced by the stories we’re sharing in this issue. Read this CURAC/ARUCC newsletter online.
What’s Springing Up at Reep: Rain Barrels, Trees, Workshops & Ways to Get Involved
REEP promotes practical ways for the community to engage in sustainability, including planting trees, conserving water, attending educational workshops, and supporting local environmental initiatives.
Details on upcoming events, programs and fundraisers: Reep Green Solutions – Reep Green Solutions is an environmental charity that helps people live sustainably.
Featured discount partner
The 2026 belairdirect Scholarship Program opened on April 30 and will close on June 30. This scholarship is offered exclusively to members and employees of belairdirect affinity partners. Applicants do not need to be belairdirect customers to be eligible; eligibility is based solely on membership or employment with a participating affinity partner. Grandchildren are eligible.
For full details, visit: belairdirect.com/scholarship
Worth sharing:
A student has shared a small, personal community art project begun this winter called “The shy caterpillar says hi!” The project involves creating illustrated postcards with short, positive poems and placing them around campus as a gentle way to work on a stutter and build confidence. An article about the project appeared in Imprint:
The shy caterpillar says hi! — a new student campus poetry project
There is no request for formal involvement. The student simply hopes to share a few postcards with the University of Waterloo retirees at a convenient time, either by dropping them off, mailing them, or sharing them electronically—whichever works best.
For more information email: ahjain@uwaterloo.ca
Thanks for stopping by — See you next month!