Three OMNI homes partner to provide residents with lift-lock cruise

Frost Manor, Springdale and Riverview residents enjoy a two-hour cruise that included scenic views and lots of fond reminiscing

PETERBOROUGH, Ont. – About 30 residents from three OMNI Health Care long-term care homes took a scenic cruise through the Trent Severn Waterway aboard the Island Princess Sept. 17 to the famous Peterborough Lift Lock.

At 65 feet, the Peterborough Lift Lock is the tallest hydraulic boat lift in the world. The lift lock is also a national historic site.

For many residents from Riverview Manor, Frost Manor and Springdale Country Manor, the two-hour tour was a new experience. For others, it was a trip down memory lane to their childhood.

Springdale Country Manor resident Joan Tremain shared fond memories of playing in the area near the lift lock as a young girl. She also recalled how children could go swimming near the lift lock – if they passed a certain test.

“When we swam out here, we had to prove (to our parents) we could swim,” she said.

Passengers aboard the vessel were provided with a history lesson about the Trent Severn Waterway and the sites along the way. Residents chatted about how they enjoyed the scenic view the cruise offered.

As the cruise passed the Peterborough Lift Lock, Joan noted the structure hasn’t changed much in 75 years.

“It looks exactly the same as I remember it; it just has more watermarks on it,” she said.

While this was the first time the three long-term care homes have partnered to bring residents on the lift-lock cruise, Riverview Manor life enrichment co-ordinator Sherry Baldwin said it’s an experience she would gladly repeat.

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