- (604) 702-2611
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- closed for summer
- 604-702-2611
- [email protected]
- closed for summer
Alan Cadwell is a lifelong advocate for education with over 50 years of experience in teaching, business, and community leadership. His career in adult education began in 1993 as Director of the Centre for Business Development and Training at the University of the Fraser Valley, where he designed and taught programs to help mature students upgrade skills and re-enter the workforce. Known for his trademark question, “What did you learn today?” Alan inspires others to see learning as a daily habit and a key to staying engaged with the world.
Today, Alan serves on the executive of Chilliwack ElderCollege as Chair of the Finance and Policy Committee and guest lecturer, where he shares his expertise in technology and artificial intelligence to help seniors navigate the digital age. He also leads as Chairman of the Residents’ Council at Elim Village Garrison Crossing, representing nearly 400 seniors. Whether teaching, leading, or volunteering, Alan’s passion for lifelong learning, service, and community-building continues to shape and inspire those around him.
Brian is a full-time Kinesiology faculty member at the University of the Fraser Valley in Abbotsford and Chilliwack, where he teaches exercise physiology, strength and conditioning, exercise testing and prescription, persistent pain management, and post-rehabilitation techniques. He holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Kinesiology from the University of British Columbia and is currently pursuing a PhD in Pain Management with a lifestyle medicine focus. Brian is a Clinical Exercise Physiologist (CSEP) and a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (NSCA), with advanced training in movement therapy, pain-free performance, nutrition coaching, and somatic education.
Brian works with a wide range of clients, from post-rehabilitation and chronic pain populations to recreational and varsity athletes. In addition to teaching and coaching, he authors textbook chapters, manuals, and professional articles, with contributions to multiple Human Kinetics publications. He also serves as an instructor and continuing education provider for several national fitness and kinesiology organizations. Brian is passionate about promoting physical activity as a foundation for health, performance, injury prevention, and lifelong well-being.
Cheryl has been dancing Hawaiian and Polynesian dance as far back as she can remember. Born and raised in Montreal, she was born into the dance life with her mother having her own Polynesian dance company growing up. She also has experience dancing ballet, jazz, tap, and Filipino folk-dancing, performing with Victoria, British Columbia’s Filipino dance ensemble, the ‘Sampaguita Dancers’. Loving dance and fitness, Cheryl decided to become a certified Hot Hula Fitness instructor in 2020 and has taught Hawaiian dance and fitness online and in studio, teaching students locally, and abroad. She has then branched off to start her own Polynesian dance and fitness company, Aloha Fit Hula and Fitness, teaching Preschool Dance and Movement classes, Adult Polynesian Dance Fitness, Seated Hula, Hawaiian Dance for Seniors, Traditional Hula, and various dance classes and workshops for school aged children, families, and adults. She also has experience teaching children as a Zumbini instructor, and offers classes in studio, and online via Zoom. She loves to share her love and passion for dance and hula through teaching dance and fitness to all different ages, skills, and experience levels.
New to Chilliwack from Vancouver Island, she taught hula dance in Victoria for the last 6 years and is now excited to offer classes in Chilliwack. She is a mother to a 9 year old girl who is already following her family’s dance traditions.
Colleen Gingerich has enjoyed teaching ElderCollege classes sporadically for the past 20 years. Lifelong learning is one of her passions. She has been in education most of her life, first as a student, then as a high school teacher and has recently retired from her position as an Associate Professor in the Computer Information Systems Department of UFV. Colleen also enjoys kayaking, gardening and reading.
Dale Dearden taught Criminology at Kwantlen Polytechnic University for over 25 years, specializing in Canadian Legal Systems, the criminal law, and social science research methods. Dale is now retired and living in Chilliwack.
Dave Waldner is the Founder of Master Painting and Renovations, he has over 30 years of experience in Painting and Renovation’s, Dave has Specialized training with the Federal Government in aging in place modifications , he has his Master Renovation Certification and is currently working on his Builders license.
David Johnston received his Ph.D. in philosophy from McGill University in 1992. He has taught philosophy, logic, and the history of science at various universities and colleges in Canada. He retired from the University of Victoria in 2010 and has lived in Chilliwack ever since.
It wasn’t love at first site. In fact, it was one of the most unforgiving of mediums in the hardest forms of work – where Don discovered his passion for art.
Having worked in a family run concrete business on the beautiful Sunshine Coast, and then being self employed for over 25 years in the Fraser Valley, Don has worked with concrete for over 50 years. Don opened his own studio called the “Concretist” where he taught workshops that involved concrete mold making, and casting to create unique garden art pieces.
Don later discovered his passion for glass after attending hot glass casting courses at Red Deer College and then working as a T.A. at the prestigious Pilchuck College.
He has recently retired from a local highway’s maintenance company after 15 years as a Bridge Superintendent. Through his work experiences, Don incorporates both nature and structural design into his art with a growing curiosity and passion for experimenting with multi mediums. Don pushes the boundaries of traditional art with the intersection of mixed mediums and abstract design, that now expands beyond concrete and glass – to paper, wood, fabric and metal.
As a dedicated lifelong learner, Doris thrives on the pursuit of knowledge and continuous growth while still making time to have lots of fun. Passionate about fostering connections, she channels her love for games into creating shared moments of joy.
By bringing people together, Doris aims to cultivate an environment where fun and enjoyable experiences become lasting memories.
Fresh Impressions Catering is the fruition of a Provincial Red Sealed Chef putting her head, heart and hands together to provide the Fraser Valley with food prepared with craftsmanship and charisma. The concept of Fresh Impressions Catering refers to “a play on words”. Your “Fresh Impression” is a fresh new look and the resulting impressions that happily linger.
Fresh Impressions Catering is the fresh, local and distinct choice when planning any function. Whether it be a corporate event, special occasion, wedding, family gathering, business meeting or private dinner in your home. The goal of Fresh Impressions Catering is to continue it’s solid reputation in the culinary field. Fresh Impressions Catering consistently provides the highest standard of exceptional quality food. Menus are inspired by international cuisines with items sourced locally and cooked from scratch. Creativity with ingredients and presentation is of the utmost importance. With Fresh Impressions Catering, no meal is impossible because the goal is to realize the vision that the client has in the culinary food experience that they want to provide their guests.
Elizabeth is a Red Seal Chef with more than fifteen years experience in BC’s Food and Hospitality industry. She is highly proficient in catering and banquet management operations. Elizabeth is very experienced in menu planning, design, management and cost control. She earned her red seal by attending University of the Fraser Valley and Vancouver Community College. Her cooking experience includes: farm to table, hotel, fine-dining, catering, institutional, assisting in the Chilliwack School District’s Culinary Arts programs and teaching Elders College classes. She is a member of the BC Chef’s Association and the Canadian Culinary Federation of Chefs and Cooks.
With her artistic eye for detail, Elizabeth enjoys making every plate, platter, or bowl a striking show piece. Elizabeth also loves to create new dishes, experiment with ingredient combinations and presentation styles. Elizabeth is a positive and self-motivated chef that works hard at exceeding customer expectations through producing memorable dining experiences.
Gretchen worked as an E.A in the Chilliwack School District for 27 years. After retirement she tutored children after school until recently. Her passion is making cards, gardening, and crafting with her granddaughter.
Gretchen won the Peoples Choice Award in 2014 on the Rotary Garden Tour!
Harry’s journey with the Tai Chi arts started in the year 2000 after watching a local demonstration and conversing with practising members. He accepted an offer to join a class to explore further. Some twenty-five years later, as an accredited instructor, he is fully involved in practicing and teaching the Taoist Tai Chi arts to both beginners and advanced students.
The focus of instruction is to promote improved health and alleviate suffering. This is accomplished through a set of gentle movements with balance the primary goal.
Jenn started beading in Winter 2022 she was searching for a way to connect culturally and for something fun to do. Jenn took a workshop locally and learned the Peyote Stitch. Instantly she felt connected to the process. Jenn found beading challenging but kept at it until it became a relaxing way to unwind at the end of the day. Jenn loves to learn and expand her knowledge and loves being able to share her work and teachings with others.
Jenn is a mom, wife and stepmom. A passionate early childhood educator who manages the child care centre at Stó:lō Service Agency. Jenn is also a councillor for her community Sq’ewá:lxw (Skawahlook) First Nation.
Jessica has always been fascinated by colour and contrasting colour combinations. Jessica is proficient in many art forms but specializes in glass mosaics, oil pastels, mixed media and acrylic paint. She enjoys the entire art process, from finding perspective, planning the design, persistence to finish and the fantastic feeling of perseverance. Jessica can create snow that glistens, the most delicate flowers, or winds and waves on a stormy day at the beach. She has also done commissions for businesses, private collectors and special occasion gifts.
Jessica lives in Chilliwack, B.C. with artist Jim Godfrey and their four children: Ian, William, Blythe, and Gabriel.
“I want to see what happens when I continue learning, creating, teaching, and inspiring.”
Joan Harkness is a retired school teacher who has been instructing Fitness classes for over 30 years. Joan is currently teaching at the Cheam Leisure Center and for the Chilliwack Senior Resources Society. Joan believes in the power of seniors to take their health seriously and meet the challenges of keeping their bodies strong, agile and well-balanced.
Kim Wimmer received his Private Pilots License in 1975 through Diploma Program Mount Royal College. He retired as 767 Captain with Air Canada in 2013 with around 30,000 hours. Flew wheels, skis and floats and is still kicking!
Over the years, Louise’s artistic journey has been one of discovery and creative exploration. Through participation in various workshops—including photography, pencil and ink drawing, Zentangle, and Cyanotype—she has found inspiration and connection with like-minded individuals. Her art provides an outlet to dream, explore, and relax, keeping the spirit of playfulness alive.
While her path has taken many turns, each detour brings renewed vision. For her, the creative process is less about the destination and more about the joy of daydreaming along the way.
Mark has lived in the Fraser Valley for the past 28 years and relocated to Chilliwack in 2015. He has been an enthusiastic woodcarver for the past 12+ years, since he inherited a number of woodcarving tools from his father. As a beginner, Mark learned the fundamental skills as a novice member of the Central Fraser Valley Woodcarvers, where he continues to work with and learn from many of the Club’s members. Mark is currently the Vice President of the CFV Woodcarvers, a community-based club that was formed 45 years ago in Abbotsford, currently serving members from Surrey to Mission to Chilliwack.
As a competitive carver, Mark has continued to develop his skills by challenging the variety of carving woods and alternative mediums he has used in some of his projects and looks forward to working with others who are interested in trying out woodcarving.
Marlene Dance has over 55 years of researching experience. She started at a time when phone calls, personal interviews and written letters were the only way to put together a family tree. They were based on family stories and documents handed down through the generations. When the internet burst upon us in 2000, it provided easy access to a wealth of information for researchers. It is so important to learn skills to access, organize and make use of this information and learn what is relevant.
Marlene has researched her father’s side back to their arrival on the ship “Ann” to Plymouth, Mass in 1623, and recently found more family in England going back to the 1400s. A similar arrival date of 1627 has been determined for her husband’s side. Both she and her husband can prove Loyalist heritage from 1783 in early Canada. She has assisted in two adoption cases before the advent of DNA and has since, used DNA to find birth parents or birth families for six other people. Over the past 16+ years, Marlene has presented in person or via Zoom, to many genealogy associations, service groups, LDS Church Genealogy workshops, and has had two genealogy articles published nationally. She has researched personally in the National Archives in Great Britain and at many Provincial sites. She facilitates the monthly meetings of the Chilliwack Library Genealogy Workshop group. Marlene has offered sold out Genealogy classes with ElderCollege since 2009. She is the serving President of the Chilliwack Branch UELAC and has been the Branch Genealogist since 2013.
In May 2025, Marlene Dance was honoured with the King Charles III Coronation Medal.
Merlin Bunt is a fifth-generation Chilliwack native, historian, author, and retired accountant. He is also the creator of the popular Facebook page, Chilliwack History Perspectives, upon which since 2014 he has posted weekly original articles on our city’s rich past. He recently had his first book, Boom Times in Chilliwack – Memories From The Post-War Years, published by Harbour Publishing. On the strength of this book, he was recognized as the 2025 Chillies Award winner for Top Writer. Merlin has served as treasurer and board member of the Chilliwack Museum and Historical Society since 2016 and is also a member of the Heritage Chilliwack Society. He regularly speaks to local groups about the city’s past and leads heritage tours.
Pat Gerlach loves the surprises of painting with watercolour, but she also enjoys other mediums such as acrylic, pastel, pencil, pen and ink, and large-scale mural painting.
Besides painting, she has worked with cedar bark baskets and stained glass. Her work is varied and has been shown at galleries and museums in British Columbia and Alberta. Currently Pat is loving teaching art classes to children and adults in the Fraser Valley.
Pam has had a love of paper crafts all her life, she started making flowers with wax and moved over to crepe paper with ease.
In Pam’s studio she discovered the limitless potential of paper, her crafting journey spans across variety of techniques and finished products from vibrant crepe paper flowers to the quiet crafts of bookbinding, painting and card making. She is excited to share and create with other inspired artists.
Ray is a newly retired teacher after 30 years who has taught high school Math and English in an alternate school setting for the last 20 years, including some computer-based curriculum. He has a B.Sc degree and a M. Ed. in Curriculum Studies. In the alternate school he taught young students and adults, including an 89-year-old student who graduated with her high school diploma.
Ray’s interests outside of education are in sport activities such as alpine skiing, tennis, and hiking. Other activities of interest include photography, computer film editing, chess, and general computer research.
Rowland served as Church organist and music director for over 50 years before retiring in 2020. He also taught Music, French and grades 4-6 in several local public schools until 2006.
Rowland holds Music degrees from McGill, Western Washington, and Indiana, as well as post-graduate studies at Gonzaga, Boston, and Simon Fraser. Rowland is married with three adult children and nine grandchildren.
Ruby Rodier is a French-speaking Canadian who learned English in her late 30s, bringing a unique and empathetic perspective to language instruction.
When approached to develop a short program in French conversation, she was inspired by the question, “What else can I teach in French?” That curiosity—paired with a mix of excitement, vulnerability, and challenge—continues to fuel her creativity in the classroom.
In addition to language instruction, Ruby has been teaching yoga since 1986, offering a well-rounded approach to lifelong learning that blends communication, mindfulness, and personal growth.
Silvana Kulyk is an illustrator/designer with a background in fine art and teaching.
She draws inspiration from the natural world and wildlife, always influenced by her upbringing in a small town from Romania. She creates art with both traditional and digital mediums.
As an illustrator, Silvana enjoys creating imaginative and engaging visuals that inspire young minds. Her multiple murals for BC Children’s Hospital showcase her skills for large-scale compositions and intricate storytelling.
As a designer, Silvana has the ability to embrace different styles and concepts that best compliment the various projects she has worked on: hospital murals, book illustration, silo wrap, game art, toys.
In 2025, Silvana was awarded a Chillie Award for Public Art of the Year for designing 3 gigantic murals that cover 3 silos on the Molson Coors beverage factory in Chilliwack, BC.
Stanislava Smiešková is an artist in Chilliwack, British Columbia. She grew up painting and sculpting in Slovakia, where she showed her work in exhibitions. Stanislava paints and draws in a variety of mediums: oil, acrylic, watercolour, pencil and pastel. She likes to capture the details in every scene and to use light to its full effect in landscapes. She sculpts in wood and makes statues in Paverpol.
Stanislava is a certified Paverpol instructor and welcomes new students interested in the technique.
Theresa is an Holistic Nutritionist who specialises in helping people support their bodies and minds to maintain vitality and optimal wellness as we age. Her gentle and informative approach ensures you receive detailed unbiased information about foods and supplements. She helps adults 50+ understand how nutrition and targeted supplementation can support energy, strength, cognitive health, and overall vitality.
Drawing from both science and practical, everyday strategies, she guides learners through the essentials of eating well for longevity, making sense of conflicting nutrition advice and helping them make confident, informed choices. Her goal is to empower older adults to feel their best, age with confidence, and enjoy vibrant health through simple, sustainable changes.
Trish began sewing at an early age and her sewing business has given her many areas of expertise throughout the 25 plus years. These include children’s wear, home decor, fashion and formal wear including bridal, dance, and skating apparel as well as offering alterations for just about everything.
Trish’s dedication and hard work ethic to making sewing popular and fun again is her focus in class as well as learning as much as you can to feel more accomplished in your sewing!