Patricia’s May Message

The merry month of May represents the very best of a Nova Scotian spring. We enjoy the early flowers of the Dogwood tree, the glorious yellow forsythia, brave crocus, colourful tulips and my favorite the daffodils waving in spring breezes….but we are not surprised by the odd snowflake! As we shrug off the mantel of winter, we feel lighter, smile more often, and allow ourselves to believe summer, in all its glory, is on the way!! Here at our NSGREA office, we feel the renewed energies of spring.

Even as we enjoy the blessings of May, our thoughts and efforts are focused on our upcoming 2026 Convention in September. Our Regions are working on resolutions, the Executive is looking at ways to increase the impact and ensuring those who attend enjoy a meaningful experience.

Enjoy the glories of May, breathe in that spring air and make this season a memorable one.

Key Messages:

The winner of our $250 Sobey’s gift card, donated by T.J. Travcey, Cremation and Burial Specialists, was Judy Northrup – Congratulations, Judy!!

Lawton’s Discount Card (Vivanta Card)– Members have been asking about the Lawton’s Discount Card. As some of you have become aware, it is no longer active. A new enhanced benefits program will be launched in August 2026. We will update our website as new information becomes available.

Our new Website should be ready for next month. Yay!! We are all very excited. We will let you know when it is complete and, in the meantime, you can keep checking as the address will be the same.

The Invitation for the 2026 Convention will be sent out mid June. For those with email addresses we will be emailing it. Others will receive a mailed copy.

The Strategic Planning Committee have been busy drafting a Terms of Reference and Development Process along with a Draft Strategic Framework. A brief questionnaire will be sent out with your invitation to the Convention for your feedback and input on the draft Mission and Vision Statements. There will be further discussion at the Convention.

As noted in my last message, The Convention will be held on Monday, September 21^st at the NSGEU Building in Burnside between 9:30 and 3:00. As you know, that means Resolutions. If any of you have ideas for resolutions, please let your Region President know or the Provincial Office 902 865-5050 or office@nsgrea.ca . You will be provided with assistance as required to prepare it for approval by your Region. To date we anticipate between 10-15 Resolutions this year.

The Pension and Benefits Committee has been very busy. The Chair, Fred Morley, recently presented to the NS Public Bills Committee on pension issues. You will find a link to the CBC coverage of NSGREA’s presentation on our website. The Committee and the Provincial Executive recently had the first consultation and discussion with the top executives of NSPSSP Trust Inc. in years. The best news was that after many years in the red, the plan is now healthy! There is information on our website www.nsgrea.ca which you can review with your local MLA to increase their awareness of our current situation.

We have completed updating our database, so we know we are 78% paid, which we are pleased with. I will not be harassing you any more in these messages! We will just send out an email or letter informing those who have not paid, when their last payment was received and will leave it to them to determine how they wish to proceed. Thanks to all of you who checked on your payment status and/or sent in your membership fee.

Some of you will be aware that you did not receive a notice about the Region #3 meeting last Thursday. It was our ‘Mass Email’ carrier which let us down. We are looking to get it corrected but that may be a tall order. If we do not get it fixed in a timely manner, we will mail out all Convention invitations.

There is always lots of activity at the Office and we are always delighted to see members drop in to pay their membership fees or to ask questions about the Association. I want to welcome all our new members. We are pleased to have you join our Association and we are available if you have any questions or concerns. Our phone# is 902-865-5050 or toll free 1-800-677-8666.

I think that captures the month. I look forward to touching base next month. In the meantime, enjoy the warmer weather, longer days and beautiful flowers!!

Patricia