Cheryl Stinson didn’t come to BC CRN by chance – she came by choice, experience, and with a clear commitment to helping older adults age in place with dignity.
Now serving as the Regional Mentor for the North Vancouver Island region, Cheryl began her journey with BC CRN in 2020 as a community coordinator for Campbell River, Quadra, and Cortez.
In her current role as mentor for the North Vancouver Island, she supports her fellow BC CRN volunteers, guiding their efforts and helping local coordinators access the resources they need.
“No two weeks look exactly the same,” Cheryl said. “Right now, we’re in the planning process for the new year and preparing for World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. I’m coordinating with the region and supporting the networks on-site for their events.”
Cheryl’s role includes far more than just logistics. Whether it’s attending city council meetings to advocate for senior-friendly policies or responding to individual requests for family support, she’s constantly recalibrating based on the needs of the communities she serves.
Navigating the Unique Challenges of Rural Communities
The North Vancouver Island region covers a large and geographically dispersed area – from Comox to Port Hardy, and beyond to Alert Bay and Sointula.
And with roughly 4% of the island’s population spread across such vast terrain, even basic services can become complex to coordinate.
“There isn’t really a one-size-fits-all,” Cheryl explains. “We still don’t have cell phone service all the way up to Port Hardy. A lot of people don’t have access to technology, and because they didn’t have it when they were younger, it’s not any easier to be an adopter at 80 or 90.”
These practical realities shape every project she touches. Whether addressing transportation barriers, food insecurity, or long-term care limitations, Cheryl emphasizes listening and collaboration over assumptions or blanket solutions.
“We’re trying to reach as many people that really do want to stay at home. For people who’ve been in communities for 50-plus years, leaving for care means losing their entire network. That’s really painful to watch,” she said.
From Personal Experience to Public Advocacy
Cheryl’s connection to this work is deeply personal. A few years ago, she and her husband moved back to Campbell River to help his mother age in place.
“She’s a huge gardener, very independent,” Cheryl said, explaining how important it was to them that she could stay in her home.
And after working in a retirement community, it sharpened her awareness of the gaps between what families need and what systems actually provide. She noticed that older adults and their caregivers often struggle to find accessible resources.
“I saw the gamut of abuse, support, neglect, and self-neglect,” she recalls. “And it just inspired me to get more involved.”
That grounding in real-world caregiving and non-profit housing shaped her approach. Today, she’s a fierce advocate for practical, collaborative responses rooted in lived experience – not top-down assumptions.
Tackling the Tough Issues
One of Cheryl’s current priorities is addressing extreme clutter and hoarding – which are issues that demand more than individual intervention.
“This is a mental health issue which we don’t really talk about,” she said, explaining that one of the biggest hurdles is that the programs that are available to people in her region struggling with extreme clutter require them to already be aware that there’s an issue and be willing to do the work.
“But by the time you get there, you may have already been evicted, you may have already received notice, you may have already received thousands of dollars in fines from your local community. And once your clutter gets too far out, you may be rejected for home care because they can’t come in. If an ambulance can’t come down a hallway with a clear path, they can’t come in,” Cheryl said.
So, people are being evicted or denied home care before they even understand there’s a problem, and this is a perfect example of why she is so dedicated to bringing greater awareness to this issue and involving seniors in conversations about how to address it.
She’s also passionate about improving digital literacy for older adults, though she’s quick to push back on the buzzwords.
“For a lot of seniors even the language around that is a little too much of a barrier,” she said. “So, when I talk about digital literacy, I remind people, let’s talk about what are you going to show them?”
Whether it’s teaching them how to use Zoom to talk to their grandkids, or how to browse Google and YouTube so they can self-educate, she said what’s most important is empowering them with the skills they need to participate meaningfully in a society that’s becoming increasingly technical.
What’s more, Cheryl’s team is also working on outreach to First Nations communities, scaling up awareness efforts in towns like Gold River, and reviving age-friendly policies at the municipal level.
Empowering Through Respect
If there’s one value that defines Cheryl’s work, it’s autonomy.
“Older adults need to have the dignity to make their own decisions,” she said, “They’re not wanting people to do everything for them. They don’t want me to do everything for them. And they want to be asked, ‘Can I help you with that?’”
Cheryl recalls training sessions where seniors learned to use Zoom and YouTube for the first time:
“I had a couple do a training on YouTube and Zoom and you know, they’re in their 80s, and they said, ‘Oh, my granddaughter is going to be so proud. I can’t wait to show her that we can do Zoom on our own now.’ And you kind of think, ‘Oh, isn’t that sweet?’ But it’s beyond sweet. It’s building confidence, it’s building education, and those things are empowering,” she said.
Looking Ahead
What excites Cheryl the most about the future of BC CRN is helping to build stronger connections between CRNs, supporting her team, continuing to elevate the voices of older adults, and ensuring they’re involved in discussions at every level regarding issues that affect them.
“I learned really quickly if we don’t include seniors, we don’t understand the challenges,” she said. “So, I think that’s the biggest piece is working on education and empowering people the best we can so that they can self-agent and make their own decisions.”
Cheryl’s also hopeful about starting more community events and seniors’ fairs, expanding opportunities for information and referral, and ensuring BC CRN’s outreach reaches those who need it most.
