Barrie senior turns his passion for music into a legacy for his loved ones
A resident at Barrie's Amica Little Lake Retirement Home has turned his passion for music into a legacy for his loved ones.
Ron Benwell is one of five from Amica's 32 locations across Canada chosen to participate in the Lyrics and Legacies Project, now in its second year.
It's a program that teams up with the Corporation of Roy Thomson Hall & Massey Hall, pairing songwriters with seniors to turn their life stories into songs.
"When the song was finished I dedicated it to my daughter, her husband and my two grandchildren," said Benwell. "The song basically is covering some of my married life. She was everything. She's been gone 17 and a half years."
Ron Benwell, of Barrie, Ont., visits Massey Hall (Courtesy: Amica Little Lake)
Bringing his passion to life, Toronto-based singer-songwriter Sarah Hiltz helped Benwell pour his memories into a song called Strathavon Drive, the name of the street where he spent much of his life with his wife and two children.
"This is a really great opportunity for us to enhance their lives, to help them share their stories and develop their legacy for their families," said Laura Wright, community relations director with Amica Little Lake.
Ron Benwell works on his song in studio. (Courtesy: Amica Little Lake)
While it may be the first time Ron helped write a song, he's been singing in choir much of his life.
When he was 10, he performed on stage at Massey Hall, a place he recently had the chance to revisit.
"It's changed so much with all the renovations and improvements, but it was nice going and seeing it," said Benwell.
He said the experience stirred up old memories, just like the ones in his song, now a legacy for his children.
"For the residents to be able to share their stories, it's not just inspiring for them but also for the young people who get to hear them," said Wright.
Proof that pursuing your passion never goes out of style.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.