NEWS RELEASE
ST. MARY'S GARDENS
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Everyone expects Santa to be the one in the workshop this time of year, but what’s unexpected is that a few seniors, living in a retirement residence, have also been in his workshop.
St. Mary’s Gardens is the only retirement residence in Ontario with a science centre, Science Timmins, and as such, residents and tenants have access to a part of Science Timmins that is also a rare amenity for retirement residences: access to a workshop.
Billie Rheault and Claude Coderre, tenants at St. Mary’s Gardens, have teamed up to design and create woodworking projects of all sorts. Coderre is in charge of templates and Rheault is in charge of design.
Their most recent project is a horse-drawn sleigh pulling Santa Claus. The horses were carved by Coderre and brought to life by Rheault who added paint details and even synthetic hair to the horses’ manes and tails. The Christmas ornament can be found on display in the pub at St. Mary’s Gardens.
Coderre and Rheault have many projects on the go including wooden carousel horses to be inscribed and given as tree ornaments to friends and family, carvings to be used as Bingo prizes for the residents of St. Mary’s Gardens and a secret project which is yet to be revealed.
“I love working with my hands,” said Rheault. “I especially like taking something that someone considers to be trash and turning it into a treasure.” Rheault had the brilliant idea of turning used mini helium tanks into Christmas decorations by painting the exterior. Rheault has been steeped in creative work for many years doing everything from cake decorating to painting.
Like Santa, if you’re going to make a lot of toys, you spend more than just a couple of days in the workshop. Coderre really enjoys the convenient location which allows him plenty of time to continue his hobby of woodworking, “I am here (Science Timmins) six days a week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.”
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