Lillian McMullin has been planning bus trips for the Port Union seniors for 14 years.
By Kathryn Stocks
This neighbourhood is lucky to have such an active community centre. On most days it is filled with people of all ages going to the library, the gym or one of a number of other programs that are available.
This piece will centre on one of those programs: trips for seniors. Fourteen years ago, Lillian McMullin took on the volunteer role of travel convenor for the Port Union seniors group and started organizing bus trips. She had no prior experience and no one to show her the ropes. So when the first trip Lillian did came with a school bus, she was horrified. She quickly changed that and since then the seniors have travelled in comfort in a deluxe coach.
Every month she tries to have two excursions, either a theatre trip, a casino trip or an outing. Theatre trips and casino trips are the favourites. For the casino trips, they go to Fallsview in Niagara and Rama in Orillia. For the theatre trips, Lillian chooses shows at places like the Shaw Festival in Niagara-on-the-Lake and the Drayton Theatre in Cambridge.
In June, she has a trip going to the Shaw to see My Fair Lady. This show was so popular that Lillian booked a second trip in September and it sold out, too. These trips always include lunch.
Upcoming outings include a City of Toronto tour this month with lunch, a harbour cruise and a visit to the St. Lawrence Market. In August, there’s one to the Niagara Peach Festival, and in September, they’re heading north for a cruise on Lake Rosseau.
Lillian doesn’t usually book at Mirvish theatres because of the higher cost, but there could be an exception this fall. The popular musical Come From Away is coming back and people have requested to see it. With her Newfie background, Lillian is happy to try to book this one. It’s coming in at $205 per person, which is the most expensive trip she has looked into this year.
The great thing about the trips, aside from the fun, is that Lillian only charges the amount she has to pay the tour companies that do the organizing. “We do not add even one penny onto the cost of the trip,” she said.
She relies on two companies that offer day trips and she chooses which ones she’ll promote. Most theatre trips cost around $179, while the outings are less expensive for those on a limited budget. They sell quickly because there isn’t much travel like this being offered in the area.
Important things to know about these day trips: you don’t need a membership in the seniors group and you don’t have to be 65 to participate. The only restriction is no children under the age of 21.
Lillian is a volunteer who has been planning these trips since 2010. “It’s a full-time job,” she said, “and a full-time pleasure for me. I can honestly say I’ve had so much fun doing it and I’m still enjoying it.” She calls it her hobby and intends to keep being the travel convenor as long as she can.
But like all volunteers, Lillian would love to have someone become her assistant who will take over when she’s ready to step down. Right now, Jackie Robeson helps her by going on some of the trips when Lillian isn’t available, but she doesn’t want to take on the travel convenor role. So Lillian is hoping a younger senior will step up to keep the trips happening for years to come.
To sign up for a trip, ask at the welcome desk in the Port Union Community Centre Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Payment is by cash or cheque. To get on the email list for upcoming excursions, contact Lillian at lillianmcmullin@rogers.com